Space Dynamics Laboratory Appoints New Director

Space Dynamics Laboratory Appoints New Director

The Utah State University Research Foundation appointed Michael D. Pavich, retired Major General of U.S. Air Force, as the new director of the Space Dynamics Laboratory after Allan Steed announced he would be retiring as director after 40 years of service with SDL.

"I am honored to have the opportunity to participate with an organization that has such an impressive background and list of accomplishments over the last 50 years," said Pavich. "I look forward to becoming better acquainted with the employees of SDL and finding out what I can contribute to enhancing the Lab."

Pavich earned a bachelor's in military science from the U.S. Air Force Academy, a master's in aerospace engineering through the Air Force Institute of Technology and graduated from the Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. (Read full press release.)

One-third of Utah State's Space Dynamics Laboratory 400 employees are undergraduate and graduate students. SDL, a not-for-profit research corporation, generated $55 million in revenues for the fiscal year 2003 and has developed and operated nearly 500 payloads, including shuttle experiments, real-time reconnaissance systems and satellite-based sensor suites.