“Purdue provided me with the engineering basics, communication skills and mentoring from several of my professors throughout my career. These factors combined with my passion for rocket propulsion played key roles in my success.”
J. Michael Murphy has worked in the rocket propulsion industry for more than 37 years. He is presently Vice President and Chief Engineer for Advanced Technology Associates, Inc. performing consulting services. Murphy’s career represents a succession of notable steps in propulsion engineering and management achievement from a Senior Research Scientist position at Martin Marietta Corporation through Project Director, Shuttle Return-to-Flight; Manager, Propulsion for the Space Shuttle External Tank; Program Manager for the Shuttle Reaction Control Tanks; twice Manager of Propulsion Engineering, responsible for the development of airborne and ground systems for launch vehicles, strategic systems and Space Systems; and Director, Technical Operations International. He has received industry recognition for his trouble shooting of the Titan and Space Shuttle programs.
Murphy was a member of the Board of Directors for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics from 1989-2000 and won AIAA’s prestigious Wyld Propulsion Award. He was also AIAA’s Director of Propulsion and Energy, Vice President of Technical Activities and Vice President of Finance. He is a Fellow of the Institute.