"It is a truly humbling experience to be associated with the prestige of those that represent Purdue’s Outstanding Aerospace Engineers. With this award, my obligation to serve the community with continued passion and dedication is even more reinforced, as my actions reflect upon the foundation and core values obtained from my time at Purdue.”
John Dankanich is both the Chief Technologist for the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and the Capability Lead for all of NASA for In-Space Transportation. He serves a workforce of approximately 6,000 civil servants and contractors and guides a portfolio of more than $1 billion in investments, ranging from basic research through flight system delivery. Dankanich serves senior strategic alignment activities for technology portfolios across all government agencies and is an entry point for engagement with industry and academia.
Dankanich is a recognized subject matter expert with more than 100 publications in technology development, propulsion testing and qualification, low-thrust trajectory optimization, mission design and planetary defense. His career has evolved from design, build, test to systems analysis, technology maturation, project management, flight system development and now technology portfolio executive leadership.
He has served on the steering committee of the Small Body Assessment Group for the NASA Advisory Council Planetary Science Subcommittee, as the founding Chair of the AIAA Committee on Standards for Electric Propulsion Testing, and serves as the current Chair of the Chief Technologist Council at NASA. Dankanich has served on numerous review boards, conducted technology portfolio assessments and influenced investments of the AFOSR, AFRL, AF SMC, US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, DARPA, DOE, NRL, the NSF, Space Force, industry and academia.
He received BS degrees in Physics and Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering and a master’s degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics, all from Purdue University.