Ronak Dave - Office of Professional Practice - Purdue University

In 2022, Dave became a flight director at NASA, joining an elite group of only 108 since the start of the spaceflight program in 1958. He leads planning, training and execution of human spaceflight operations.

Previously at NASA, he was a flight controller for propulsion systems (2014-22), a role in which he directed Space Launch System mission control tools and flight rules. He's a certified CST-100 Propulsion Officer supporting the Boeing Orbital Flight Test and a certified Attitude Determination and Control Officer. 

Dave was selected to the inaugural Purdue University "38 by 38" group, is an Aviation Week Twenty20s award winner and is on the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics' Young Professional Alumni Council.

Purdue experience

Completed a co-op with NASA and was a Pathways intern at Johnson Space Center from 2011-13, developing propulsion and communications prototypes and analysis tools across multiple branches