Speaker Bios

Lori Garver

Deputy Administrator, NASA

Lori Garver serves as the Deputy Administrator for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the United States Senate in 2009, Ms. Garver is working to advance the transformation of NASA into a 21st century Agency of innovation.

Toward this end, Garver has helped create NASA’s growing space technology effort, increased innovation in Earth science, broadened international cooperation and forged new private sector partnerships in areas such as sub-orbital science, hosted payloads, lunar robotics, asteroid detection and space transportation.

Garver’s experience working in government, industry, and not-for-profit sectors has led to her selection as lead space policy advisor to three Presidential candidates.

Recognized in the field as an innovative leader, Space News called Garver a “Game Changer who is helping to pilot NASA through the shark infested waters of Washington politics” and Popular Science named her as one of its “Three Faces to Watch” in 2010. Garver was recently named one of the Top 100 Women Leaders in STEM. Providing greater opportunities for women in STEM is one her highest priorities.

A native of Michigan, Ms. Garver earned a bachelor's degree in political science and economics from Colorado College. Her professional interest in space was sparked by her first job out of college, working for Senator John Glenn and that experience led her to pursue a master's degree in science, technology and public policy from George Washington University.