Steve Jurczyk

Stephen G. Jurczyk (February 20, 1962 – November 23, 2023) was an American engineer who served as the acting administrator of NASA. He previously worked at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

Education and career Jurczyk was a graduate of the University of Virginia where he received Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering in 1984 and 1986. He was an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Jurczyk began his NASA career in 1988 at Langley Research Center in the Electronic Systems Branch as a design, integration and testing engineer developing several space-based Earth remote sensing systems. From 2002 to 2004, Jurczyk was director of engineering, and from 2004 to 2006 he was director of research and technology at Langley where he led the organizations’ contributions to a broad range of research, technology and engineering disciplines contributing to all NASA mission areas. From August 2006, Jurczyk served as Langley's Deputy Center Director. In May 2014, Jurczyk was appointed as Director at NASA’s Langley Research Center. There, he headed NASA’s first field Center, which plays a critical role in NASA’s aeronautics research, exploration and science missions.

Steve Jurczyk died from pancreatic cancer on November 23, 2023, at the age of 61.

Honors and awards Jurczyk received several awards during his NASA career, including two NASA Outstanding Leadership Medals, the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executive in 2006, and the Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Executive in 2016—the highest honors attainable for federal government leadership.