Vanessa Wyche Takes Over as Acting Director of Johnson Space Center

Vanessa Wyche has been named acting director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

She succeeds Mark Geyer, who has decided to wrap up his three-year tenure as JSC director to focus on his health and family, NASA said Tuesday.

As acting center director, she will provide oversight on various human spaceflight activities, including the development and operation of human spacecraft, commercialization of low-Earth orbit and JSC’s role in the Artemis mission.

Having worked for NASA for more than 30 years, Wyche has been assigned to many leadership positions.

Her most recent position was deputy director of the JSC. She was also the center’s former assistant and acting deputy director.

In addition, she served as director of NASA’s Exploration Integration and Science Directorate, flight manager for the now-defunct Space Shuttle Program and executive officer in the Office of the NASA Administrator.

Outside of NASA, she worked for the Food and Drug Administration.

Her leadership was also needed at other center-level technical and program organizations.

A multi-awarded executive, Wyche has won two NASA Outstanding Leadership Medals, two NASA Achievement Medals and the “Women at NASA” award. She was also included in Coastal Carolina University’s list of “Inspiring Women from South Carolina” and was recognized by Diversity Journal in their feature titled “Women Worth Watching.”

Wyche graduated from Clemson University with a bachelor’s degree in engineering and a master’s degree in bioengineering.