Aerospace Engineering Professor Bobby Braun delivered a speech to over 1000 new engineers at the Penn State College of Engineering Commencement last Friday, May 4, 2012. In addition to the commencement address, Braun shook hands with each of the new graduates. 

Braun leads an active research and educational program focused on the design of advanced flight systems and technologies for planetary exploration. He has contributed to the design, development, test and operation of several robotic space flight systems. He has previously served as a leader and senior manager for multiple, large engineering organizations at NASA. In 2010-2011, he served as the first NASA chief technologist in more than a decade. In this capacity, he was the senior agency executive for technology and innovation policy and programs, reporting directly to the NASA administrator. Braun received a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from Penn State in 1987, a master's degree in astronautics from the George Washington University in 1989, and a doctoral degree in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University in 1996. He has received the 2011 AIAA von Karman Astronautics Award, 1999 AIAA Lawrence Sperry Award, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, two NASA Exceptional Achievement Medals, two NASA Inventions and Contributions Team Awards and eight NASA Group Achievement Awards. He is an AIAA Fellow and the principle author or co-author of more than 200 technical publications in the fields of atmospheric flight dynamics, planetary exploration, multidisciplinary design optimization and systems engineering.