[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 24 (Wednesday, March 1, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E250-E251]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO G. SCOTT HUBBARD

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 1, 2006

  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. G. Scott Hubbard, 
who recently stepped down as Director of NASA Ames Research Center in 
Mountain View, California to become the Carl Sagan Chair for Study of 
Life in the Universe at the SETI Institute.
  Mr. Hubbard began his career at NASA Ames Research Center in 1987, 
becoming Center Director in 2002. I have had the pleasure of working 
closely with Mr. Hubbard on many issues since he assumed the 
Directorship. He has been an invaluable public servant, guiding NASA 
Ames through difficult times and inspiring confidence throughout the 
organization. I'm proud of our work together on many of the new 
endeavors at NASA Ames, as well as the work to ensure the long-term 
future of NASA Ames and Moffett Federal Airfield. Mr. Hubbard has 
always been a thorough professional . . . responsive, efficient and 
effective.
  NASA Ames Research Center is in the heart of Silicon Valley and has 
played a crucial role in Silicon Valley's success. Director Hubbard 
demonstrated an unparalleled ability to use NASA Ames' unique position 
in the high-end research and development community to forge 
groundbreaking public-private R&D collaborations. Under his leadership, 
NASA Ames successfully partnered with Silicon Graphics and Intel 
Corporation to develop the fastest operational supercomputer in the 
world, and created the Center for Nanotechnology to lead federal 
research in this revolutionary technology. Mr. Hubbard was integral to 
the creation of the NASA Ames Research Park, a world-class R&D and 
education campus with industry, universities and non-profits all taking 
part. Today, more than thirty small R&D companies and fourteen 
universities are on-site. Because of his tireless

[[Page E251]]

efforts, high-technology giant Google will soon be adding a new state-
of-the-art facility to the Research Park. Under Mr. Hubbard's tenure, 
NASA Ames established the University Affiliated Research Center with 
the University of California, which remains the largest R&D partnership 
ever developed by NASA in our nation.
  Beyond his work as Director of NASA Ames, Mr. Hubbard has been a 
highly respected member of NASA and our country's academic community. 
He attended Vanderbilt University where he studied physics and 
astronomy. In 1974 at Lawrence Berkeley Lab, Mr. Hubbard co-developed a 
new radiation detection technology which is now incorporated in the 
Mars Odyssey Mission. In March 2000, he served at NASA headquarters as 
the first Mars Program Director and successfully restructured the 
entire Mars program in the wake of mission failures. Prior to his 
appointment as NASA Ames Center Director, he was Deputy Director for 
Research at NASA Ames. In 2003, he served as the sole NASA 
representative on the Columbia Accident Investigation Board which 
established the definitive physical cause of the loss of the Columbia. 
Director Hubbard has also been the NASA Ames Associate Director for 
Astrobiology and Space Research, the first director of NASA's 
Astrobiology Institute, and NASA's mission manager for Lunar 
Prospector. Director Hubbard is also credited with conceiving the Mars 
Pathfinder Mission. He recently accepted a visiting scholar appointment 
in the Electrical Engineering Department of Stanford University, 
underscoring the deep respect that Mr. Hubbard has earned in the 
academic community. At Stanford, Mr. Hubbard's research plans will 
focus on nanotechnology, biotechnology and information technology 
areas, as well as studying the emergence of the entrepreneurial space 
industry.

  Time and again, Scott Hubbard has proven his commitment to NASA and 
our nation's space exploration endeavors. That is why, Mr. Speaker, I 
ask my colleagues to join me in extending our deepest gratitude to him 
for his superb public service. He has served our country exceedingly 
well, and because he has, we honor him for his work and wish him well 
in his new position as the Carl Sagan Chair at the SETI Institute.

                          ____________________