Retired as a vice admiral after a Navy career of 30 years, Richard Truly can speak about leadership from a remarkable perspective. He began his career after earning a degree in aerospace engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. After distinguished service as a naval aviator, Admiral Truly became one of the first military astronauts. He piloted the Space Shuttle Columbia and was commander of the Space Shuttle Challenger. He left NASA to become the first commander of the Naval Space Command. Called back to NASA, Admiral Truly led the accident investigation and rebuilding of the space shuttle program following the Challenger accident, then served as the eighth administrator of NASA. Later Admiral Truly served as vice president of the Georgia Institute of Technology and director of the Georgia Tech Research Institute and then as director of the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. In addition to numerous professional awards, recognitions from NASA and many military decorations, Admiral Truly was awarded the Presidential Citizen’s Medal by President Ronald Reagan. He serves on many boards, including the Colorado School of Mines Board of Trustees as vice chairman. John Poate, vice president of research and technology transfer at Mines, interviewed Admiral Truly in the lobby of Maple Hall on the Mines campus.
