Bachelor of science in aerospace engineering from Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, 1974; master of science in engineering science from George Washington University, 1980; Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; after his mission he served as Director, Engineering, Johnson Space Center, but was fired from this job June 2006, because of his criticism to the STS-121 mission; he was then assigned to the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC); hobbies: Racquetball, running, weighlifting, boxing.