Astronaut Ronald Sega, a former dean at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, has been nominated by President Bush to be undersecretary of the Air Force.
Sega, 52, is director of defense research and engineering at the Department of Defense, where he is challenged to find and develop technologies that will aid in homeland security or help troops fight wars.
A distinguished 1974 Air Force Academy graduate, Sega served five years with NASA, flying on two space shuttles: Discovery in 1994 and Atlantis in 1996.
Sega is a major general in the Air Force Reserve.
He has a master’s degree from Ohio State University and a doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Colorado.
He could not be reached for comment Thursday.
The Senate must approve Sega’s nomination for undersecretary, the No. 2 civilian leader in the Air Force. The position is vacant.
“Dr. Sega is a good friend of mine,” said U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo. “I believe that he will be an asset to the Air Force as undersecretary. He has served the country with distinction in a variety of roles. … I look forward to introducing him during his confirmation hearing later this year and to helping guide his nomination through the U.S. Senate.”
Sega joined the faculty at UCCS in 1982 and was named dean of the College of Engineering and Science in 1996.
Under his leadership, five new degree programs were added.
“He was very energetic,” said Rodger Ziemer, professor of electrical and computer engineering at the university.
In 2000, Sega helped start the Colorado Commission on Science & Technology, a task force of high- tech business officials, as well as the Colorado Institute of Technology, which is working with state universities to churn out more computer, science and engineering graduates.
Staff writer Erin Emery can be reached at 719-522-1360 or eemery@denverpost.com.
