Dr. Charles R. Chappell (Rick)

Dr. Rick Chappell has been with the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation board since November 2017. He is a Research Professor of Physics involved in space research and outreach at Vanderbilt University and was executive director of the Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory from 2002-2009. 

Prior to joining Vanderbilt, Chappell served as the Associate Director for Science at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. In that capacity he was the chief scientist for the Center advising the Center director on all science and university programs while maintaining interaction with leading scientists throughout the world. He has directed research in solar terrestrial physics and has been a principal investigator on several satellite missions. In May 1994, Chappell became special assistant for environmental programs to the NASA administrator. He was assigned to the White House to implement an environmental science/education program for Vice President Al Gore. From 1976 to 1985, Chappell was the mission scientist for Spacelab 1, a joint European/American shuttle mission that conducted investigations in material sciences, life sciences, space physics, earth observations, and astronomy. In December 1985 he was selected to train as an Alternate Payload Specialist for a flight aboard the Space Shuttle. The STS-45 mission took place in March 1992.