ORONO, Maine — A leader at NASA who has roots to the area will deliver the University of Maine's 2019 commencement address, the school announced Tuesday.
Bridget Ziegelaar, operations manager for NASA’s International Space Station Research Integration Office, will address both morning and afternoon ceremonies May 11 inside Alfond Sports Arena in Orono.
Ziegelaar is an Old Town native who is currently responsible for leading process improvements to maximize NASA's ISS research and development, and enabling commercialization of low Earth orbit through the facilitation and support of non-government activities utilizing ISS.
She's an Old Town High School graduate who received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from UMaine and a master’s degree in science, technology and public policy from George Washington University.
Ziegelaar began her career at NASA as a graduate student intern in the agency's External Relations Office, located at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. She became a full-time employee in 1998 after accepting a cooperative education position at NASA's mission control center in Houston.
For three years, Ziegelaar worked as a thermal systems flight controller, supporting flight operations for several Space Shuttle missions to ISS.
In 2001, she moved to the Extravehicular Activity Office and was designated as STS-114 EVA flight manager, responsible for spacewalk integration.
Following the Space Shuttle Columbia accident in 2003, Ziegelaar became the lead EVA rep on the team chartered to develop critical repair techniques for the Space Shuttle’s reinforced carbon-carbon thermal protection system.
She continued to manage spacewalks, leading efforts for five ISS assembly missions encompassing 15 spacewalks.
In 2011, Ziegelaar transitioned to the ISS Program Office, where she has held various roles, including managing programmatic and technical integration of scientific and technological payloads for ops on ISS.
She served as the increment manager for ISS Expedition 54 before joining the ISS Research Integration Office in 2018.
Her many honors include the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal, and multiple Space Shuttle Mission Superior Accomplishment awards. Ziegelaar was a Space Flight Awareness Launch Honoree and a Spirit of Maine Achievement Award recipient.
"Bridget Ziegelaar is a role model and leader whose talents have contributed to NASA’s success for the past two decades,” UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy said in a statement. "[We're] extremely proud of her achievements, and we look forward to welcoming her back to her alma mater to share perspectives on a career that has taken her to such great heights."
This year's commencement is UMaine's 217th.
