Steven Hawley is a veteran astronaut having flown on five Space Shuttle missions, including the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the second Hubble Telescope servicing mission, and the launch of the Chandra X-ray Observatory.  Hawley graduated with highest distinction from KU in 1973 with Bachelor of Arts degrees in physics and astronomy.  He earned a Ph.D. in astronomy and astrophysics from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1977 and was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1978.  Hawley currently serves as Director of Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science leading the space science activities at NASA’s Johnson Space Center   His group is actively involved in robotic exploration of the solar system and was responsible for the recovery of the solar wind and Comet Wild-2 extraterrestrial samples recently returned to Earth by the Genesis and Stardust missions.  Hawley’s group is also part of the ongoing exploration of Mars with the rovers Spirit and Odyssey.  Hawley has received numerous awards including NASA’s Distinguished Service Medal, KU’s Distinguished Service Citation, and the Government’s Meritorious Executive Award. 

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