Ronald Michael Sega (born December 4, 1952) is an American former astronaut who is professor of systems engineering and Vice President for Energy and the Environment at the Colorado State University Research Foundation, a non-profit advocacy organization supporting CSU. He is also the Vice President and Enterprise Executive for Energy and Environment at Ohio State University<!--Wikipedians do not use "The" as part of Ohio State's name; it is considered a marketing gimmick, and routinely deleted.-->. From August 2005 to August 2007, he served as Under Secretary of the Air Force. He is a retired major general in the United States Air Force and a former NASA astronaut. Sega was born in Cleveland, Ohio, he is of Slovene origin. He was married to fellow astronaut Bonnie J. Dunbar. He is now married to Ann Sega; they have two sons. He has lived in both Northfield, Ohio and Colorado Springs.

Education

Sega graduated from Nordonia High School, Macedonia, Ohio, in 1970 after which he received a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and physics from the United States Air Force Academy in 1974, a Master of Science degree in physics from Ohio State University in 1975, and a doctorate in electrical engineering from University of Colorado Boulder in 1982.

Career

Sega completed pilot training in 1976 and served as an Instructor Pilot at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona, until 1979. From 1979 to 1982 he was on the faculty of the United States Air Force Academy in the physics department where he designed and constructed a laboratory facility to investigate microwave fields using infrared techniques while pursuing a doctorate in electrical engineering. In 1982 he joined the faculty of the University of Colorado Colorado Springs as assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He was promoted to associate professor in 1985, granted tenure in 1988, promoted to professor in 1990, and is currently on an extended leave of absence. In 2001, he became acting Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Programs.

Sega served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, from August 2001 through August 2005.

The Defense Research and Engineering was made by Paul Wolfowitz the key compliance officer regarding, among others, the protection of human subjects in DoD supported research.

In the same period, he also served as the Reserve Assistant to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff JCS. According to the Senate Armed Services Committee Report of the Inquiry into the Treatment of Detainees in U.S. Custody, The Joint Chiefs were involved in the approval of the controversial interrogation program both the DoD and the CIA engaged.

In January 2004, during Sega's tenure as director, a DoD-wide review of human subjects protection policies was initiated by Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E).

On November 14, 2006, A Navy presentation at a DoD Training Day said the review found the Navy "not in full compliance with Federal policies on human subjects protection." It was pointed out that the Navy had "no single point of accountability for human subject protections."

In September 2010, Colorado State University and The Ohio State University collaborated to create a shared position called the Vice President and Enterprise Executive for Energy and the Environment. In this position, Sega "will help the institutions work together to identify and lead potential national initiatives and economic development opportunities and will also look for opportunities for collaboration between the universities."

Sega currently serves as Professor and Director Emeritus in the Department of Systems Engineering at Colorado State University.

Awards and honors

  • Distinguished Graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, 1974
  • Top Graduate of the Pilot Instructor Training Course, 1976
  • Officer of the Year in the Department of Physics, U.S. Air Force Academy, 1980
  • Meritorious Service Medal
  • Commendation Medal
  • USAF Reserve Achievement Medal
  • Air Force Research Fellow &mdash; Air Force Office of Scientific Research, 1985.
  • Received the Outstanding Faculty Award &mdash; Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Colorado, 1985
  • Selected to the Academic Hall of Fame of his high school in Macedonia, Ohio, 1988
  • Reserve Officer of the Year (IMA), Air Force Space Command, 1988
  • Reserve Officer of the Year (IMA), U.S. Air Force, 1988
  • Received an honorary doctorate from Clarkson University, 1993
  • NASA Space Flight Medals, 1994 and 1996
  • NASA Superior Achievement Award - NASA Director of Operations, Russia, 1995
  • NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, 1997
  • IEEE fellow for contributions to material research in space and regional engineering education, in 2002.
  • Colorado Space Hall of Fame, on 7 October 2016
  • Air Force Commander's Award for Public Service, 14 November 2016

Organizations

  • American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) &mdash; Associate Fellow (1992)
  • Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
  • American Physical Society (APS),
  • Institute for the Advancement of Engineering &mdash; Fellow (1992)
  • Society for Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)
  • Air Force Reserve Officer Association
  • Association of Space Explorers
  • Eta Kappa Nu

References