The TARSEC Executive Committee, comprised of representatives from higher education institutions and industry leaders across Texas, drives our initiatives. We collaborate closely with the Texas Space Commission (TSC) to provide funding recommendations, research priorities, and strategic initiatives aimed at bolstering Texas’s aerospace capabilities. TARSEC’s value is that it serves as a critical research and advisory arm of the Texas Space Commission, working to advance the state’s aerospace and space capabilities and integrate these industries into the Texas economy.
Stephanie Murphy
Stephanie Murphy – (TARSEC Executive Committee Chair) of Seabrook is the CEO and executive chairman of Aegis Aerospace, Inc. She is a board member of Space Center Houston and the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce and member of the Women in Aerospace and Texas A&M Engineering Advisory Council. She is a board member and past president of the Aggie Women Network, former board member of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, and former member of SBA Small Business Development Center Advisory Board at the University of Houston. Murphy received a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business and an MBA from Texas A&M University, and an executive development program certificate from Dartmouth University.
Matt Ondler
Matt Ondler of Houston is the president and former chief technology officer at Axiom Space, building the first commercial space station and the next generation space suit. He has nearly 40 years of aerospace and technology experience, including over 28 years serving at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. He is chairman of the Industry Advisory Board of the Texas A&M Multi-Disciplinary Engineering program and an annual invited speaker for the NASA Intern Programs. Previously, he served as a sponsor and advisor to FIRST Robotics, an international youth organization that operates robotics competitions. Ondler received a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado and an MBA from the University of Houston.
Jack “2fish” Fischer
Jack “2fish” Fischer of Houston is vice president of production and operations at Intuitive Machines. He is a former NASA astronaut with over 130 days in space, including two spacewalks, and former vice commander for the United States Space Force. Additionally, he is a member of the Space Force Association and the United States Air Force Academy Association of Graduates and associate fellow for the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. Fisher earned a Bachelor of Science in Astronautical Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy and a Master of Science in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Brian Freedman
Brian Freedman serves as the president of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership (BAHEP), where he leads regional economic development efforts, advocates for regional priorities, and directs a team of world-class economic development professionals. The Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership is a membership-driven organization dedicated to stimulating regional economic development and employment in the Houston – Bay Area region.
Prior to joining BAHEP, Freedman served as senior manager of State and Local Government Operations, Southwest Region, for The Boeing Company, and prior to that role, as the lead for Legislative Affairs at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC).
Freedman holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Mississippi State University, an MBA with a graduate certificate in finance from Colorado State University, and an executive certificate in strategy and innovation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Shey Sabripour
Shey Sabripour of Austin is the Founder and CEO of CesiumAstro, a global leader in space communications with 300+ employees across five locations serving commercial and U.S. national security customers. He spent 24 years at Lockheed Martin Space Systems, where he rose to Director of Spacecraft Design, leading 350 engineers in the development of 36 geostationary satellites. He also served as CTO of Firefly Space Systems, where he led development of the Alpha Rocket and secured NASA and DARPA contracts. Sabripour holds a B.S. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from North Dakota State University, co-authored a spacecraft technology textbook, holds multiple U.S. patents, and is a member of IEEE and AIAA.
Robert Ambrose, Ph.D.
Robert Ambrose, Ph.D., is a professor of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. Previously, he worked for NASA for over 20 years, holding various positions such as the division chief for Johnson Space Center and the principal technologist for NASA Headquarters. He is vice president of Industrial Activities for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Robotics and Automation Society. Ambrose earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, and Ph.D., in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas.
Daniel T. Jaffe, Ph.D.
Daniel T. Jaffe, Ph.D., is vice president for research, professor of the Office of the Executive Vice President, and the provost of the Department of Astronomy at The University of Texas. His work includes developing instruments and conducting observations aimed at understanding how stars and planetary systems form and evolve. He has contributed to the construction of the silicon diffractive optics for NASA’s SOFIA airborne observatory and the James Webb Space Telescope, as well as several ground-based instruments. Jaffe earned his Bachelor of Arts and his Ph.D., from Harvard University.
David Alexander, Ph.D.
David Alexander, Ph.D. (TARSEC Executive Committee Treasurer), is a professor of physics and astronomy and director of the Rice Space Institute at Rice University. He is a member of the board of the American Astronomical Society, the Houston Spaceport Development Corporation, SpaceCom, Deep Space Industries, and the Sasakawa International Center for Space Architecture. Previously, he served on the NASA Advisory Council’s Heliophysics Subcommittee, the NASA Solar Heliospheric Management and Operations Working Group, the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter Payload Committee, and the Science Advisory Board of the High-Altitude Observatory Coronal Solar Magnetism Observatory. Alexander earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics at the University of Glasgow, a Bachelor of Science in Natural Philosophy and Astronomy at the University of Glasgow, and a Ph.D., in Relativistic Cosmology at the University of Glasgow.
Resources
Please reach out to Jess Sailors at [email protected] for more information.