Gregory L. Robinson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gregory L. Robinson
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Official portrait, 2018
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| Born | 1960 Danville, Virginia, U.S.
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| Education | Averett University, M.B.A Howard University, B.S. Virginia Union University, B.S. |
| Known for | Program Director of the James Webb Space Telescope |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | NASA |
Gregory L. Robinson is an amazing American engineer. He used to be the director of the James Webb Space Telescope program at NASA. He helped launch one of the most powerful space telescopes ever!
Contents
Early Life and Education
Gregory Robinson was born in 1960 in rural Virginia. He was the ninth of eleven children. His parents were tobacco sharecroppers. This means they farmed land owned by someone else and paid rent with a share of their crops.
He went to a segregated elementary school until 1970. This means Black and white students went to separate schools. He then attended Dan River High School and graduated in 1978.
How Gregory Robinson Studied
Gregory Robinson earned a special football scholarship. This allowed him to attend Virginia Union University. There, he earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics.
Later, he transferred to Howard University. He earned another bachelor's degree, this time in electrical engineering. He also has an MBA from Averett College. An MBA is a master's degree in business. He also studied at the Harvard Kennedy School.
Gregory Robinson's Career at NASA
Gregory Robinson joined NASA in 1989. He quickly became a manager at the Goddard Space Flight Center. This is a major NASA center.
He has held many important roles at NASA. From 2005 to 2013, he was the NASA Deputy Chief Engineer. He also oversaw 114 missions as Deputy Center Director of the John H. Glenn Research Center.
Leading the James Webb Space Telescope
From 2018 to 2022, Gregory Robinson was the director of the James Webb Space Telescope Program. This was a huge project! He managed a team of over 20,000 people.
The telescope's launch had been delayed many times. But under Robinson's leadership, it finally launched successfully. This was a major achievement for space exploration.
His supervisor, Thomas Zurbuchen, praised him greatly. He called Robinson "the most effective leader of a mission I have ever seen in the history of NASA." Robinson improved the program's schedule efficiency from 50% to 95%. This means tasks were completed on time much more often.
Recognition and Retirement
In 2022, Gregory Robinson was recognized for his amazing work. He was named to the Time 100 list of influential people. He was also named Time Innovator of the Year in 2022.
In July 2022, the Webb telescope began sending its first data. After this success, Robinson retired from NASA. He had worked there for 33 years. Since 2020, he has also taught at Columbia University.
Awards and Honors
Gregory Robinson has received many awards for his work. These include:
- 2013: NASA Presidential Rank Distinguished Executive Award
- 2022: Federal Employee of the Year (Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals)
- 2022: Time 100 Most Influential People of 2022
- 2022: Time 2022 Innovator of the Year
- 2022: EBONY Power 100
- 2022: NASA Presidential Rank Distinguished Executive Award
- 2023: Stibitz-Wilson Award from the American Computer & Robotics Museum
Personal Life
Gregory Robinson is married to Cynthia. They have three daughters and several grandchildren.
