Maynard Holliday facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maynard Ansley Holliday
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Holliday in 2021
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Maynard Ansley Holliday is an important scientist who has worked on many cool projects, including robotics and national security. He served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Critical Technologies. He also worked with former President Barack Obama and helped start the Defense Innovation Unit. One of his most famous projects was managing the Pioneer robot. This robot helped explore the inside of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant after a big accident.
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Early Life and Education
Maynard Holliday was born in Providence, Rhode Island. When he was a kid, he loved watching the TV show Star Trek. He even dreamed of becoming an astronaut! He grew up in Scarsdale, New York.
He went to Carnegie Mellon University to study mechanical engineering. He was one of only fifteen African American engineers in his class. While studying, he became very interested in robots. This happened after the Three Mile Island accident. A company called RedZone Robotics started from his university. It was led by Red Whittaker. Holliday worked with Whittaker to design robots. These robots were made to explore dangerous, contaminated areas.
Holliday also attended the International Space University in 1991. He even made it to the final stages of the NASA Astronaut Corps selection process twice! This was in 1994 and 1996. However, he decided not to continue his application after the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.
Robotics and Government Work
After college, Holliday joined Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. There, he worked as a robotics engineer. He later received a scholarship to study robotics and international security at Stanford University. He started a graduate program in mechanical engineering design. He also worked on special systems for the National Ignition Facility.
In 1995, Holliday received a special fellowship. This allowed him to work on science and technology policy. He worked at the United States Agency for International Development. During this time, he pushed for international funding for robot development. This was in response to the Chernobyl disaster.
After his fellowship, Holliday worked for the United States Department of Energy. He helped secure nuclear materials in Russian cities. He also worked with a group in Ukraine on the Pioneer robot. This robot was designed to explore dangerous areas. His efforts to secure nuclear materials were recognized with a high award. It was called the Meritorious Service Medal.
The Pioneer Robot at Chernobyl
Maynard Holliday was the project manager for the Pioneer robot. This robot was very important. It helped map the inside of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. He worked with RedZone Robotics to finish the robot by 1999.
The Pioneer robot cost $3 million. It was built to handle much more radiation than humans can. It could stay inside the nuclear reactor for up to two years. The robot used a special vision system. This system helped it identify and record materials inside the plant. This technology later became a model for the Mars Pathfinder mission!
Later Career in Technology
After working for the Energy Department, Holliday helped develop pattern recognition technology. This was for a company called Evolution Robotics. He also helped design high-definition camera systems. These were for a robot used in surgery called the da Vinci telerobotic surgery robot. In 2011, Holliday joined Sandia National Laboratories. He worked in their Systems Analysis Group.
During Barack Obama's second term as president, Holliday became a Senior Technical Advisor. He helped create the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx). This group helps the government use new commercial technologies faster. He also advised the Defense Science Board in 2015. For his excellent work, he received the Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service. In 2017, Holliday left the Defense Department. He joined RAND Corporation to research self-driving cars.
In 2021, Holliday returned to the Defense Department. He became the Defense Research and Engineering for Modernization Director. In this role, he helps decide where to invest in new technologies. These include things like 5G, hypersonics, and quantum science.
Inspiring Young People
Maynard Holliday is very passionate about teaching young people. He wants them to learn about science and engineering. His personal motto is: "You learn it, earn it, and return it." This means he believes in learning, succeeding, and then giving back to others.
He was involved with Barack Obama's My Brother's Keeper Challenge. This program helps civic leaders support young men of color. Holliday also helped start Robot Garden. This is a community makerspace in Livermore, California. It's a place where people can create and build things. He is still on its advisory board.
In 2012, an organization called Citizen Schools named him Volunteer of the Year. This was for his work at Elmhurst Community Prep school. He has also taught advanced robotics classes at San Ramon Valley High School. Holliday is especially committed to encouraging more diverse people to join science and engineering fields. He believes it's important to have many different voices at the table. This helps make sure decisions affect everyone fairly.
