Dave Gallagher
Director of JPL
Dave Gallagher is the 11th Director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Prior to his appointment, he served as JPL’s Associate Director for Strategic Integration.
Earlier in his career at JPL, Gallagher held senior leadership roles including Director and Deputy Director for Astronomy, Physics, and Space Technology, and Manager of the Advanced Optical Systems Program Office. He led the team responsible for correcting the optical flaw in the Hubble Space Telescope through the successful development, integration, and testing of the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2. He also served in key leadership roles on major NASA missions, including the Spitzer Space Telescope and other flagship astrophysics and space technology programs.
Gallagher earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University in 1982. He began his career at IBM and later founded and led a software consulting firm before joining JPL in 1989.