Kathryn D. Sullivan, Ph.D.
COSI President and CEO


Dr. Kathryn D. Sullivan joined COSI as President and CEO in April of 1996.  During her time at COSI, Dr. Sullivan has led the institution through its biggest time of growth, including a move to the new state of the art facility on the Scioto Riverfront.  Under Sullivan’s leadership, COSI has deepened its commitment to expanding science and learning opportunities throughout the state of Ohio and beyond.

Before taking on her role at COSI, Dr. Sullivan served as Chief Scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  At NOAA, she oversaw research and technology programs in fields ranging from climate and global change to marine biodiversity and satellite instrumentation.

Dr. Sullivan is a former astronaut, joining NASA in 1978 as a member of the first shuttle class.  She served on three shuttle missions, the first of which was aboard the Challenger in 1984, when she became the first American woman to walk in space.  In subsequent missions aboard Discovery and Atlantis, she served as an EVA (or space walk) specialist for the Hubble Telescope and a Payload Commander for the ATLAS-1 science mission.

Throughout her life, Dr. Sullivan has spent a great deal of time focused on educating children.  She led the design of the original Challenger Center program model and has been an advisor on numerous exhibit and multimedia projects for groups including National Geographic, the Smithsonian Institution and public television.  This spring, Dr. Sullivan received the National Science Board Public Service Award for her life-long commitment to science education.

Dr. Sullivan has a Bachelor of Science degree in Earth Sciences from the University of California at Santa Cruz and a Ph.D. in Geology from Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia.  She is a Fellow in the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.  She sits on several corporate and nonprofit boards and federal commissions. In 2002 she was appointed Chair of the Ohio Aerospace and Defense Advisory Council.  She has received numerous honorary degrees and national awards including the First Ladies Salute First Women Award and the U.S. Navy Lone Sailor award.  In 2002, Dr. Sullivan was one of the nation’s first to receive the Girl Scouts of the USA Juliette Award for National Women of Distinction.

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