Doug Terrier
NASA’s Johnson Space Center
Chief Technologist
Doug Terrier, PhD, serves as the Associate Director for Vision and Strategy at NASA’s Johnson Space Center leading the strategy, creation, integration, and overall execution of JSC’s ongoing transformation. He leads the collaboration across the agency, industry, academia, and international community. Previously, he was NASA’s chief technologist. Terrier worked in the commercial aerospace sector for a total of 23 years, at Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics and General Electric. He holds a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas.
Long Bio
Dr. Douglas Terrier serves as the Associate Director for Vision and Strategy at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, and is a senior leader in the Center Director office. In this role, Terrier is responsible for leading the strategy, creation, integration, and overall execution of JSC’s ongoing transformation initiatives revolutionizing the center’s policies, plans, and processes around workforce, facilities, and products to advance human spaceflight. He provides executive and functional leadership to expand the center’s collaboration across the agency, industry, academia, and international community, to ensure alignment with NASA’s strategic plan and missions. Terrier serves as overall change advocate and decision maker for the major center transformation goals and ensures both horizontal and vertical coordination and alignment with the agency and across center organizations.
Prior to his current position, Terrier was NASA’s Chief Technologist serving as the principal advisor to the NASA administrator on technology policy and investment strategy, and advocate for technology with Congress, the White House, industry, academia and other federal agencies. He previously served as Johnson’s chief technologist, advising the center director on technology, and acting as the center point of contact for the agency Chief Technologist and the Space Technology Mission Directorate. Terrier also served as the deputy director of Johnson’s Strategic Opportunity and Partnership Development Office, as well as associate director of engineering, where he led teams responsible for design and development of spacecraft for NASA’s human space exploration program.
Terrier worked in the commercial aerospace sector for a total of 23 years with Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics and General Electric Aircraft Engines. He was responsible for international business development for Lockheed Martin in the Asia/Pacific region, supporting major successful campaigns including the Australian Joint Strike Fighter campaign, which was worth $12B; and the Singapore F-16 Peace Carvin Program, worth $4 billion. Terrier managed Lockheed Martin’s executive strategy team in their successful bid for the Department of Defense’s Joint Strike Fighter program, worth $500 billion.
As an engineering project manager for Lockheed Martin, Terrier led several highly successful Department of Defense development projects on flight programs including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter international variants and block upgrade program; the F-22 Raptor fighter program; the A-12 Lightning program; the National Aerospace Plane; and several classified programs.
Terrier earned a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas. He was awarded a Doctor of Science honoris causa from the University of Warrick in England for his work in organizational strategy. He also completed the Carnegie Mellon Graduate School of Industrial Management program with the Lockheed Martin Leadership Institute. Terrier holds patents for his work in aerospace propulsion and has published numerous technical papers. He earned the Lockheed Martin “Outstanding Technical Achievement” award on four occasions, several NASA “Superior Technical Accomplishment” awards, and the NASA Leadership medal.
Updated: Nov 4, 2021