Dr. Jack Bacon

(Featured Speaker for South Dakota Space Days 2008 - Oct. 16-17, 2008 - Watertown, SD)

Jack Bacon Ph.D., P.Eng.
Jack Bacon has often been called "A New Carl Sagan." He is an internationally-known motivational speaker, a distinguished lecturer (emeritus) of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and one of the most requested speakers in the country for topics concerning technology and the factors that shape human society. A noted futurist and a technological historian, he has written three popular books entitled "My Grandfathers' Clock," "My Stepdaughter's Watch," and  “The Parallel Bang.”  His lectures have captivated tens of thousands of all ages in twenty-eight countries on five continents, and he has appeared on numerous radio and television broadcasts.  In his daily work, he is on the management team overseeing the construction and operation of the most complicated technical project in history: the International Space Station.

A graduate of Caltech (B.S. '76) and the University of Rochester (Ph.D. '84) his extensive career includes roles in the development of many cutting edge technologies, including controlled thermonuclear fusion, the development of the electronic office, factory automation, and the globalization of business. He pioneered the deployment of several artificial intelligence systems, learning his craft at the famed Xerox Palo Alto Research Center.

He was the United States' lead systems integrator of the Zarya-the jointly-built spacecraft that forms the central bridge and adapter between all US and Russian technologies on the Space Station. This landmark in technological history was built in Moscow by American and Russian engineers and launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in November 1998.

Jack is a fellow of the Explorer's Club, a member of the AIAA and of the National Speakers Association, and was a founding member of the board of directors of the Science National Honor Society (www.ScienceNHS.org). Among his numerous awards, he is a recipient of NASA’s Exceptional Achievement Medal, the Director’s Special Commendation, and the coveted Silver Snoopy award-the only award to fly in space.  He routinely advises numerous academic programs and institutions, and he is a champion of education throughout the world.

When he's not on the road, Jack supports his stepdaughter Crystal in her graduate studies and international modeling career along with his wife Janeane from their home in Houston, Texas, which they share with a bemused black cat.