Christopher Shank

Biography

Chris Shank is policy director for the Science, Space, and Technology Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives with legislative and oversight jurisdiction of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, NASA, Department of Energy research and development, NSF, and other civil research agencies. Prior to this, Chris served as deputy chief of staff for U.S. Congressman Lamar Smith who represents the 21^st district of Texas that includes San Antonio, Austin and the scenic Hill Country.

Chris served previously on the House Science Committee from 2001 to 2005 before joining NASA. At NASA, Chris was director of strategic investments, responsible for the formulation and defense of the agency’s $17 billion in programs and institutional budgets before the White House and Congress on behalf of NASA Administrator Mike Griffin. While at NASA Headquarters, Shank was also in charge of the office of strategic communications, directing legislative, public affairs, and education initiatives for the agency. Following NASA, Chris worked at Honeywell Aerospace where he led military, intelligence, and civil space business development efforts, and he worked briefly at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory on mission design and GPS projects.

Prior to his first stint at the House Science Committee, Chris served in the Air Force for 11 years, working at the Pentagon, National Reconnaissance Office and Air Force Space Command on GPS and other advanced systems and technology efforts. He earned a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado in Boulder, and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Notre Dame.  He also graduated from a summer session of International Space University in Stockholm, Sweden.