Announcing New ASGSR Executive Director
ASGSR is pleased to announce the selection of Ms. Ellen Gertsen to the position of Executive Director for the Society. Congratulations Ellen! Starting today, Ellen joins our ASGSR Executive Team.
Ms. Ellen Gertsen is a science and technology policy leader with extensive experience fostering research and innovation in the space sector. Her work is rooted in strong collaboration across academia, industry, international, and U.S. government entities. Ms. Gertsen has demonstrated experience assessing global trends and emerging capabilities across space and science sectors, to provide actionable recommendations on how to best meet mission needs. Ms. Gertsen has over two decades of NASA experience and served as a NASA Congressional Fellow in the United States Senate. She has led multiple NASA-wide strategic planning and performance management efforts; and she has held several leadership roles within NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. Most recently, she served as the Deputy Associate Administrator of NASA’s Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy from 2022 until 2025.
Ms. Gertsen holds a bachelor’s degree in the Science of Earth Systems, a Master of Public Administration in Earth Systems Science, Policy, and Management, and a Master of Science in Systems Engineering. She currently resides in Washington, DC.
The ASGSR Executive Director is the chief executive officer of our Society, who coordinates, implements, and executes all aspects of ASGSR’s business, including management of daily operations in cooperation with the Governing Board of the Society. The Executive Director is the main public contact and spokesperson for the Society. She/he advances the Society’s mission through strategic leadership, advocacy, communication, and operational excellence.
We are very pleased to have Ellen joining our Executive Team and we look forward to her leadership and involvement across the Society. Welcome Ellen!
With our best regards,
-Your ASGSR Executive Committee