Jim Reilly
Jim Reilly served as the 17th Director of the United States Geological Survey from 2018 to 2021.
As USGS Director, Dr. Reilly advocated for expanding use of advanced technologies in USGS science and a general focus on integrated science planning.
Prior to joining the USGS, Dr. Reilly served the U.S. and allied militaries as a subject matter expert on space operations and as a technical advisor supporting the National Security Space Institute of the U.S. Air Force. He also served with the U.S. Navy as a Reserve Engineering Duty Officer.
Dr. Reilly previously held management positions in academia, as well as at TAEUS Corporation and PhotoStencil Corporation, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
As a NASA astronaut, Dr. Reilly had a distinguished 13-year career during which he flew three spaceflight missions and conducted five spacewalks totaling more than 856 hours in space.
Prior to NASA, he served as chief geologist at Enserch Exploration, Inc., working on projects around the world. He has been active in geological research in Antarctica and on the continental slope of the Gulf of Mexico.
Dr. Reilly earned Doctorate, Master of Science, and Bachelor of Science degrees in Geosciences from the University of Texas at Dallas.