Jan. 23, 1996 
Jim Sahli 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
Greenbelt, Md. 				 
(Phone:  301-286-0697) 
 
RELEASE:  96-04 
 
DIAZ NAMED GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER'S DEPUTY  
DIRECTOR 
 
	Goddard Space Flight Center Director Joseph H.  
Rothenberg announced today that Alphonso V. Diaz has been  
named Goddard Space Flight Center Deputy Director, effective  
Feb. 4.  
 
	"Al brings to Goddard outstanding management skills and  
demonstrated leadership of NASA programs.  I am personally  
very happy that Al will be joining Goddard, and look forward to  
lead the Center together into the 21st Century," said  
Rothenberg. 
 
	Rothenberg defined Diaz's role: "Al will be responsible for  
Center level management of Space and Earth Science  
programs. Al's rich experience in program management and  
strategic planning offer a remarkable complement to the front  
office." 
 
	Prior to becoming Goddard's Deputy Center Director, Diaz  
was Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Science at NASA  
Headquarters from 1993 to January 1996.  He also served as  
the Chief Engineer for NASA's Office of Space Science.  Also  
while at Headquarters Diaz led an effort for the development of  
plans for the Science Institutes proposed by NASA.  His efforts  
defined the scope and organizational framework of the  
Institutes. Diaz will finalize this planning prior to leaving  
Headquarters for his new position. 
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	From 1989 to March 1993, Diaz served as the Deputy  
Associate Administrator for the former Office of Space Science  
and Applications (OSSA), where he played a similar role in the 
management of  OSSA's flight programs.  From July 1988 to July 
1989, Diaz was Division Vice president, Space and Aeronautics 
Services, for General Electric's Government Services Division in 
Cherry Hill, N.J.   
 
	Diaz received a bachelor of science degree in physics from  
St. Joseph University (Philadelphia) and a master of science in  
physics from Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Va.). In  
addition, Diaz attended the Massachusetts Institute of  
Technology Sloan School of Management as a NASA Sloan  
Fellow, where he received a master of science degree in  
management in 1986.  He is an Associate Fellow of the  
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. 
 
	He joined NASA as a co-op student at the Langley  
Research Center, Hampton Roads, Va., in 1964.  He was  
actively involved in the Viking project from 1969 through 1977  
in a variety of roles, including the development and operation of  
the Viking Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer. His efforts  
in support of this mission were recognized in 1977 when he  
was awarded a NASA Medal for Outstanding Scientific  
Achievement. 
 
	Diaz transferred to NASA Headquarters in 1979 and has  
served in a variety of positions since then.  Aside from the  
positions mentioned above, he also served as the International  
Solar-Polar Mission (now Ulysses mission) Program manager,  
the Galileo Program manager, Manager of Planetary Advanced  
Programs, and as Deputy Director of the Solar System  
Exploration  Division.  He later served as Assistant Associate  
Administrator for Space Station within OSSA, managing all  
activities on the use of the planned Space Station for scientific  
research, providing strategic planning guidance for OSSA's  
overall program of scientific exploration. 
 
	Diaz received a Presidential Rank Award as a Meritorious  
Executive in 1990, and a NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal  
in 1994 for his work on the Hubble Space Telescope Project. 
 
	The Goddard mission is being accomplished through  
scientific research centered in six space and Earth science  
laboratories and in the development and operation of several  
current and future space projects.  Goddard, including the Wallops 
Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore, employs more than 12,000 
employees, combined civil service and contractor.  
 
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