Richard Wirz

Richard Wirz began their work experience in 1996 as the Manager of Alternative Energy Technologies at Gibbs & Cox, Inc. Richard then joined NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 2000 as a Senior Engineer and remained in that role until September 2015. In 2008, they became a Professor at UCLA and simultaneously took on the role of Director at the UCLA Plasma & Space Propulsion Laboratory (PSPL). In 2016, Wirz became a Co-Founder and Board Director at Element 16 Technologies.

Richard Wirz has a strong educational background in the field of aerospace and engineering. Richard obtained a Ph.D. in Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical/Space Engineering from Caltech, completing their studies from 2001 to 2005. Prior to that, they earned an M.S. in the same field from Caltech, studying from 2000 to 2001. Richard also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering and Ocean Engineering from Virginia Tech, although the specific dates of their study at this institution are not provided. Additionally, they have obtained the Trusted Reviewer Status certification from IOP Publishing in May 2022.