John Wensveen, Ph.D.

Dr. John Wensveen is president of the International Space University (ISU) in Strasbourg, France. As the eighth president of ISU, Dr. Wensveen leads a premier global institution dedicated to the advancement of space exploration and the education of future leaders in the space industry. Under his leadership, ISU fosters international collaboration, drives innovation and prepares the next generation of space professionals to tackle the challenges of an evolving and dynamic field. Dr. Wensveen's vision for ISU is to strengthen its role as a catalyst for groundbreaking research and global partnerships that extend humanity's reach into space.

Previously, Dr. Wensveen served as chief innovation officer at Nova Southeastern University and as executive director of the Alan B. Levan NSU Broward Center of Innovation in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In that capacity, he spearheaded a multimillion-dollar public-private partnership that significantly enhanced the entrepreneurial ecosystem in South Florida by attracting top-tier entrepreneurs, advanced technologies and substantial investment capital. Dr. Wensveen's leadership was instrumental in establishing the center as a leading innovation hub, and he served as an advisor to the mayor of Broward County on matters of innovation, technology and entrepreneurship. Dr. Wensveen also served as a member of the Forbes Technology Council.

Dr. Wensveen has a rich background in academic leadership, having held several key positions across institutions. He served as vice provost of academic schools at Miami Dade College, where he provided strategic direction for the college's professional education programs and developed significant corporate and governmental partnerships. Earlier in his career, Dr. Wensveen was professor and head of the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology at Purdue University, dean of the School of Aviation at Dowling College, and professor of airline management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Beyond academia, Dr. Wensveen has held numerous industry leadership roles, including partner and executive vice president at Mango Aviation Partners; global head of airline advisory services at Radixx International; president of Airline Visions; executive consultant at InterVISTAS; senior director at Marriott Vacation Club International; vice president of international affairs at MAXjet Airways; director of strategy and communications at Corporate Visions; and manager of Pacific Rim flight operations and passenger services at Canada 3000 Airlines.

Dr. Wensveen is a TEDx speaker, an external instructor at the International Air Transport Association, a certified instructor at the Turkish Aviation Academy for Turkish Airlines, a frequent media contributor, an expert witness and the author of two leading industry books, including the bestseller, "Air Transportation: A Global Management Perspective," and "Wheels Up: Airline Business Plan Development."

Dr. Wensveen earned PhD and master's degrees in international air transport and business from Cardiff University in the United Kingdom and a BA in geography and transportation land-use planning from the University of Victoria in Canada.