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B. Gentry Lee

B. Gentry Lee

Chief Engineer at JPL, Science Fiction Author, NASA Medal Recipient

Travels From Travels From:
Pasadena, CA, USA
Speaking Fee Speaking Fee:
Live Event: $10,000 - $20,000
Virtual Event: Please Contact
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Categories Categories:
Categories Categories:
Authors, Business, Education, Family & Parenting, Futurism, Human Resources, Inspirational, Leadership, Literary, Motivational, Science, Space, Strategic Leadership, Teamwork & Teambuilding, Technology
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B. Gentry Lee Biography

  1. Gentry Lee is chief engineer for the Solar System Exploration Directorate at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. In that position, Lee is responsible for the engineering integrity of all the robotic planetary missions managed by JPL for NASA. His extensive portfolio includes the engineering oversight of the Curiosity rover mission to Mars in August 2012, the Dawn mission to the asteroids Vesta and Ceres, the Juno mission to Jupiter, and the GRAIL missions to the Moon. He also contributed to the Phoenix mission that landed in the Martian arctic in May 2008 and the successful Mars Exploration Rovers project, which landed on Mars in January 2004. Further, Lee was involved in NASA’s Deep Impact mission, where a robotic spacecraft collided with comet Tempel 1 in the summer of 2005.

Lee was chief engineer for the Galileo project from 1977-1988 and, after working in a variety of positions on the Viking project from 1968-76, was Director of Science Analysis and Mission Planning during the Viking operations. The historic Viking mission marked humanity’s first successful landing on another planet. His earlier work also provided guidance for NASA’s Stardust missions, showcasing his ability to balance the advantages of innovation against the inherent risks in space mission engineering.

In addition to his engineering career, Lee is a successful science fiction novelist, a futurist, a computer product designer, media columnist, lecturer, and television performer/narrator. Between 1989 and 1994, he co-authored four novels, "Cradle," "Rama II," "The Garden of Rama," and "Rama Revealed," with Arthur C. Clarke. All four books achieved New York Times bestseller status and were translated into over twenty-five languages. Post collaboration with Clarke, Lee penned solo novels including "Bright Messengers," "Double Full Moon Night," and "The Tranquility Wars." His work in media also includes partnering with Carl Sagan on the "Cosmos" series, which won several Emmys and the prestigious Peabody Award, and he was the featured performer/narrator in "Are We Alone?", a two-hour Discovery Channel documentary about life in the solar system.

Lee’s accolades include the NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement in 1976, the Distinguished Service Medal in 2005, the Harold Masursky Award from the American Astronomical Society in 2006, the Al Seiff Memorial Award in 2014, and the Simon Ramo Medal by the IEEE in 2013 for career excellence in engineering. He holds a BA, summa cum laude, from the University of Texas at Austin, and an MS from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Globally, Lee lectures on topics related to the future, space, and science and technology, focusing on extraterrestrial life, planetary exploration, and the importance of science literacy, enhancing the learning experience for attendees with his engaging talks and infectious enthusiasm.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 12/16/2024.

B. Gentry Lee Speaking Topics

  • Extraterrestrials in Fact & Fiction

  • The Power & Wonder of Science in Education

  • Mars Exploration

  • Balancing Innovation & Risk in Applying New Technology

    The twin Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) landed successfully using airbags on the surface of the red planet in January 2004 after decelerating from over 10,000 mph to 20 mph in just six minutes. Their sister mission, Phoenix, landed gently on three legs in the Martian arctic in May 2008. In the summer of 2005, the Deep Impact robotic spacecraft smashed into the comet Tempel 1 traveling at a closing velocity of over 25,000 mph, while another, parent spacecraft photographed the collision. Space missions like these are enormous engineering challenges and require the use of innovative new technology to be successful. However, using new technology has formidable risks. Balancing the advantages of innovation against its inherent risks is one of the most critical of all design processes. Achieving that balance requires a careful understanding of "what bad things might happen" and a systematic approach to mitigating those risks throughout the life cycle of a product or a project.

  • Balancing Innovation & Risk in Engineering Design

    Global competition and intense marketplace pressure have combined to increase the demand for more and more innovation in new designs. But innovation is always accompanied by risk – risk that the design will not meet its technical objectives and/or will significantly overrun its target cost and schedule. Over several decades the American robotic planetary exploration program has evolved techniques for tracking and assessing the risks associated with engineering innovation. Using the Mars exploration program as the example case study, and highlighting both the successes and failures of the program, this talk will examine the balance between innovation and risk in engineering design.

  • A Vision of the 21st Century

    Major biological breakthroughs toward the end of the 20th century basically guaranteed that not just medicine and health but also the fundamentals of birth, death, and all phases of life will be drastically altered by continuing discoveries throughout the 21st century. But the "Biological Revolution" will be accompanied by equally dramatic change in many other areas. In geopolitics, the complete integration of Europe and the rapid emergence of China, India, and Brazil will create new economic and military alliances. The world will eventually agree to reduce the anthropogenic contribution to global warming, but the exact form of that agreement will evolve over time and ultimately have a significant impact on our daily lives. New Earths will be discovered, planets around other stars, where water is liquid and life is possible. At the personal level, the availability of ever more appealing and sophisticated "virtual worlds" will cause a large fraction of the world population to spend less and less time and energy in the "real world."

    What will happen in the 21st century that will alter our daily lives as much as the cell phone and email? How can individuals, groups, and corporations keep track of the dizzying pace of change in so many dimensions and determine which innovations and discoveries will impact them the most? In "A Vision of the 21st Century," Gentry Lee will address the coming changes and suggest a blueprint for being successful in the decades ahead.

B. Gentry Lee Books

  • The Tranquility Wars
    The Tranquility Wars
  • Double Full Moon Night
    Double Full Moon Night
  • Bright Messengers: A New Novel Set in the Rama Universe
    Bright Messengers: A New Novel Set in the Rama Universe

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  • What topics does B. Gentry Lee speak about?

    B. Gentry Lee is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Authors, Business, Education, Family & Parenting, Futurism, Human Resources, Inspirational, Leadership, Literary, Motivational, Science, Space, Strategic Leadership, Teamwork & Teambuilding, Technology.

  • Where does B. Gentry Lee travel from?

    B. Gentry Lee generally travels from Pasadena, CA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.

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B. Gentry Lee is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Extraterrestrials in Fact & Fiction, The Power & Wonder of Science in Education, Mars Exploration, Balancing Innovation & Risk in Applying New Technology, Balancing Innovation & Risk in Engineering Design and A Vision of the 21st Century. The estimated speaking fee range to book B. Gentry Lee for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. B. Gentry Lee generally travels from Pasadena, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Robert Cialdini, Dr. Will Miller, Kathy Ireland, John Zogby and Erik Wahl. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling B. Gentry Lee for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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