Engineering graduate to oversee missions to the Moon and beyond
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When NASA announced in late November 2025 that astronaut Scott Tingle would become the agency’s next Chief of the Astronaut Office, it marked the latest chapter in a career that began at UMass Dartmouth and has since soared to the highest levels of human space exploration.
Tingle, a 1987 mechanical engineering graduate of what was then Southeastern Massachusetts University and a recipient of a 2025 honorary doctoral degree, is now responsible for stewarding astronaut resources, managing crew operations, and shaping assignments for future human spaceflight missions, including those under NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon and push onward to Mars.
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A Massachusetts native raised in Randolph, Tingle credits his foundational training at UMass Dartmouth with equipping him for the rigorous technical challenges ahead. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he pursued graduate studies at Purdue, served as a U.S. Navy test pilot and aviator, and ultimately was selected by NASA in 2009.
His extensive experience includes more than 4,500 flight hours in 51 different aircraft and a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station during Expeditions 54 and 55, during which he served as a flight engineer and led U.S. operational segments of the station.
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In 2018, Tingle spoke to UMass Dartmouth audiences live from orbit on the International Space Station, sharing insights into life in space and encouraging future engineers to dream beyond Earth’s atmosphere. When he returned to the planet, he visited campus to speak with local K-12 and UMass Dartmouth students about his journey and the importance of education.
As Chief Astronaut, Tingle now leads NASA’s cadre of space explorers at a moment of renewed ambition. His journey from UMass Dartmouth lecture halls to one of the most prestigious leadership roles at NASA reflects not only personal achievement but also the promise of public research institutions to launch careers that shape humanity’s future in space and here on Earth.