Major General John Barry (’85-86) has been chosen to serve as a member of the special panel investigating the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. Barry is currently the Director of Plans and Programs, Air Force Materiel Command, at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

Barry’s White House Fellow assignment was at NASA, where he served as an assistant to the Director of NASA during the Space Shuttle Challenger accident, and then as the NASA White House liaison for the last four months of his Fellowship year. He continued to serve an additional six months in that role at NASA. Reflecting on this experience, John noted, “I was able to see an agency handling crisis. Hopefully, armed with this experience, I will be able to contribute an ‘experience base’ that will aid the Columbia Accident Investigation Board.”

Barry’s experience in major crash investigations is not limited to NASA. As an Air Force General, he has served as an accident investigation board president with actual Air Force mishaps. As a Wing Commander in Incirlik, Turkey in 1994, Barry was selected to lead the recovery of the Wing in the aftermath of the Blackhawk shootdown over Iraq when USAF F-15’s shot down two Army helicopters with US and Allied personnel aboard.

During a follow-on tour as a Wing Commander at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, Barry gained additional experience on how organizations recover in the aftermath of accidents when he led the largest engine recovery effort in Air Force history for the largest Fighter Wing in the world. Barry’s experience in the Air Force and as a White House Fellow has provided the background and experience necessary to answer the call of duty in the Nation’s time of crises.

05/03 – Gentry Magazine: Profiles of three White House Fellows alumni from California – Steve Poizner (‘01-02), Rajeev Venkayya (‘02-03) and David Carmel (‘02-03).

4/25/03 – The New York Times: Kris Kobach (‘01-02) comments on the Justice Department’s immigration enforcement.

4/15/03 – Executive Update Magazine: Kent W. Colton (‘74-75) discusses his Fellowship experience.

4/12/03 – The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger Star: Barry Williams (‘02-03) was involved with OPM’s new e-scholar Web portal.

4/11/03 – Chicago Sun-Times – Speculation that Major General John Borling (Ret.) (‘74-75) eyes Illinois Senate seat.

4/7/03 – Crain’s Chicago Business: James O’Connor Jr. (‘98-99) has chosen a career path that straddles the generations.

4/7/03 – Automotive News: Thirty years removed from combat, Joseph Anderson Jr. (‘77-78) feels excitement and anxiety as an entrepreneur.

4/7/03 – Crain’s Detroit Business: Speculation that Reginald Turner (‘96-97) may enter politics.

4/3/03 – Washington Post: CNN Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta (‘97-98) is covering the war and also using his training as a neurosurgeon.

3/23/03 – The Deseret News Publishing Co: Pete Dawkins ('73-74) highlighted in an article about “sports and the fog of war.”

3/21/03 – The Saigon Times Magazine: Kien Duc Trung Pham ('85-86) was appointed the first Executive Director of the Vietnam Education Foundation.

03/09/03 – The Washington Post: A profile of former NATO Chief General Wesley Clark ('75-76) and whether he is a candidate for the presidency.