Universities Space Research Association's Council of Institutions Elects New Board Members

WASHINGTON, May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Universities Space Research Association (USRA), an association of 123 universities, unveiled today the appointment of Dr. La Belle-Hamer and Ms. Suzanne M. Hansen as Trustees following their election at USRA's annual meeting held on March 27, 2026.

Dr. La Belle-Hamer, who was elected Region IX Trustee, is a distinguished scientist and results-oriented administrator with over 25 years of experience leading complex research facilities, big-data centers, and NASA satellite ground systems. She currently serves as the Deputy Director of the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF).

From 2020 to 2025, she served as the Vice Chancellor for Research at UAF. Dr. La Belle-Hamer's deep-rooted connection to the aerospace community is anchored by her 20-year tenure as the Director of the Alaska Satellite Facility (ASF). Her contributions have been recognized with numerous prestigious honors, including the 2021 NASA Exceptional Public Achievement Medal, multiple NASA Group Achievement Awards, and the 2015 William T. Pecora Award, as a member of NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS)

An accomplished researcher in Space Physics, Dr. La Belle-Hamer holds a Ph.D. and M.S. from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a B.A. in Physics from the University of California, Berkeley.

Ms. Suzanne Hansen, who was elected as At Large Financial Trustee, brings 40 years of business and leadership experience. Since 2022 she has been working as an independent contractor for various DOE National Labs and private entities (including a Fusion Energy start-up company and Make a Wish International) as a Certified Executive Coach and Business Consultant. From 2015 – 2022 she was Director of Business Services and Technology at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, where her responsibilities included the Office of the CFO, Proposal Advancement Office, Supply Chain Management, and Computing Division. She also served as an Executive Coach, supporting high potential individuals in their career development.

She served as Director of Business Services/CFO at Brookhaven National Laboratory from 2010 – 2015. Previous to that she held a variety of positions at Director of Business Services/CFO; Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, including Controller, Business Manager and Budget Officer. Ms. Hansen serves on the Board of Directors for AMES National Laboratory and the Washington State University Engineering School Harold Frank Fellows Program.

Dr. Elsayed Talaat, President and CEO of USRA stated "We are delighted to welcome the new Trustees to the Board. I look forward to guidance from Dr. La Belle-Hamer and Ms. Hansen in the Association's strategic direction, ensuring that innovative space science and technology research continues to thrive through collaborative excellence and sound governance."

About USRA

Founded in 1969, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences at the request of the U.S. Government, the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) is a nonprofit corporation chartered to advance space-related science, technology, and engineering. USRA operates scientific institutes and facilities and conducts other major research and educational programs under federal funding. USRA engages the university community and employs in-house scientific leadership, innovative research and development, and project management expertise. More information about USRA is available at www.usra.edu.

About USRA Council of Institutions and Governance

USRA's governance is grounded in the university community. The association comprises 122 universities engaged in space- and aeronautics-related research and education. University representatives form the Council of Institutions, which establishes the corporate bylaws and conducts elections for the Board of Trustees. The Board consists of sixteen members: ten regional trustees (one from each of ten geographic regional groups of universities), four at-large trustees, the Chair of the Council of Institutions, and the President and CEO, who is appointed by the Board.

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SOURCE Universities Space Research Association