George “Pinky” Nelson

Retired
NASA Astronaut| Western Washington University

Dr. George D. “Pinky” Nelson is a former astronaut with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and former Western Washington professor. After three trips to space and a successful career as an astrophysicist, Pinky turned his efforts to outreach and supplemental science education for rural school districts with limited scholastic resources.

He spearheaded the North Cascades and Olympic Science Partnership, a program that supplemented science education for students and trained teachers in nearly 26 school districts across the state. The program also brought Western Washington University professors to classrooms in rural and underserved communities.