Colonel George David Zamka, Astronaut and Shuttle Commander will describe the Challenges of Building in Space.

Bio: Colonel Zamka was born in Jersey City; raised in New York City; Irvington, NY; Medellin, Colombia; and Rochester Hills.

Graduated from Rochester Adams High School, Rochester Hills Michigan, in 1980; received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the United States Naval Academy in 1984.

Zamka was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps after graduating from the United States Naval Academy in May 1984. Later, he received a Masters of Science degree in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1997.

Selected as a pilot by NASA in June 1998, he reported for astronaut candidate training in August 1998. He has served in various technical and leadership roles in the astronaut office, to include space rendezvous and proximity operations, landing and rollout instructor, and lead for shuttle systems within the Shuttle Operations Branch. Zamka served as lead for the shuttle training and procedures division and as supervisor for the astronaut candidate class of 2004. In 2007 he completed his first space flight as pilot on STS-120. For his second space flight, Zamka commanded the crew of STS-130, that flew in February of 2010. Colonel Zamka has logged over 692 hours in space.