WALTHAM, Mass., April 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon
Technologies (NYSE: RTX) today announced that its board of
directors has elected Dr. Bernard A. Harris
Jr. as a director. A distinguished former NASA astronaut who
is currently the chief executive officer of Vesalius Ventures, a
venture capital firm, Harris is an experienced business leader with
significant accomplishments in space exploration and advancement of
emerging technologies.
"We are honored to have Dr. Harris join our board," said
Raytheon Technologies chief executive officer Greg Hayes. "His groundbreaking work in space
and his impressive leadership across business, education and
healthcare are remarkable. We expect our management team, employees
and shareowners will benefit from his extensive experience and from
the leadership he demonstrates in community development."
A veteran astronaut, Harris has logged more than 438 hours and
traveled over 7.2 million miles in space. Selected into the
Astronaut Corps in January 1990, he
was a mission specialist on the space shuttle Columbia in 1993 and a payload commander on the
space shuttle Discovery in 1995, becoming the first African
American to walk in space. While at NASA, he conducted
research in musculoskeletal physiology and clinical investigations
of space adaptation, and he also developed in-flight medical
devices to extend astronaut stays in space.
Harris is CEO and managing partner of Vesalius Ventures Inc., a
venture capital firm that invests in early- to mid-stage healthcare
technologies and companies. He is a member of the board of
directors of U.S. Physical Therapy and Monebo Technologies. He
serves as a trustee/director for Salient and Barings investment
funds. In addition, he is on the boards of the National Academies
of Science, Engineering and Medicine - Board on Health Policy, the
Texas Medical Center, CHI St. Luke's Health System, and the Harris
Institute & Foundation.
Harris said, "I am truly honored by this opportunity. I am
professionally and personally aligned to the very causes that are
at the heart of Raytheon Technologies: space exploration,
innovation, education and the importance of the corporation as a
positive force in community development."
Harris, who is 64 years old and lives in Houston, has extensive community and
philanthropic experience. In 1998, he established the Harris
Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to invest in
community-based initiatives to support education, health and
wealth. In addition, Harris is currently the chief executive
officer of the National Math and Science Initiative, a nonprofit
organization that supports STEM education.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Houston, a Master of Medical Science
from the University of Texas Medical
Branch at Galveston, a Master of
Business Administration from the University of
Houston - Clear Lake, and a Doctor of Medicine from
Texas Tech University Health Sciences
Center School of Medicine. He completed a residency in
internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic, a National Research Council
Fellowship in endocrinology at the NASA Ames Research Center and
trained as a flight surgeon at the U.S. Air Force School of
Aerospace Medicine. He is also a licensed private pilot and
certified scuba diver.
Harris is the recipient of numerous awards, including seven
honorary doctorates, the NASA Space Flight Medal and the NASA Award
of Merit. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and
was the recipient of the 2000 Horatio Alger Award.
About Raytheon Technologies
Raytheon Technologies Corporation is an aerospace and defense
company that provides advanced systems and services for commercial,
military and government customers worldwide. With four
industry-leading businesses ― Collins Aerospace Systems,
Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon
Intelligence & Space, and Raytheon Missiles & Defense ― the
company delivers solutions that push the boundaries in avionics,
cybersecurity, directed energy, electric propulsion, hypersonics,
and quantum physics. The company, formed in 2020 through the
combination of Raytheon Company and the United Technologies
Corporation aerospace businesses, is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Raytheon Technologies
870 Winter Street
Waltham, MA 02451
USA
Media Contact
Michele
Quintaglie
C: 860.493.4364
michele.quintaglie@rtx.com
Investor Contact
Erin
Somers
C: 704.264.6854
erin.somers@rtx.com
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SOURCE Raytheon Technologies