CUNY CREST Institute welcomes Harry Cikanek, as its Director of Business Development and Entrepreneurship
The CUNY CREST Institute is pleased to welcome Harry Cikanek, former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Program Manager and Executive, as its new Director of Business Development and Entrepreneurship. He is an innovative leader in developing organizations, programs, technologies, and processes.
“With the introduction of our new CUNY CREST Strategic Initiatives, Mr. Harry Cikanek will be an outstanding addition to building a foundation of entrepreneurship and business development for the entire team“, said Dr. Reza Khanbilvardi, the Executive Director of CUNY-CREST Institute and Professor of Civil Engineering at Grove School of Engineering in City College of CUNY.
Khanbilvardi hailed Cikanek’s extensive executive experience in renewing and revitalizing programs and organizations; building teams and partnerships; and developing diverse talent, will be a major asset for CUNY-CREST Institute. He has worked for over 30 years in NASA and 9 years in NOAA including over 16 years as a senior executive.
Mr. Cikanek is the former Director for the United States NOAA’s Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR), a division of NOAA-NESDIS (National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Services). He oversaw the various branches within STAR, responsible for the transformation of raw satellite remote sensing data from NOAA and global observing system satellites into weather, climate, environmental data and information products critical to NOAA and partner Agencies around the world.
Prior to being Director of STAR, Mr. Cikanek spent five years as the first Director of the NOAA Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) program. He oversaw the transition of the Suomi National Polar Partnership satellite to NOAA operations. He began his career as a NASA aerospace engineer; he was involved in rocket propulsion, launch services, space transportation technology, and human exploration of space. He is a recipient of the Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive, the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He is also a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Meteorological Society, and Chair of the International Astronautical Federation Earth Observations Committee.
