Ronald A. Parise, Ph.D.- Astronaut/Scientist

Dr. Ronald A. Parise (1951-2008), from Warren, was a payload specialist for the Astro 1, Columbia, and Astro 2, Endeavour, space shuttle missions in 1990 and 1995. He logged in more than 614 hours in space. Among his scientific studies, Parise (WA4SIR) brought amateur radio equipment aboard the shuttle, enabling crew members to communicate with schools and others on Earth. Dr. Parise held planning and communications engineering support roles for human space flight projects, including the Russian space station Mir, the International Space Station and the X-38, a vehicle intended to return astronauts to earth from space. Dr. Parise was involved with many research projects, including the evolution of stars in globular clusters, which resulted in several publications. (Continued on other side)

[Side B]: (Continued from other side) Ronald Parise graduated from Western Reserve High School in 1969. He attended Youngstown State University and received a Bachelor of Science degree in physics, with minors in mathematics, astronomy, and geology in 1973. He earned Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in astronomy at the University of Florida in 1977 and 1979. Parise was a member of several organizations including the American Astronomical Society, the Association of Space Explorers and the International Astronomical Union. He also received much recognition for his work, including NASA’s Space Flight Medals and Group Achievement Awards and an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Youngstown State University.