Burt Dicht

Burt Dicht serves as the Managing Director of Membership for the National Space Society (NSS) and manages their office at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

He retired from his role as Director of Student and Academic Education Programs for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in October 2022. In this capacity, he was responsible for developing and implementing educational programs for engineering faculty, university students, and pre-university educators and students.

Burt began his career in the aerospace industry at Northrop Grumman in 1982, where he served as a lead engineer and made significant design contributions to the F-5E/F, F-20A, YF-23A, and F-18E/F projects. He also worked for Rockwell’s Space Transportation Systems Division on space shuttle payload integration and interned at the Kennedy Space Center while in college.

Burt has also contributed to public education as an Exhibit Explainer for the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in NYC. Currently, he is a Major and Aerospace Education Officer for the New York Wing and the Phoenix Composite Squadron (NYC) of the Civil Air Patrol. In 2014, he led the creation of the NEHS Project SPARC Boosters and currently serves as its Director.

He is a member of IEEE’s Pre-University Education Coordinating Committee (PECC) and serves on the IEEE-HKN The Bridge Editorial Board. Burt is also a member of the IEEE-HKN Eta Chapter and an ASME Fellow.

Burt received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Temple University and an M.A. in History from California State University, Northridge. Burt is a frequent guest speaker on aerospace related topics and he has authored numerous articles on space and technology history.