Captain Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper, USN

Captain Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper assumed command of the Carderock Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, on May 20, 2011. She is the 35th Division Commander to lead the organization since its founding as the Experimental Model Basin in 1898.

Captain Piper was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota. She attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology on a Naval ROTC Program scholarship, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering in 1984 and a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering in 1985. She was commissioned an Ensign in the Engineering Duty Officer Community in June 1985.

As an Engineering Duty Officer, Captain Piper served at numerous ship repair facilities, including Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Shore Intermediate Maintenance Activity Pearl Harbor. She served on the maintenance staff at Commander Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. She received the VADM C.R. Bryan Award from the Engineering Duty Officer School Basic Course in 1988. She qualified as a Surface Warfare Officer onboard USS Grapple (ARS 53). Captain Piper is also an experienced diving and salvage officer. Major salvage projects include the development of a salvage plan for the Peruvian Navy salvage of the Peruvian submarine Pacocha; and the de-stranding of the tanker Exxon Houston off Barber's Point, Oahu, Hawaii.

In September 1994, Captain Piper reported to the Naval Sea Systems Command as Underwater Ship Husbandry Operations Officer for the Supervisor of Salvage and Diving. In that capacity, she advised fleet diving activities in the repair of naval vessels while waterborne.

Selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1996, Captain Piper reported to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. She is a veteran of two space flights: STS-115 on the space shuttle Atlantis in September, 2006 and STS-126 on the space shuttle Endeavour in November, 2008, logging over 27 days and 15 hours in space. She has completed five space walks, totaling 33 hours and 42 minutes of Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) time.

In August 2009, Captain Piper reported to the Naval Sea Systems Command as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO). As CTO, she consolidated the research and development (R&D) and technology transition activities within NAVSEA 05 into a single new Technology Office (SEA 05T). The mission of the SEA 05 Technology Office is to support the Research and Systems Engineering (R&SE) competency by establishing and communicating a vision of innovation, technology development and transition into the fleet.

Captain Piper's personal decorations include: Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (two awards), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (two awards), Navy Achievement Medal (two awards), NASA Space Flight Medal (two awards), and NASA Exceptional Service Medal.