Matt Forsbacka

Dr. Matt Forsbacka serves as the Director of Safety and Assurance Requirements Division (SARD) at Headquarters of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. He is responsible for leading the SARD team of subject matter experts covering safety disciplines to ensure the availability of effective mission assurance standards and capabilities across NASA. In addition, he is responsible for a $27 million annual operating budget funding safety-related activities that impact all NASA Centers. Prior to his current assignment, Forsbacka was the Nuclear Flight Safety Assurance Manager within SARD.

Previous assignments include senior executive and supervisory positions at the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) from 2008 to 2018. He led a diverse group of subject matter experts in the field of nuclear, mechanical, electrical, seismic, structural, civil and materials engineering in the performance of safety reviews of major Department of Energy projects at all phases of the lifecycle throughout design, construction, and operation. Earlier in his civil-service career, Forsbacka was a Program Director for human portable radiation detection systems at the Department of Homeland Security, a program executive at NASA, and a technical staff member at the DNFSB.  Prior to joining the Federal Government as a civil servant, Dr. Forsbacka served in the U.S. Air Force as a Nuclear Research Officer.

Forsbacka holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in nuclear engineering from the University of Florida and a Doctorate in nuclear engineering from the University of Virginia.