LES UHAZY, PH.D.
VICE CHAIRMAN
Leslie Uhazy, Ph.D. (Elected to Board in 2012), is the retired Interim Vice-president of Academic Affairs and Dean of the Division of Mathematics, Sciences & Engineering at Antelope Valley College (AVC). He is currently Professor of Biology Emeritus and an Adjunct Instructor in Microbiology.
Les received his B.Sc. Cum Laude, and M.Sc. degrees in Zoology from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. He was a Research Assistant, Department of Pathology, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University and received his Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. He was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Biology at the University of California, Los Angeles. Les served for many years as the Treasurer for the Wildlife Disease Association and Assistant Editor for the Journal of Wildlife Diseases.
As a life-time educator, Les was a founding partner in the creation of SOAR Early College High School on the AVC campus; a founding Board Member of the Palmdale Aerospace Academy; an active partner in bringing a completion baccalaureate engineering program to the Lancaster University Center; a member of Edison International Education Advisory Council; and a selection panelist for the NASA Educator Astronaut Program.
In support of STEM education in the greater Aerospace Valley communities, Les served on the Math, Science, Engineering and Technology Consortium (MSET); Antelope Valley Union High School District’s Career Prep Council; Edwards Community Alliance; AV East Kern Educational Resources Network/ AV East Kern STEM Learning Network and the Aerospace Office.
Raised near a Royal Canadian Air Force Base, Les has always had a great interest in airplanes, from balsawood biplanes to jets. After moving to Aerospace Valley and living much of his professional life in the proximity of Edwards AFB, Les had a desire to serve his community, Edwards AFB and the US Air Force, as a civilian. He has been a longtime member of the Edwards Restoration Advisory Board, the Civilian/Military Support Group, and the Air Force Materiel Command Civic Leader Program (CLP). Following a long association with the CLP, Les was awarded the Commander’s Public Service Award by the Department of the Air Force.
Dr. Uhazy is an alumnus of the National Security forum at the Air University and a is a Life Patron of the Flight Test Museum Foundation.