NAME:  Peter J. K. "Jeff" Wisoff (Ph.D.)
       NASA Astronaut
 
BIRTHPLACE AND DATE:  Born August 16, 1958, in Norfolk, Virginia.  His
parents, Carl & Pat Wisoff, reside in Norfolk.
 
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:  Brown hair; gray eyes; 5 feet 11 inches; 160
pounds.
 
EDUCATION:  Graduated from Norfolk Academy, Norfolk, Virginia, in
1976; received a bachelor of science degree in physics (with Highest
Distinction) from University of Virginia in 1980, a master of science
degree and a doctorate in applied physics from Stanford University in
1982 and 1986 respectively.
 
MARITAL STATUS:  Single.
 
RECREATIONAL INTERESTS:  He enjoys scuba diving, racquetball,
swimming, and sailing.
 
ORGANIZATIONS:  Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic
Engineers, the Optical Society of America, and Phi Beta Kappa.
 
SPECIAL HONORS:  Recipient of the NCR Faculty Award of Excellence,
1989.  Awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship
1980-1983; and a Physics Prize and Shannon Award from University of
Virginia in 1980.  Selected to Phi Beta Kappa in 1979.
 
EXPERIENCE:  After graduating from the University of Virginia in 1976,
Dr. Wisoff began his graduate work on the development of short
wavelength lasers at Stanford University as a National Science
Foundation Graduate Fellow.  Upon completing his master's and
doctorate degrees at Stanford in 1986, Dr. Wisoff joined the faculty
of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Rice
University.  His research focused on the development of new vacuum
ultraviolet and high intensity laser sources.  In addition, he also
collaborated with researchers at Rice University on new techniques for
growing and evaluating semiconductor materials using lasers.  Dr.
Wisoff has contributed numerous papers at technical conferences and in
journals in the areas of lasers and laser applications.
 
Selected by NASA in January 1990, Dr. Wisoff became an astronaut in
July 1991.  He is qualified for assignment as a mission specialist on
future Space Shuttle flight crews.  His technical assignments to date
include serving as a capsule communicator (CAPCOM) in Mission Control,
and working on flight software verification in the Shuttle Avionics
Integration Laboratory (SAIL).
 
CURRENT ASSIGNMENT:  Dr. Wisoff is assigned as a mission specialist on
the crew of STS-57, which will carry the commercial middeck
augmentation module called SPACEHAB and retrieve the European
Retrievable Carrier (EURECA).  STS-57 is scheduled for launch in
mid-1993.
 
APRIL 1992