PERSONAL DATA: Born July 26, 1949, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, but considers Babylon, New York his hometown. Married to Beth Stringham of Houston, Texas. He enjoys sailing, swimming, and working in his garage. His mother, Mrs. Barbara Shepherd, resides in Bethesda, Maryland. His father, Mr. George R. Shepherd, is deceased.

EDUCATION: Graduated from Arcadia High School, Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1967; received a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1971, and the degrees of ocean engineer and master of science in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1978.

ORGANIZATIONS: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

SPECIAL HONORS: Recipient of NASA's "Steve Thorne" Aviation Award.

EXPERIENCE: Shepherd was graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1971, and has served with the Navy's Underwater Demolition Team ELEVEN, SEAL Teams ONE and TWO, and Special Boat Unit TWENTY.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected by NASA in May 1984. Selected by NASA in May 1984. He made three flights as a mission specialist on STS-27 (December 2-6, 1988), STS-41 (October 6-10, 1990) and STS-52 (October 22 - November 1, 1992), and has logged 440 hours in space. From March 1993 to January 1996, Shepherd was assigned to the Space Station Program and served in various management positions. He is currently training in Russia for an upcoming International Space Station flight.