VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 10 • NOVEMBER 2019

Fair Focuses on 

Sustainability 

Page 4

Center Director 

Dr. Kavandi Bids

Farewell

Page 5

Dr. Pérez-Davis 

Named Acting

Director

Page 5

Center Awards 

Honor Excellence

Page 6
An Evening With the Stars:

Powering the 

Future of Flight 

and Space 

Exploration

NASA Glenn’s 2019 “An Evening 

with the Stars” program, held 

against the backdrop of the 

Cleveland Museum of Natural 

History on Sept. 10, celebrated 

history and history in the making. 

For the sixth year in a row, the Ohio 

Aerospace Institute (OAI) coordinated 

sponsorship for the event that attracted 

guests from more than 25 companies, 

universities and organizations. The 

program recognized the 50th anniversary 

of Apollo 11 and humankind’s first steps 

on the Moon, and looked ahead to the next 

era of humankind through the Artemis 

program. 

OAI’s Vice President John Cotman 

welcomed guests. Glenn’s former Center 

Director Dr. Janet Kavandi and NASA 

Deputy Associate Administrator Melanie 

Saunders then shared their excitement 

about Artemis and Glenn’s role in that 

collective effort. 

Their comments acknowledged that 

Artemis will reaffirm the United States 

as the global leader in space exploration, 

while serving as a proving ground for the 

Avanesian talks about tremendous advancements not only in aerospace, but in 

the products that are used every day.

GRC-2019-C-09308 

Linne explains how NASA is working 

to develop hardware and systems 

to extract and cultivate “local” 

resources on the Moon.

AeroSpace Frontiers GRC-2019-C-09336 

is an official publication of Glenn Research 

Center, National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration. It is published the second 

Friday of each month by the Office of 

Communications & External Relations 

in the interest of the Glenn workforce, 

retirees, government officials, business 

leaders and the general public. 

Submit short articles and calendar items 

to the editor at doreen.b.zudell@nasa.gov. 

Editor: Doreen B. Zudell, ATS, 

 216–433–5317

Assistant Editor: S. Jenise Veris, ATS

Design: Rhys Sampson, ATS

Managing Editor: Kelly R. DiFrancesco

Circulation: Angela Williams, ATS, 

 216–433–8921

Human Fatigue 

Awareness

As we enter the new fiscal year, Glenn 

continues to play a leading role in 

NASA’s exploration, science and aeronautics missions. Our wind tunnels and 

vacuum chambers at Lewis Field are in 

full operation for supersonic, hypersonic 

and electric propulsion demonstrations, 

supporting key space and aeronautical 

milestones. At Plum Brook Station, we 

are concluding the first phase of a Space 

Technology cryogenic test and transitioning to the Orion Crew and Service 

Module as part of the agency’s Artemis 

Program. Please be aware of the potential 

for human fatigue for yourself and the 

people around you and take the time 

needed to minimize any negative impact.

The safety and health of our people are 

vital to mission success!

McGuire discusses one of Glenn’s 

major contributions—the power and 

propulsion element, the first element 

of NASA’s Gateway.

GRC-2019-C-09322 Photos by Jordan Salkin
technologies NASA needs to get to Mars. 

It will bring new science and technology, 

open future business markets, increase 

job growth and create collaborative 

opportunities with international partners. 

It will also inspire the next generation—

the Artemis Generation—to pursue STEM 

careers and reach for the stars, much like 

Apollo did for many.

“Returning to the Moon isn’t going to be 

easy, and that is why NASA needs Glenn 

and Ohio,” Kavandi said. “None of this 

would be possible without the expertise 

and contributions provided by NASA 

Glenn and the hundreds of Ohio-based 

aerospace companies.”

Kavandi then introduced three of Glenn’s 

stars—Melissa McGuire, Mission 

Architecture and Analysis Branch; Diane 

Linne, Chemical and Thermal Propulsion 

Systems Branch; and David Avanesian, 

Diagnostics and Electronics Branch. They 

highlighted Glenn technologies that will 

support Artemis and future commercial 

aviation. 

McGuire discussed how one of Glenn’s 

major contributions—the power and 

NOVEMBER 2019

3

Representatives from companies, universities and organizations settle in to learn about Glenn’s 

exciting work in space and aeronautics. 

GRC-2019-C-09297 Photo by Jordan Salkin

Saunders shares information about Artemis and 

Glenn’s role in this exciting program. 

GRC-2019-C-09480 Photo by Marvin Smith

propulsion element, the first element of 

NASA’s Gateway, located in an orbit called 

a Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit—will help 

provide explorers with more access to 

more parts of the Moon than ever before. 

Linne spoke about how NASA is working to 

develop hardware and systems to extract 

and cultivate “local” resources, which can 

then be used to generate products like 

breathable oxygen, drinking water and 

even rocket propellant. 

Avanesian explained how NASA is 

ushering in a new aviation renaissance—

one where we will be flying in hybrid and 

all-electric aircraft—and how that work is 

leading to tremendous advancements not 

only in aerospace, but in the products that 

are used every day.

Kavandi closed the program by saying, “I 

hope that you’ll go home and tell your 

friends and family that NASA is ready 

to return to the Moon with Artemis; that 

we’re ready to change the way we fly here 

on Earth; and that Ohio is making each of 

those exciting things happen.” 

By Doreen B. Zudell
4

Street Fair Focuses on Sustainability

Glenn’s Environmental Management Office hosted its annual Sustainability Street Fair on Sept. 26 

to reinforce the value and accessibility of sustainable products and practices. A number of external 

businesses and internal organizations represented local and regional environmental-based products 

and services. In addition to promoting waste reduction opportunities and energy-saving practices, 

the event also provided awareness on local, sustainable products. 

Greening NASA Glenn One Event at a Time

GRC-2019-C-09751

GRC-2019-C-09767

GRC-2019-C-09757

GRC-2019-C-09771

On the Cover: 

Glenn’s Vehicle Fleet Operations Officer Andrew Deenanauth, left, 

and Evan Douglas, Rad Power Bikes, discuss the features of the 

RadCity Step-Thru electric commuter bike. Glenn purchased two of 

these bikes for a pilot program to see how they work and to develop 

GRC-2019-09784 safety guidelines before possibly procuring more for the center. Photos by Jef Janis
Glenn Says Farewell to 

Director Dr. Janet Kavandi

Veteran astronaut and Center Director Dr. Janet Kavandi retired 

on Sept. 30, following 25 years of NASA service. Kavandi was 

appointed center director, March 2016, following previous 

service as deputy center director. Employees, leadership and 

guests gathered, Sept. 25, at Lewis Field to thank Kavandi for 

her contributions and wish her well in future endeavors. 

“Janet is a very intelligent and thoughtful person who cares deeply 

about the NASA mission,” said special guest NASA Associate 

Administrator Stephen Jurczyk. “Her philosophy has been ‘take 

care of the people and they will take care of the mission.’”

In addition to receiving grateful accolades and farewell mementos 

from Glenn and other NASA Center leaders, Kavandi accepted 

the NASA Distinguished Service Medal from Jurczyk, and the 

Glenn Facilities Seal from Deputy Director Dr. Marla Pérez-Davis.

Pérez-Davis thanked Kavandi for her leadership and many 

contributions to the center. She pointed to Glenn’s 7 Expected 

Behaviors: Heroics—Helping All To Succeed, Excellence, 

Respect, Openness, Integrity, Cooperation and Safety—among 

Kavandi’s legacies and compass to guide us. 

In her final remarks, Kavandi reminisced about gazing up at the 

stars while growing up on a farm in Missouri, and dreaming of 

one day working for NASA. She thanked Glenn staff for their 

support of her as a person and as the center director. 

“You gave me every opportunity to succeed, and you taught me a 

lot,” she said. “I’m so proud of everything that you do.”

By Doreen B. Zudell

Dr. Kavandi addresses well-wishing co-workers and colleagues.

Dr. Pérez-Davis

Jurczyk, right, presents Dr. Kavandi with the NASA Distinguished 

Service Medal and framed certificate. 

NOVEMBER 2019

5

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine has named Dr. Marla Pérez-Davis as the 

acting center director for NASA Glenn, following the retirement of Dr. Janet 

Kavandi on Sept. 30.

Since June 2016, Pérez-Davis has served as the deputy director of Glenn, sharing 

responsibility with the center director for planning, organizing and managing the 

agency-level programs and projects assigned to the center.

Dr. Pérez-Davis Named

Acting Center Director

GRC-2019-C-08468

GRC-2019-C-08494

Photos by Marvin Smith
STEVEN V. SZABO ENGINEERING 

EXCELLENCE AWARD 

The Revolutionary 

Vertical Lift Team

Jeffrey T. Csank

 Susan M. Johnson

 Thomas M. Lavelle

 David J. Sadey

 Linda M. Taylor

CRAFTSMANSHIP AWARDS

Assembly and Build-Up 

Technologies

Flow Boiling and Condensation 

Experiment (FBCE) Mechanical 

Technicians

Christopher J. DeTardo 

 Dan J. Gedeon

Manufacturing Technologies 

Flow Boiling Module Test Module 

Assembly and Condensation 

Module–Heat Transfer Test 

Module Assembly Team

Matthew J. Conley

 Derick L. Espenschied

 Rogera Luptak

George J. Saad

 Henry L. Scott

 Patrick Spanos

 Jonathan J. Veneziano

Distinguished Publication Award

Jeffrey I. Eldridge

Diversity Leadership Award – 

Individual

Lisa D. Koch

Safety Award 

Bradley A. Lerch

6

2019 CENTER AWARDS

Manufacturing Technologies: Flow Boiling Module Test Module Assembly and 

Condensation Module–Heat Transfer Test Module Assembly Team

GRC-2019-C-09819 Photo by Jef Janis

Steven V. Szabo Engineering Excellence Award: The Revolutionary Vertical Lift Team

GRC-2019-C-09832-300 Photo by Bridget Caswell

Eldridge Koch Lerch

Assembly and Build-Up 

Technologies:

Flow Boiling and Condensation 

Experiment (FBCE) Mechanical 

Technicians

GRC-2019-C-09814 Photo by Jef Janis
TEAM SAFETY AWARD

Plum Brook Station Space 

Environments Complex Team

Robin L. Brown

Mark D. Cmar

Christopher S. Czernec 

Deanna M. Dingess

Richard K. Evans

Michael W. Henry

Aron D. Hozman

Robert R. Kowalski

Scott D. Mahnke

Thomas C. Mears

Cynthia S. Parker

Joshua A. Pawlak

Erin M. Reed

Christopher J. Ryan

Stephen M. Sinclair

Lynn N. Smith

Richard N. Sorge

Henry J. Speier

Stephen A. West

Brittany Wilkewitz

Kevin R. Winke

John C. Zang

Supervisor Award 

David J. Hoffman 

Support Assistant/Clerical 

Award (Civil Servant)

Karen A. Ault

Catherine Wilson

Support Assistant/Clerical 

Award (Contractor) 

Stacy Alcorso

Christina E. Gerber

Lisa M. Lapka

Ruth Ann Parise*

Holly N. Walburn

GRC Small Business Industry Award 

(SBIA) Winner Small Business 

Prime Contractor of the Year

Vantage Partners

*Not in attendance

NOVEMBER 2019

Awarded during the 2019 NASA Honor and Center Awards on Sept. 4.

Team Safety Award: Plum Brook Station Space Environments Complex Team GRC-2019-C-09831 Photo by Bridget Caswell

Ault

Gerber

Alcorso

Hoffman

Lapka

Wilson

Walburn
8

NEWS AND EVENTS

As part of the 2019 Feds Feed Family Campaign, 28 volunteers from seven Glenn directorates gathered at the Greater Cleveland Food 

Bank on Saturday, Aug. 10. Civil servants, contractors, friends and family collectively donated over 112 hours to sort and repack frozen 

meats to be distributed to local food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters. Volunteers packed, stacked and loaded 25-pound boxes 

of food onto pallets, which totaled over 13,917 pounds. The Greater Cleveland Food Bank is the largest hunger relief organization in 

Northeast Ohio, having provided more than 57 million meals in 2018 to hungry people in six counties. 

Employees 

Help Families 

in Need

Glenn Welcomes Congressional Members on Recess

Rep. Balderson, far right, along with members of his staff, 

receive a demonstration of the Shape Memory Alloy materials 

research performed by Glenn developer Othmane Benafan.

Glenn leadership facilitated a meet-and-greet session 

with Sen. Brown, third from left (pointing) and early career 

employees from across the center.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and Rep. Troy Balderson were among several members of the Ohio Congressional Delegation who visited NASA 

Glenn during their summer recess. August 26 was Balderson’s first visit to Glenn since joining the House Science, Space and Technology 

Committee. He and several members of his staff toured selected sites at Plum Brook Station and Lewis Field to learn more about Glenn’s 

research and technology conducted in support of agency missions. Brown’s August 28 visit focused on Glenn’s contributions to the Artemis 

program and interacting with employees that will be supporting it.

GRC-2019-C-07549 GRC-2019-C-07587

Photos by Marvin Smith

To learn more about the Apollo Program, visit https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/index.html.

Apollo Program Reflections

From October 2018 through December 2022, 

NASA will mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 

Program that landed a dozen astronauts on the 

Moon between July 1969 and December 1972.

Here’s a snapshot of the Apollo mission that 

occurred during the month of November:

Apollo 12

DATE: November 14 to 24, 1969

MISSION: Landed on the Moon

CREW: Conrad, Gordon, Bean
9

NOVEMBER 2019

Front, left to right: Hickman, Morrison, Dr. Moore, Smith and 

Schoewe; Back: Associate Center Director Larry Sivic, Rame, Van 

Drei, Korn, Humphreys, Dux and Wheelock. (GRC-2019-C-08602)

Wheelock presents a Silver Snoopy to Speier, left, and 

Cmar, right. (GRC-2019-C-07683)

Employees Honored for Outstanding Achievements 

Dr. Rubén Del Rosario, director of Glenn’s 

Aeronautics, retired Sept. 30, 2019, with 29 

years of service. Over the years, Del Rosario 

served in several high-level assignments, 

including Glenn deputy chief information officer, 

assistant to the Office of the Center Director, 

and assistant deputy associate administrator 

for Programs for the Science Mission 

Directorate at NASA Headquarters. In these 

roles, he provided oversight to key projects 

and strategic initiatives for NASA Glenn and 

the Science Mission Directorate. Del Rosario also was active in the Hispanic 

professional community, mentoring and recruiting young engineers.

Dr. Del Rosario Griebel

Two Senior Leaders Retire

Therese Griebel, deputy associate 

administrator for Programs, Space 

Technology Mission Directorate at 

NASA Headquarters, retired Sept. 

27, 2019, with 28 years of service. 

Griebel worked at NASA Glenn for 

26 years prior to taking on her most 

recent assignment at Headquarters. 

Prior to this position, she served as 

Glenn’s Associate Director for Strategy 

and she reported directly to Glenn’s 

Center Director while leading all aspects of strategy development and 

planning at the center. 

On Sept. 5, Plum Brook Station (PBS) Director, Dave 

Stringer and TFOME/PBS Site Manager, Tom Mears 

welcomed employees to the annual PBS Appreciation 

Day Luncheon. There, astronaut Wheelock presented two 

employees with awards, while co-workers and families 

looked on. On Sept. 26, Associate Center Director Larry 

Sivic welcomed families and co-workers of 11 Glenn 

employees who gathered at a ceremony at Lewis Field. 

Wheelock gave the keynote address and presented the 

prestigious award.

The Silver Snoopy is presented each year to less than 1 

percent of the NASA workforce. The award is reserved for 

members of the Astronaut Corps to express appreciation 

to employees who have significantly contributed to the 

human space flight program to ensure flight safety and 

mission success. 

NASA Astronaut and Glenn’s Deputy Director 

of Aeronautics for Strategy Doug Wheelock 

recently presented the prestigious Silver 

Snoopy Award to 13 employees. 

The Glenn 2019 Silver Snoopy Award honorees include:

Mark D. Cmar, Plum Brook Station test facilities

Ian J. Dux, Mission Architecture and Analysis Branch

Heather K. Hickman, NASA Engineering and Safety Center 

Bradley T. Humphreys, ZINT/ISS and Human Health Office

Dr. Mohammad Kassemi, CWRU/Low-Gravity Exploration Technology Branch

Steven M. Korn, Power Architecture and Analysis Branch

Dr. Linda J. Moore, Avionics Branch

John C. Morrison, ZINT/Rotating and Drive Systems Branch

Dr. Enrique Rame, USRA/Low-Gravity Exploration Technology Branch

Mathew M. Schoewe, Research and Space Operations Branch

Nicole Smith, Exploration Systems Office

Henry J. Speier, Plum Brook Station test facilities

Donald E. Van Drei, Flight Software Branch

Photos by Marvin Smith
Traci Bassi, Strategic Solutions Division, 

Office of Glenn Human Resources, retired July 

3, 2019, with 38 years of service. 

Steve Bauman, Mechanisms and Tribology 

Branch, Materials and Structures Division, 

retired Sept. 28, 2019, with 32 years of 

service.

Retiring Soon?

Share your retirement in AeroSpace 

Frontiers. Fill out the GRC341 form and 

send it to Doreen.B.Zudell@nasa.gov.

RETIREMENTS

Bassi Bauman

MORE THAN A MEMORY

Luis Santiago, 52, a security officer with the 

Golden Svcs, LLC contract, supporting NASA 

Glenn’s Office of Protective Services at Lewis 

Field, died Sept. 3. Throughout his 14-year 

career, Santiago could be counted on to perform 

a variety of security roles without hesitation.

“Luis was a true inspiration and role model. He 

will truly be missed, and his memory will stay in 

our hearts forever,” said Adam D. Cingle, fellow 

officer and friend.

Charles A. Farrell Jr., 74, a 2008 NASA retiree with 35 

years of federal service, died Sept. 14. A U.S. Air Force 

veteran, Farrell joined NASA in 1973 as an aeronautical 

engineer in the Computational Fluid Mechanics Branch 

and Scientific Applications Programming Section. He 

switched to the new User Support Office in 1983 and later 

earned a Group Achievement Award with the Technology 

Demonstration Center Start-Up and Operations Team. He 

graduated from the first systems engineering class (2006) 

Farrell under the Space Mission Excellence Program.

Santiago

Santiago: A Passionate Member of the 

Lewis Field Security Force

NTA’s 2019 Nsoroma Award Honorees

Okojie, accepts his award presented by NTA officers 

Charles Doxley, vice-president, left, and Bilal Bomani, 

president, right. (GRC-2019-CN-00084) Dr. Williams Rodgers Flowers

The Nsoroma Awards honor underrepresented women and men of exemplary 

character with outstanding scientific, technological, educational or business 

accomplishments and other personal attributes.

Okojie, Smart Sensing and Electronics Systems Branch, won for Lifetime 

Achievement; Dr. Tiffany Williams, Materials Chemistry and Physics Branch, for 

Science; Terri Rodgers, chief, Management Integration Office, for Technology; 

and Gwendolyn Flowers, chief, Institutional Resources Branch, for Business.

Glenn’s Dr. Robert Okojie was the keynote speaker and one of four Glenn employees honored at the Cleveland 

Chapter National Technical Association’s (NTA) annual Nsoroma Awards and Technical Symposium held at the 

Ohio Aerospace Institute in August.
NOVEMBER 2019

11

The Glenn Science and Engineering 

Library (GSEL) Mobile Librarian will 

be visiting building 15 through Nov. 

14, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and building 

23 from Dec. 3 to 12, 1 to 3 p.m. A 

Glenn reference librarian will be ready 

to assist employees with subject 

searches, finding specific books and 

articles and other information needs on 

the spot. 

POC: Robin Pertz, 3–5776

GSEL MOBILE LIBRARIAN

The next luncheon will be on Thursday, 

Nov. 21, at 1 p.m. at Burntwood Tavern, 

5600 Great Northern Blvd., North 

Olmsted. Please reserve your space by 

calling Gerry Ziemba at 330–273–4850 

or gto64gerry@yahoo.com.

NASA RETIRED WOMEN’S LUNCHEON

LESA will hold its next membership 

meeting, Wednesday, Dec. 11, noon, 

in the Glenn Employee Center’s Small 

Dining Room. 

IFPTE LOCAL 28, LESA MEETING

The Emergency Management Office 

staff will conduct a mass notification 

“voice” test at buildings 100 and 302 at 

Lewis Field on Wednesday, Dec. 4. An 

audible siren test will be conducted 

on the “emergency condition” tone on 

Saturday, Dec. 7. 

POC: Allen Turner, 3–6826 

OUTDOOR SIREN TESTING

Upcoming Center Events

Do You Know This Person?

Come join Glenn’s IT Purchasing team at IT Purchasing Week to learn 

about IT Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM); purchasing IT on NEST 

and SEWP; 1707 IT Purchase Requests; Purchasing IT with Purchase 

Cards; IPv6 compliance; Mobility Requests; Print Waivers; ELMT, AESOP, 

and Section 508. 

• IT Purchasing Town Hall, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 10 a.m.,

 bldg. 8 Briefing Center

• Walk-Up Support, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 11:30 a.m. to

 1:30 p.m., Cafeteria

• In-Person Training Sessions, Thursday, Nov. 14, 1 to 2

 p.m. and 3 to 4 p.m., bldg. 142, room 160C

NASA Glenn Employees: For more calendar information, visit https://wing.grc.nasa.gov/event-calendar/.

Deadline for next calendar section 

is Nov. 18, noon. News and feature 

stories require additional time.

The Logistics and Technical 

Information Division needs your 

help in ensuring historical images 

are accurately archived. Over 

the course of almost 80 years, 

photographers have captured nearly 

500,000 images—many with 

people who were not identified. In 

November, the Imaging Technology 

Center will post photos three times 

a week on Today@Glenn that need 

identification—people, places and 

research. Just reply to the linked 

address and tell them, “Hey, I know 

this person!”

Explore Talent Marketplace— NASA’s new platform for civil 

servants to post and find noncompetitive opportunities from 

across the agency is now available. Managers can create 

flexible, targeted opportunities based on skills, grade, onsite or 

remote location and more. Civil service employees can apply for 

opportunities from across the agency, contribute their unique 

talents and better direct their career growth. Sign into Talent 

Marketplace at https://talent.nasa.gov/ to learn more!
National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration

John H. Glenn Research Center 

Lewis Field

21000 Brookpark Road 

Cleveland, Ohio 44135

Plum Brook Station

3597 E. Scheid Road

Sandusky, Ohio 44870

www.nasa.gov

Read AeroSpace Frontiers online at http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/news/AF/index.html.

Emergency and Inclement Weather Lines 

Lewis Field: 216–433–9328 (WEAT) 

Plum Brook Station: 419–621–3333

Connect With Glenn

Data Collection System Upgrade Underway 

Cooper, standing, with original developers of COBRA, seated, left to 

right: Kenneth Novick, Stephen Henke and Joshua Allen.

Members of Glenn’s Data and Systems Branch in the 

Testing Division have developed a new and improved data 

acquisition system. The system, COBRA, which stands for 

Collect, Observe, Broadcast, Report and Analyze, is being 

GRC-2019-C-9565

Photo by Bridget Caswell

deployed as the legacy Escort systems are being phased out. 

The Escort Data Acquisition System—a combination of 

hardware and software that collects and analyzes data—

has been used in Glenn’s test facilities since the late 1970s. 

While the Escort system has been the workhorse for the 

facilities, the hardware and operating system platforms that 

it runs on are obsolete and no longer supported.

“COBRA is a vast improvement over Escort,” said Doug 

Cooper, COBRA lead. “First and foremost, it provides a 

modern graphical user interface for interacting with the 

system. COBRA has many state-of-the-art features that 

provide efficiency and accuracy, including the fact that 

individual subsystems can be upgraded or changed without 

having to redesign the entire system.” 

The COBRA system was first deployed to the Icing Research 

Tunnel in 2016 and has been used in over 65 test entries. 

Since then, Data and Systems Branch members have 

continued to update and improve the system. To date, eight 

COBRA systems have been deployed throughout Lewis Field 

and Plum Brook Station. While Escort systems are expected 

to be phased out by May 2023, many of its features will live 

on in COBRA, as the features in Escort formed the basis of 

the initial requirements for COBRA.

“The development of the COBRA system has not been without 

issues,” Cooper said. “But our talented and dedicated team 

has worked through the challenges and refined our internal 

processes to make the development and deployment of the 

systems more manageable and efficient.”

By Kin Wong