VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 1 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

Teams Earn 

R&D 100 Awards 

Page 4

Astronaut Presents 

Silver Snoopy 

Pages 8–9

Glenn Innovators 

Honored

Page 12

Spreading 

Holiday Cheer

Pages 2–3

The government shutdown 

affected publication of the 

January AeroSpace Frontiers.

See page 8 for details.
AeroSpace Frontiers

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: Jami Drost, ATS

Managing Editor: Kelly R. DiFrancesco

Circulation: Angela Williams, ATS, 

 216–433–8921

NASA Day of Remembrance

As we turn the calendar to 2019, we 

are entering an exciting year in our 

nation’s human space program. NASA’s 

commercial partners, SpaceX and 

Boeing, are preparing first crew flights 

to the International Space Station. It is 

crucial, during this time of preparation, 

to pause and remember those who 

sacrificed their lives for exploration, 

and the indelible lessons learned from 

the Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia 

accidents. Please join me as we remember our NASA heroes. Be reminded that 

mission success depends on our ability 

to be vigilant, speak up when there 

is a technical flaw and incorporate 

human-in-the-loop in our design 

and operations.

I am proud of the Glenn workforce 

for making safety a top 

priority in the New Year. 

Employees 

Gather, 

Spread Holiday 

Cheer

Employees from across the center joined their co-workers for the 

2018 Holiday Gathering in the MIC Auditorium at Lewis Field 

on Dec. 4. The event offered entertainment, refreshments 

and time to share holiday greetings with one another. 

Associate Director Janet Watkins shows off her award for being 

part of the team that won the Pictionary game. 

GRC-2018-C-10020

Photo by Rami Daud

On the Cover: 

Samantha Yousef, left, on behalf of Glenn’s 

Veterans Awareness Committee, and 

Sgt. Kevin Dickinson, 3rd Battalion, 25th 

Marines, assemble boxes of employeedonated toys for area children through the 

annual Toys for Tots campaign. 

GRC-2018-C-10379

Photo by Rami Daud
Employees send out a wave of “Happy Holidays” during the event.

GRC-2018-C-09988

Photo by Marvin Smith

Contestants vie for best festival attire and share what they like most about the holiday with emcee Sours. Sigetic, far right, was voted most festive. 

GRC-2018-C-10021

Deputy Director Dr. Marla Pérez-Davis, on behalf of Center Director Dr. Janet 

Kavandi and the senior leadership team, welcomed employees and thanked 

them for their hard work throughout the year. “This is a time to look back 

on our accomplishments,” she said, “and share some laughs with our NASA 

Glenn family.”

Pérez-Davis introduced a 2018 Center Accomplishments video—produced 

by the Imaging Technology Center—that reinforced the center’s outstanding 

contributions to NASA’s mission. 

Members of the U.S. Marine Corps then picked up nine boxes of employeedonated toys for the Toys for Tots campaign. Glenn’s Combined Federal 

Campaign Chairperson Terri Rodgers updated employees on the campaign 

and thanked them for their generosity thus far. 

The gathering offered several fun and interactive highlights, emceed by Mary 

Anne Sours. The fun began with a Pictionary contest consisting of two teams 

of employees from several directorates. “The Winners” team took the prize: 

a certificate entitling them to “Official Bragging Rights.” The audience joined 

in on the excitement by using their mobile devices to vote for their favorite 

festive attire (Megan Sigetic) and cupcake display (Rita Kizys).

The Glenn String Quartet provided a festive backdrop by playing a variety of 

songs as employees lightheartedly mingled over light refreshments.

By Doreen B. Zudell

Kizys and Jennifer Maupin produced sweet 

cupcake designs. Kizys’ entry (top) took first place.

GRC-2018-C-09990

GRC-2018-C-09989

Photos by Rami Daud

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

3
The R&D 100 Awards have served as the most prestigious innovation awards 

program for the last 56 years. The annual competition recognizes 100 of the most 

exceptional innovations in science and technology throughout the year.

NASA Glenn has two more R&D 100 Awards to add to 

its distinguished repertoire after two of its research 

teams each earned the award at the R&D 100 

Conference on Nov. 16. This brings the center’s total 

number of this prestigious award to 125.

The team of Dr. Philip Neudeck, David Spry, Michael 

Krasowski and Norman Prokop, members of the Smart 

Sensing and Electronics Systems Branch, earned an 

R&D 100 for Durable Integrated Circuit (IC) Chips for 

Extreme Environments. They developed the first and 

only IC technology proven operational at extremely 

high temperatures (more than 450 °C) for the greatly 

prolonged durations (more than 1 year) needed 

for beneficial insertion of circuitry into previously 

inaccessible harsh environment applications. This 

technology will enable numerous benefits in space 

and here on Earth, including combustion monitoring 

and control, aerospace, transportation, well-drilling, 

ground-based power generation, geothermal sensing, 

robotics and planetary exploration.

The team of Colin Bidwell (deceased), Christopher 

Porter, Harold Addy Jr. (retired), William Wright 

(Vantage) and Dr. Mark Potapczuk, members of the 

Icing Branch, earned an R&D 100 for LEWICE3D 

Impingement and Ice Accretion Software. LEWICE3D 

is a domestically distributable software tool that 

simulates how the water droplets from a cloud 

impact and grow ice on an arbitrary aerodynamic 

geometry in flight. This software can be applied to 

the icing analysis and design of aircraft, unmanned 

aerial vehicles (UAVs), jet engines, probes and icing 

protection systems. These analyses can also be used 

to aid in the certification process of these vehicles 

and components.

NASA Glenn Earns Two R&D 100 Awards! 

Durable IC Chips for Extreme Environments team: 

left to right, Prokop, Spry, Neudeck and Krasowski.

GRC-2018-C-08642 Photo by Bridget Caswell

Photo by Rami Daud

LEWICE3D team: left to right, Porter, Wright and Potapczuk. 

Not pictured: Addy Jr. (retired) and Bidwell (deceased). 

GRC-2018-C-08641

4

For a list of the awardees, visit https://www.rd100conference.com/awards/winners-finalists/year/2018/.
The website is located at https://www.grc.nasa.gov/f/fx/fxt/tour/. 

Additional questions and feedback on the new process are welcome at grc-cr-facilitiestour@mail.nasa.gov.

Topics you can find on the site include:

• Requesting a tour

• Tour request checklist

• Scheduling a tour

• Conducting a tour

• Authorized tour groups

• Definitions

• Tour information on facilities

• Frequently asked questions

Thinking about scheduling a test facility 

tour for an upcoming event, meeting 

or conference?

A new facility tour process has been developed 

by the Facilities, Test and Manufacturing 

Directorate. The streamlined process enables 

guests to visit Glenn’s popular research facilities 

at times that do not conflict with testing, 

maintenance or other scheduled tours. The goal 

is to have a calendar available in 2019 to enable 

users to see scheduled weekday tours, in 

addition to other system capabilities that allow 

users to request a tour and receive confirmation.

An internal website provides an overview of 

the facility tour process, including steps for 

scheduling and conducting a tour and the 

definition of authorized tour groups. Glenn civil 

servant and support service contractors should 

request tours by submitting a GRC 137 form 

(with a link inside the website).

New Facility Tour 

Process in Place

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

5
6

NEWS AND EVENTS

Costumed Characters Brigade Marks 

a Milestone at Lewis Little Folks

It was tradition and history in the making when NASA Glenn’s Costumed Character Brigade celebrated 20 years of visiting the Lewis Little Folks (LLF) Child Development Center on Dec. 7. Thanks to the dedication of numerous employees, 

their families and retirees, this tradition has continued long after the yearly holiday shows were discontinued. Special 

thanks to the core team of Alan Hewston, Liz McQuaid, Carmela Bynum and Nancy Hall, who organized the visits, 

maintained costumes and secured volunteers over the years.

“The children and families of LLF look forward to the Costumed Character Brigade visit 

every year,” said LLF Director Maureen Sartain. “We are all so thankful to Glenn 

employees who take the time to volunteer to play these characters for our children!”

At right: Santa (Tom Hinshaw) spends some time with Miles Klein, son of Melissa and Ben Klein.

GRC-2018-CN-00060

Photo by Liz McQuaid

GRC-2018-CN-00058

Photo by Doreen Zudell

Honor the Past. Be the Future.

Native Paradigms Help Understand Science

Daniella Scalice, left, Education and Communication lead for 

NASA’s Astrobiology Program, guides Seth Harbaugh, Center 

Operations deputy, in placing a story card in formation during 

the 2018 Native American Heritage Month Observance on 

Nov. 28. Several attendees placed cards in sequence as Dana 

Maureen Desiderio told a traditional Navajo origin story. Desiderio 

hopes her work with NASA and Native communities will inspire 

others to recognize Native paradigms as valid and important in 

understanding the sciences. Glenn’s Advisory Group for Native 

Americans, in partnership with the Office of Diversity and Equal 

Opportunity, hosted the event. 

GRC-2018-C-09809

Photo by Jordan Salkin
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

7

Careers in manufacturing will continue to play a crucial role in aeronautics and space development. Glenn’s 

Henry Scott, left, shows students parts that were manufactured using the Electro-Discharge Machine during 

Manufacturing Day at Lewis Field, Oct. 30. Area high school students learned how teams of engineers, researchers 

and technicians work together to design and prototype aeronautics and space hardware. Sponsored by Glenn’s 

Office of Education; the Facilities, Test and Manufacturing Directorate; and The Manufacturing Advocacy and 

Growth Network, the day included speakers, panel discussions, engineering demonstrations, augmented reality 

activities and facility tours. 

Inspiring the Next Generation of Manufacturers 

Five, four, three, two, one. Blast off! More than 350 1st- through 

12th-grade students from area schools learned about the work 

astronauts do during Glenn’s Young Astronaut Day at Lewis Field 

on Nov. 3. The daylong event—with lively competitions—was 

designed to challenge, educate and inspire the next generation 

of scientists and engineers through several hands-on activities. 

Guest speaker Grant Slusser shared his experience training 

astronauts and flight controllers, and what it takes to keep 

astronauts safe when they perform spacewalks. Sixty-five 

volunteers from Glenn and Cleveland State University’s AIAA 

student section helped make this event a success. 

Young Astronauts 

Learn to Blast Off!

GRC-2018-C-08823

Photo by Jordan Salkin

GRC-2018-C-09465

Photo by Rami Daud
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 

January and February in 1971:

Apollo Program 

Reflections

Apollo 14

DATE: Jan. 31 to Feb. 9, 1971

MISSION: Landed on the moon

CREW: Shepard, Mitchell, Roosa

To learn more about the Apollo Program, visit 

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/

apollo/index.html.

Center Director Dr. Janet Kavandi joined astronaut Dr. Shannon 

Walker in presenting 11 members of the Glenn workforce with the 

NASA Silver Snoopy Award during ceremonies at Lewis Field and 

Plum Brook Station on Nov. 8.

Each year since 1968, the agency’s Astronaut Office awards the Silver Snoopy 

pin, a sanctioned symbol of spaceflight excellence, to less than 1 percent of 

the eligible workforce. The following Glenn employees were recognized for their 

outstanding performance and professional dedication to human spaceflight 

safety or mission success:

Dr. Stephen Barsi, Chemical and Thermal Propulsion Systems Branch, for his 

exceptional dedication and technical leadership as NASA propulsion system lead 

for the Orion European Service Module. Barsi resolved challenging technical 

issues in support of Exploration Mission-1, increasing safety and reliability while 

maintaining tight schedules and budget resources.

Brian Bellisario, ZIN Technologies, International Space Station (ISS) and Human 

Health Office, for his contributions to the Observation and Analysis of Smectic 

Islands in Space (OASIS) project. Bellisario developed the ink droplet dispenser 

driver algorithm and supported OASIS during flight operation, developing 

procedures to translate and deliver massive quantities of experimental ISS data 

ahead of schedule and under budget.

Andrew (AJ) Fedak, ZIN Technologies, Human Exploration and Space 

Operations Project Office, for his work as lead electrical engineer on the Medical 

Consumables Tracking (MCT) project. Fedak successfully designed the electrical 

aspects of the flight hardware for the radio frequency identification technology 

demonstration on the ISS and improve the battery performance from 4 to 12 

months.

Gerald Hill, Plum Brook Station Propulsion Test Complex manager, in recognition 

of his work in advocating for and acquiring resources needed for critical 

facility restoration and enhancement projects. Hill led the effort to develop 

and demonstrate an innovative and cost-saving way of operating the In Space 

Propulsion Facility for lander-sized hot-fire testing.

Tina Jicha, Program/Project Integration Office, for exceptional contributions 

and leadership as business manager and program planning and control lead in 

the development of the Orion European Service Module. Jicha has consistently 

exceeded expectations by creating efficiencies for cost, schedule and risk 

performance as decision-making aids for program management to avoid major 

impacts.

Robert Kistemaker, Technology Transfer Office, for his outstanding efforts 

in support of the Commercial Crew Program. As Center Agreements Manager, 

Kistemaker led the development, approval and implementation of task plans for 

Eleven Glenn Employees 

Honored With Prestigious 

Silver Snoopy Awards

Editor’s Note: 

Special Combined 

AeroSpace Frontiers

Due to the government shutdown, Glenn’s 

AeroSpace Frontiers staff was unable 

to publish the January 11 issue. As a 

result, we have combined the January and 

February issues into one publication.

8
Glenn Research Center agreements with SpaceX, Sierra Nevada 

and Boeing in excess of $2 million.

William Maul, Vantage Partners, LLC, Intelligent Control and 

Autonomy Branch, for his superior contributions leading to the 

development of the Integrated Vehicle Failure Model for the Space 

Launch System and new functional fault modeling capabilities that 

have directly benefited NASA human exploration and operations 

programs. 

Paul McMasters, Vantage Partners, LLC, ISS and Human 

Health Office, for his project scheduling expertise and leadership 

for numerous spaceflight hardware and software projects. 

McMasters has provided key scheduling support to many ISS 

research projects and has been instrumental in the Orion testing 

program at Plum Brook Station.

Melani Smajdek, ZIN Technologies, ISS and Human Health Office, 

for providing invaluable operations planning services in support 

of numerous Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) experiments. 

Smajdek routinely delivers error-free operations plans and 

anticipates operational conflicts, along with providing viable 

workarounds, in support of the CIR operations and science teams.

Richard Sorge, Plum Brook Station, for his role in the successful 

planning and execution of the Orion European Service Module 

Structural Test Article (E–STA) space environment test campaign. 

Sorge also led efforts to activate and commission a new Plum 

Brook Station Space Environments Complex (SEC) Mechanical 

Vibration Facility and oversaw a major upgrade of the SEC facility 

infrastructure systems.

Dr. Padetha Tin, Universities Space Research Association, LowGravity Exploration Technology Branch, for serving with distinction 

as project scientist/science definition lead on the OASIS space experiment. His international collaborations resulted in an expanded 

microgravity materials research effort and led to a first-of-its-kind 

discovery of structures and dynamics in liquid crystal films.

By Sandra Mason

Left to right: Astronaut Dr. Walker, Smajdek, Maul, Kistemaker, McMasters, Dr. Tin, Fedak, Barsi, Jicha, Bellisario and Dr Kavandi.

GRC-2018-09649

Photos by Rami Daud

Left to right; Plum Brook Station Director David Stringer, Dr. Janet Kavandi, Sorge, Hill and Astronaut Dr. Walker.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

9

GRC-2081-C-09689
Dr. Rafat Ansari, Low-Gravity Exploration Technology Branch, 

Propulsion Division, retired Dec. 31, 2018, with 17 years of service. 

Gerald Hill, Plum Brook Station, retired Dec. 31, 2018, with 37 years 

of service. 

James Nesbitt, Environmental Effects and Coatings Branch, 

Materials and Structures Division, retired Dec. 31, 2018, with 

35 years of service.

Sandra T. Reehorst, acting director, Office of Technology Incubation 

and Innovation, retired Dec. 31, 2018, with 33 years of service. 

Karen Tuttle, ISS and Human Health, Human Exploration and 

Space Operations Project Office, retired Dec. 31, 2018, with 31 years 

of service.

Dr. Ansari Hill

Reehorst Tuttle

Nesbitt

RETIREMENTS

MORE THAN A MEMORY

Robert H. Vertone, 88, a 1994 retiree with 31 years of 

NASA service, died Nov. 23. Vertone started at NASA 

Lewis in 1963 in the Research Instrumentation Branch, 

Electromagnet Propulsion Division. In the early 1970s, 

he worked in the Communications Technology Branch, 

Space Propulsion and Power Division, and was involved 

in the Communications Technology Satellite. He served 

in the Propulsion and Power Operations Branch from the 

mid-1970s until his retirement. Vetrone received multiple 

Vertone performance, special act and service awards. 

The Office of Personnel Management has 

announced new regulations regarding 

when excused leave may be granted to 

government employees for reasons related 

to weather and safety. The new weather and 

safety leave is a form of excused leave that 

may only be granted when it is determined 

employees cannot safely perform work at 

their normal worksite or other approved 

location (e.g., home when teleworking). 

Teleworkers should be prepared to work 

from home during an anticipated weather 

and safety event, and will generally be 

expected to work during a center closure, 

even if it is not a regularly scheduled 

telework day for that individual. 

NOTE: This new law does not change any 

eligibility requirements for, or require anyone 

to participate in, NASA’s telework program. 

Those who are ineligible for the telework 

program, or who are eligible and do not 

participate in it, will be granted weather and 

safety leave during a center closure. 

For additional questions about the 

new weather and safety leave, contact 

Jerry Traster, Office of Human Capital 

Management, at 3–3649. 

OPM Announces 

New Weather 

and Safety Leave 

Regulations

10
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

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

Upcoming Center Events

Deadline for next calendar section is Feb. 13, noon. News and feature stories require additional time.

This site features about 130 spinoff technologies in a virtual space, 

allowing users to tour through buildings and rooms to discover 

common items that NASA inspired or helped improve. These 

spinoffs are commercial products that apply NASA technology 

originally developed for studying and exploring space.

NASA Home & City

TRACE SPACE BACK TO YOU!

Take a peek inside at

https://www.homeandcity.nasa.gov. 

Register through SATERN at https://satern.nasa.gov. 

Course ID: GRC-8G1529.

Wednesday, March 6

9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

MIC Auditorium (bldg. 162)

Women IGNITE Workshop

GSEL MOBILE LIBRARIAN

The Glenn Science and Engineering 

Library (GSEL) Mobile Librarian will 

be visiting building 5 from Feb. 19 to 

28 from 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

IFPTE LOCAL 28, LESA MEETING

LESA will hold its next membership 

meeting, Wednesday, Feb. 13, noon, 

in the Glenn Employee Center’s Small 

Dining Room.

OUTDOOR SIREN TESTING

The Emergency Management 

Office staff will conduct an audible 

siren test on the “all clear” tone on 

Saturday, March 2 at Lewis Field. 

A mass notification “voice” test 

will be conducted in building 15 on 

Wednesday, March 6.

POC: Allen Turner, 3–6826

FITNESS CENTER SLIMATHON

Start off 2019 on the right foot by 

participating in this 12-week team 

body fat loss challenge. Form a team, 

join a team, or be a member of a staff 

team. Available to NASA staff, family 

and friends. Deadline for registration is 

Feb. 15. For more information, call the 

Fitness Center at 3–6313.

The next luncheon is Thursday, Feb. 21, 

1 p.m. at JoJo Carloni’s, 627 W. Bagley, 

Berea. Please reserve your place by 

calling Gerry Ziemba, 330–273–4850 

or email gto64gerry@yahoo.com.

RETIRED WOMEN’S LUNCHEON
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

During the Fourth Annual Glenn Inventors Recognition 

Ceremony on Nov. 14, the Technology Transfer Office 

(TTO) honored many remarkable faces behind NASA 

Glenn’s technology. 

The event showcased fiscal year 2017 inventors, including 33 patent 

applications, 45 for patents issued, 15 for software releases, as well as 

national, internal and external awards to NASA.

TTO Chief Harvey Schabes kicked off the event, emphasizing that the 

people recognized are a testament to creativity, skill and persistence in 

breaking barriers and improving life in space and on Earth. 

Associate Director Janet Watkins echoed Schabes sentiments. 

“These individuals work in a variety of fields—aeronautics, electronics, 

communications, materials and more,” she said. “While the work they 

do every day contributes to NASA’s mission, what sets these men and 

women apart is their ability to recognize the importance of their work 

on a much larger scale. Commercializing innovations goes far beyond 

a mandate.”

Dr. Othmane Benafan, inventor and honoree, shared his personal 

journey to becoming a NASA inventor and how it led to his 

accomplishments. 

Other guest speakers included NASA Office of Chief Technologist 

Innovation Lead and Space Technology Mission Directorate Liaison 

Kenneth Wright and NASA Agency Council for Intellectual Property 

Mark Dvorscak. They affirmed the hard work and dedication of our 

researchers and emphasized the commercialization process that often 

takes years to come to fruition.

By Doreen B. Zudell

Glenn Inventors: the Faces of Technology

Benafan, inventor and honoree, shares insights 

into his road to success.

GRC-2018-C-09572

Photo by Marvin Smith

Glenn’s Office of Chief Counsel plays an important role 

in helping patent and commercialize technology. Glenn’s 

James Jackson, left, and Agency Council for Intellectual 

Property Mark Dvorscak, show their support. 

GRC-2018-CN-00056

Photo by Technology Transfer Office

Awards 

and 

GRC-2018-CN-00057 citations. Photo by Technology Transfer Office