VOLUME 22 • ISSUE 2 • FEBRUARY 2020

Dr. Pérez-Davis 

Named Director

Page 3

Focus on 

Conservation

Pages 6–7

Evolutionary Xenon 

Thruster Fires

Page 12

Faces Behind Glenn 

Technology

Pages 4–5
2

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: Rhys Sampson, ATS

Managing Editor: Kelly R. DiFrancesco

Circulation: Angela Williams, ATS, 

 216–433–8921

A Pause for 

Remembrance

We embrace the new year with great 

progress in our human exploration 

activities at Glenn and across the 

agency. During this exciting time, we 

pause to remember the sacrifices and 

lessons learned from the Apollo I fire, 

Challenger’s STS–51L mission and 

Columbia’s STS–107 mission. Join me 

in remembering those fallen heroes as 

we continue to embrace a strong safety 

culture of engagement and openness 

with a willingness to speak up for 

safety and mission success.

Thank you for you continued commitment in safely accomplishing our 

missions.

DIRECTOR’S

SAFETY CORNER Building Solar 

Panels in Space

Creating an environment that allows us to have a long-term 

presence on another world is no easy task. But Glenn scientists 

are developing new technologies to make it possible, beginning 

with the solar cells that could power lunar habitats.

Engineers Lyndsey McMillon-Brown and Timothy Peshek led a 

study on perovskite solar cells, which could be an alternative 

to silicon solar cells generating power to sustain lunar habitats. 

Perovskite is an incredible conductor of electricity. It also can be 

transported into space as a liquid and then printed onto panels 

on the Moon or Mars, unlike silicon panels that have to be built on 

Earth and then shipped to space.

“It’s a build as you go process,” said McMillon-Brown, 

Photovoltaic and Electrochemical Systems Branch. “With just

1 liter of the solution, astronauts would have enough material to 

generate a megawatt of solar power, which is far more energy 

than is required to run the International Space Station.” 

The perovskite material is only part of what makes Glenn 

scientists so excited for the potential of this project; the other is 

the new method for assembling solar cells called electrospraying 

that researchers at the University of California at Merced 

developed.

To learn more about this research, visit the full story on Glenn’s 

website at https://go.nasa.gov/3362W3t. By Katherine Herrick

GRC-2019-C-09519 Photo by Bridget Caswell

Engineers McMillon-Brown, left, and Peshek measure a perovskite cell sample in 

the Spectrolab X–25 Solar Simulator in building 302 at Lewis Field.
3

FEBRUARY 2020

Dr. Pérez-Davis Named Center Director

Senior Positions Announced

The following positions were announced:

Office of the Director: Regional Affairs Specialist Zacch Ashcraft

Office of Chief Financial Officer: CFO Vicki Hagerman and Deputy Gary Garbinski

Office of Chief Counsel: Chief Counsel Callista Puchmeyer and Deputy James Jackson

Office of Human Resources: Director Susan Whitfield and Deputy Larry Zoloty

Office of Technology and Incubation: Deputy Mary Lobo

Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity: Acting Director Vincent Patterson

Aeronautics: Director Tim McCartney and Deputy Mary Wadel

Space Flight Systems: Deputy Kathy Schubert

Safety and Mission Assurance: Acting Director Gus Martzaklis

NASA Safety Center: Director Harmony Myers and Deputy Karen Meinert

In a special all-hands meeting on Jan. 21, 

Associate Director Larry Sivic shared the news 

that Dr. Marla Pérez-Davis has been officially 

named Center Director of NASA Glenn. PérezDavis served as acting center director since Dr. 

Janet Kavandi’s retirement on Sept. 30, 2019.

After thanking everyone for their support 

throughout her career, Pérez-Davis pledged her 

commitment to the center and the agency.

“My job is to build on the strong foundation 

established by Janet Kavandi, and to take Glenn 

Research Center to the next level,” she said. “Thank 

you for allowing me to be your center director.”

Due to the fact that 15% of Glenn’s senior 

leadership retired over the past 2 months, PérezDavis noted that the center is actively working 

to fill these positions, including Deputy Center 

Director. She and Sivic provided updates on 

existing vacancies and introduced several of the 

new team members who addressed the audience. 

After the personnel segment of the meeting, 

Pérez-Davis reviewed progress on some of the 

2020 priorities announced during the December 

holiday gathering. The meeting concluded with a 

brief question-and-answer session. Sivic and Dr. Pérez-Davis at the all-hands meeting.

GRC-2020-C-0324 Photo by Marvin Smith
4

The Faces Behind

NASA Glenn’s Technology

On the Cover: Engineer Tim Bencic invented 

a tomography system for Glenn’s Propulsion 

System Laboratory to help understand the 

dangers of ice crystal icing on airplanes. 

NASA Glenn is known for excellence in developing innovative technologies for both aeronautics and space 

exploration. But what about the people behind the technology?

Glenn’s Digital Media Team recently published an Instagram portrait series in November profiling six of these 

inventors. Drawn from a variety of technical areas, Imaging Technology Center photographer Jordan Salkin worked 

with each researcher to craft a special portrait as well as photos of research hardware. Web Content Editor Nancy 

Kilkenny interviewed the researchers and wrote captions to highlight their work.

Log on to Glenn’s Flickr site at https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasaglenn/albums to view all the photos and captions.

GRC-2019-C-01079

Left: Dr. Chris DellaCorte invented a ball bearing 

made of nitinol 60. Meant for use in gears and 

other mechanical components, these new alloys 

can withstand loads and stresses.

Above: Juan Agui, who developed a unique Multi-Stage 

Filtration System for the International Space Station that 

collects dust and other particles, is now improving the 

design for deeper space missions.

Photos by Jordan Salkin

GRC-2019-C-04108

GRC-2019-C-03104
FEBRUARY 2020

5

Right: Researcher Phil Neudeck and his team 

have developed extremely durable silicon carbide 

semiconductor integrated circuits to survive harsh 

environments like Venus.

Left: Dr. Maricela Lizcano, a materials scientist, 

worked with her team to invent a simple, low-cost 

microwave sintering process that can tailor the 

strength of the tows and heal damaged fibers. 

Above: Researcher Dr. Tiffany Williams takes carbon nanotube 

filaments, called yarn, and combines them with carbon fiber to make 

toughened braided textiles for aeronautics and space applications.

GRC-2019-C-09958

GRC-2019-C-05622

GRC-2019-C-06247

Licensing your technology can open 

up many possibilities for you and

your research.

For more information, visit

https://technology.grc.nasa.gov.
6

Five Stars for Environmentally Friendly Fleet

NASA Glenn’s fleet has been designated 

an Ohio Green Fleet by Clean Fuels Ohio’s 

statewide Ohio Green Fleets program, which 

recognizes fleets for their efficiency and 

environmental performance. Fleets who earn 

this designation provide a community service by 

improving air quality and reducing dependence 

on imported petroleum.

The NASA Glenn fleet earned designation as 

a five-star Ohio Green Fleet. Evaluation of 

fleets are based on the implementation of 

policies which reduce vehicle emissions and 

petroleum fuels. A five-star certification is the 

highest achievement attainable and is reserved 

for those who have shown a significant 

commitment to fleet sustainability. To date, the 

program has enrolled more than 700 fleets, of 

which only 28 have been certified as a five-star 

Ohio Green Fleet.

Glenn’s Vehicle Fleet Operations Officer Andrew 

Deenanauth, with assistance from Sandra 

Valenti, Center Operations Directorate, sorted 

and compiled years’ worth of data on Glenn’s 

Left to right: Center Operations Deputy Seth Harbaugh, Center Operations 

Chief Robyn Gordan, Center Director Dr. Marla Pérez-Davis, Deenanauth, 

Valenti and Logistics and Technical Information Deputy Division Chief 

Gary Crawford. 

GRC-2019-C-11784 Photo by Marvin Smith

Part of Glenn’s electric fleet.

GRC-2019-C-03023 Photo by Marvin Smith

fleet for award consideration. Last September, Deenanauth 

accepted the award on behalf of NASA Glenn at the 2019 

Midwest Green Transportation Forum & Expo.

“Glenn has shown a strong commitment to sustainability by 

procuring alternative-fueled vehicles (E–85, electric and 

biodiesel),” Deenanauth said. “The Glenn fleet consists of 

76% alternative-fueled vehicles, including nine all-electric 

vehicles. Since 2015, 74% of all the fuel used in vehicles 

is alternative fuel. Glenn is continuing to invest in electric 

charging stations to build our fleet of electric vehicles.”

Glenn also has invested in multiple avenues of sustainable 

transportation around the center, including the bike 

program, airport courier services and the Lewis Field lab 

bus. A new GPS locator device for the lab bus encourages 

taking alternative transportation around Lewis Field.

Center Earns High Recognition 
FEBRUARY 2020

7

NASA Glenn has received the 2019 Federal Energy and Water Management Award for the 

implementation of an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC). The ESPC includes nine 

energy and water conservation measures at Lewis Field and Plum Brook Station.

This project ($14.8 million investment value) spans diverse facilities separated by 50 miles and energyconservation measures to improve heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting and potable water systems. 

Conservation measures include: 

• Improving chilled water systems 

• Replacing over 21,500 light fixtures and installing over 1,100 lighting controls 

• Replacing heating system in the Hangar and installing insulation blankets on steam fittings,

 valves and tanks 

• Retrofitting or replacing toilets, urinals, sinks and showers with low-flow fixtures 

• Replacing water-cooled air conditioners with chilled water fan coil units 

• Installing variable frequency drives and sensors on HVAC fan motors 

“The project is saving 61.8 billion Btu and 7.2 million gallons of water per year while reducing annual 

greenhouse gas emissions by 11,600 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent,” said Anthony 

Zupanchick, Glenn’s Energy and Water Conservation Program manager. “In the first year, the 

estimated energy, water and maintenance cost savings total $1.2 million. Additional benefits include 

increased cooling system equipment redundancy, reduced lighting maintenance requirements and 

standardized plumbing fixtures.” 

Glenn team members cited on the award include Vincent Verhoff, Quyen Quach, Frances Borato, 

Kevin Meredith and Anthony Zupanchick.

Award-Winning Energy and Water Management

Left to right: Robert Ivester, director, Federal Energy Management Program; Alexander Fitzsimmons, chief of staff, Office of Energy 

Efficiency and Renewable Energy; Zupanchick; Kevin Meredith, Glenn project manager; Richard Marrs, NASA Office of Strategic 

Infrastructure; and Calvin Williams, NASA Office of Strategic Infrastructure.

GRC-2020-CN-00001 Photo by Donica Payne

 for Conservation Efforts
8

NASA Glenn’s Office of Communications 

and External Relations was a double 

prizewinner at the 2019 Cleveland Rocks 

Awards. The contest is the PRSA Greater 

Cleveland chapter’s signature event 

that recognizes the area’s best in public 

relations and communications projects 

and programs. The team took Gold in the 

National Media Relations and Trade Media 

Relations categories for the Kilopower 

Nuclear Space Power Press Event.

In March 2018, NASA and the Department 

of Energy demonstrated Kilopower, a 

nuclear reactor power system that could 

enable long-duration crewed missions to 

the Moon, Mars and destinations beyond. 

Performed at the Nevada National Security 

Site, it was the first nuclear-powered 

operation of a new fission reactor concept 

in the United States in 40 years. 

On May 2, 2018, NASA held a press conference at Glenn’s Lewis Field, where Kilopower is managed. NASA’s social 

media channels were also used to amplifiy coverage of the event. 

The Kilopower press conference and press release resulted in over 200 original stories. National outlets covering 

the story included Newsweek, Forbes, Business Insider, Scientific American, Universe Today, World Nuclear News 

and many others.

Left to right: Glenn’s Media Relations News Chief Jan Wittry, Office 

of Communications & External Relations Deputy Frank Jennings and 

Chief Dovie Lacy receive the first of two Gold awards.

GRC-2020-CN-00003 Photo by PRSA Cleveland

NASA Chief Information Officer Renee Wynn 

and Glenn’s Dr. Joseph Connolly served on an 

interagency virtual panel of six accomplished 

Native Americans from various NASA centers in 

recognition of Native American Heritage Month. 

The event started a dialogue about challenges the 

Native community faces and strategies to achieve 

their goals. Panelists shared their experiences 

coping in highly competitive environments. They 

gave recommendations on how to create a healthy 

Native STEM community at NASA and insight on 

how to help NASA be more inclusive of the Native 

community. More than 130 participants tuned in to 

the interactive panel event.

Event Empowers Native Americans 

NEWS AND EVENTS

Glenn Strikes Gold at Public Relations

Society of America Awards
9

FEBRUARY 2020

The ASM International, formerly known as the 

American Society for Metals, recently presented 

their Engineering Materials Achievement Award to 

Glenn’s NiTi Alloys for Bearings, Gears, Mechanical 

Components and Other Structural Applications 

Team. The award recognizes the achievements 

among leading members of the materials science 

and engineering community. 

Back, left to right: Dr. Santo Padula, Dr. Samuel Howard, 

Dr. Othmane Benefan, Glen Bigelow; Front: Dr. Malcolm 

Stanford, Dr. Christopher DellaCorte, and Dr. Anita Garg. 

Not pictured: Fransua Thomas and Dr. Ronald Noebe.

GRC-2019-C-11753 Photo by Marvin Smith

FEBRUARY 2020

9

ASM Recognizes Glenn Material

Scientists and Engineers

Dr. Bowman

Dr. Paxson

Institution of Engineering and Technology 

(IET) Premium Award Announced

AIAA Awards Best Paper 

The paper “Large Electric Machines for Aircraft Electric Propulsion” earned a 2019 Premium Award 

from the IET. Glenn’s Dr. Cheryl Bowman co-authored the paper, which was sponsored by NASA’s 

Advanced Air Transport Technologies Project. IET awards recognize the best research papers 

published during the last 2 years.

The AIAA’s Pressure Gain Combustion Technical Committee has selected “Operational Stability 

Limits in Rotating Detonation Engine Numerical Simulations” (AIAA 2019–0748) as Best Paper 

from the 2019 SciTech Forum and Exposition. The paper, co-authored by Glenn’s Dr. Daniel Paxson, 

Intelligent Control and Autonomy Branch, and Doug Schwer, Naval Research Laboratory, describes 

the development of, and mitigation strategies for, combustion instability observed in certain rotating 

detonation engine configurations.

Glenn will start using the new agency solution, Scientific, Technical and Research Information discoVEry System 

(STRIVES), for all scientific and technical information (STI) reviews/approvals on March 16. STRIVES will replace the 

current Electronic Document Availability Authorization (EDAA)/NASA Form (NF) 1676.

IMPORTANT DATES:

March 16–Can only use STRIVES to submit STI for review and approval.

April 1–Approvers last day for approving forms in the EDAA/NF1676 system.

April 1–All corrected final documents must be received by the Glenn STI Office for final processing.

More information to come. Updates will be posted on the Glenn STI Program website:

https://ltidportal.grc.nasa.gov/STINews.aspx.

Coming Soon: New Agency STI System
10

Thomas W. Balogas, Space Environments Test 

Branch, Testing Division, retired Jan. 3, 2020, with 40 

years of service. (Not pictured.)

Carl M. Blaser, Materials and Structures Division, 

Research and Engineering Directorate, retired Jan. 31, 

2020, with 36 years of service. 

William (Tim) Dedula, Office of Education, Center 

Operations Directorate, retired Jan. 3, 2020, with 38 

years of service.

William (Bill) Hughes, Structural Dynamics Branch, 

Materials and Structures Division, retired Dec. 31, 

2019, with 33 years of service.

Isaac Lopez, Aeronautics Directorate, retired Jan. 3, 

2020, with 37 1⁄2 years of service. 

Chip Redding, Mechanical Systems Design and 

Integration Branch, Materials and Structures Division, 

retired Jan. 3, 2020, with 38 years of service.

Mary Salvo, Office of Human Resources, retired Dec. 

31, 2019, with 15 years of federal service. 

Laurel Stauber, Innovation and Integration Office, 

Office of Technology Incubation and Innovation, 

retired Jan. 3, 2020, with 39 years of federal service, 

including 32 with NASA.

Retiring soon?

Share your retirement in AeroSpace Frontiers. Fill out the GRC431 form and send it to Doreen.B.Zudell@nasa.gov.

RETIREMENTS

Blaser Dedula Hughes Lopez

Redding Salvo Stauber

Lawrence McLemore has been selected executive support assistant (ESA) 

to the Director of Center Operations, effective Dec. 8, 2019. McLemore 

previously provided administrative and clerical support to the Procurement 

Division, and more recently, as acting ESA on detail in the Center 

Operations Directorate.

PROMOTIONS

McLemore
11

FEBRUARY 2020

GSEL MOBILE LIBRARIAN

The Glenn Science and Engineering 

Library (GSEL) Mobile Librarian will 

visit building 54 on Feb. 18 and 20; 

building 77 on Feb. 25 and 27 and 

March 3 and 5; building 86 on March 

10 and 12. The hours are 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

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

Deadline for next calendar section 

is Feb. 19, noon. News and feature 

stories require additional time.

IFPTE LOCAL 28, LESA MEETING

LESA will hold its next membership 

meeting, Wednesday, March 11, noon, 

in the Glenn Employee Center’s Small 

Dining Room.

The Emergency Management Office 

staff will conduct a mass notification 

“voice” test at building 15 on 

Wednesday, March 4 at Lewis Field. 

An audible siren test will be conducted 

on the “all clear” tone on Saturday, 

March 7. 

POC: Allen Turner, 3–6826

OUTDOOR SIREN TESTING

The next luncheon will be on Thursday, 

Feb. 20, at 1 p.m. at the 100th Bomb 

Group Restaurant, 20920 Brookpark 

Road. Please notify Gerry Ziemba 

at 330–273–4850 or gto64gerry@

yahoo.com to reserve your place.

NASA RETIRED WOMEN’S LUNCHEON

Check out These Free Heart-Healthy Services

Medical Services Clinic, building 15, room 102

Civil servants: Physical exams; allergy shots; flu shots; 

work-related and personal injury/illness care; blood pressure 

checks; surveillance/certification exams; and work-related 

international travel immunizations and consultation.

Contractors: Flu shots; blood pressure checks; workrelated injury/illness care; and emergency care in the event 

of dizziness, sudden chest pain or shortness of breath. 

Surveillance/certification exams, also available, if agreed upon 

by their company.

POC: Medical Services, 3–5841

Fitness Center, building 341

Civil servants, contractors, interns and retirees:

Group fitness classes Monday through Friday—mornings, 

lunchtime and evenings—yoga, Zumba, kickboxing, highintensity interval training, muscle conditioning/total body toning, 

healthy back, rapid fit, circuit training and core and cardio.

Fitness assessments, personal training and weight loss/

management programs

Recreational sports leagues—volleyball, basketball and flag 

football

POC: Fitness Center, 3–6313

February Is

Heart Month
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

NASA’s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster–Commercial (NEXT–C) fired for the first time recently inside the Electric 

Propulsion and Power Laboratory vacuum chamber 6 at NASA Glenn. The thruster is undergoing performance 

testing to verify it can withstand the extreme launch vibrations and hot and cold temperatures of spaceflight. 

NEXT–C is a powerful next-generation solar electric propulsion system that could propel future long-duration 

science missions. The technology was developed at Glenn, and the flight hardware was designed and built by 

Aerojet Rocketdyne. Over the next few months, the Glenn and Aerojet Rocketdyne team will conduct vibration, 

thermal vacuum and performance tests on the flight hardware. The test campaign will conclude this winter 

when engineers mate the thruster with its power processing unit for an integration test.

NEXT–C is scheduled for in-space testing on the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission in 2021. 

DART is a demonstration of technologies for preventing a hazardous asteroid from impacting Earth by changing 

the motion of the asteroid in space. The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory leads DART for NASA with 

support from several NASA centers.

GRC-2019-C-10067 Photo by Rami Daud

Thruster for

Next-Generation

Spacecraft

Undergoes

Testing at Glenn