National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration

NASA’s

Modern

History

Makers

VOLUME 25 | ISSUE 5 | MAY 2023
We’re Making 

History!

AeroSpace Frontiers

is an official publication of NASA’s Glenn 

Research Center. It is published the 

second Friday of each month by the Office 

of Communications 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

Design: Rhys Sampson, ATS

Managing Editor: Kelly R. DiFrancesco

Summer is just around the corner, 

and as it approaches, I want to make 

you aware that June is National 

Safety Month. We will join the 

National Safety Council in the annual 

observance to help keep each other 

safe from the workplace to anyplace. 

This year’s weekly topics will include, 

Emergency Preparedness; Slips, Trips, 

and Falls; Heat-Related Illness; and 

Hazard Recognition, which is timely 

information since we recently saw 

the highest Glenn on-site occupancy 

rate for 2023. 

Starting the first week of June, visit 

Inside Glenn for resources on these 

topics to share and discuss among your 

groups and co-workers. Finally, with 

new employees and summer interns 

joining us, please be mindful of safety 

and enjoy the summer!

DIRECTOR’S

SAFETY CORNER

National 

Safety Month When we think of the word “history,” we typically think of the past, 

but today’s employees are making tomorrow’s history.

NASA is in a Golden Era of aeronautics and space exploration. In 

partnership with commercial and private businesses, the agency is 

currently making history with significant missions such as Artemis, X-57 

Maxwell, and X-59 Quesst.

To highlight these futuristic missions and the people who perform the 

work, Glenn’s Office of Communications’ writers and digital specialists, 

in partnership with the Imaging Technology Center, created the NASA’s 

Modern History Makers series. The series showcases members of NASA 

Glenn’s workforce who make these remarkable missions possible. 

These articles are featured on Glenn’s external website, www.nasa.gov/

ModernHistoryMakers, as well as Glenn’s Instagram. 

The popularity of these articles has led the managers of multiple agency 

webpages and social media accounts to share them, including Moon to 

Mars, Aeronautics, Women at NASA, NASA People, and the agency’s 

homepage. This increases their visibility and allows us to reach a 

broader audience when sharing Glenn stories.

Note: In addition to the NASA Modern History Makers featured in this 

story, more can be found on the website and Instagram.

When Kristen Bury began her career at NASA Glenn, Artemis was a mere set of blueprints. 

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Photos by Bridget Caswell
MAY 2023

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When Jarred Wilhite first stepped foot in Glenn, he was a fifth-grade student 

who dreamed of a career in science or technology. 

Lyndsey McMillon-Brown has taken her love of art, books, and the 

environment and turned it into a career at Glenn. 

Susanah Kowalewski shared a love of space and a birthday with Sally 

Ride, so in her mind she would become an astronaut. 

On the cover:

Electrical engineer Ernest Williams stands in Vacuum 

Facility 6 in the Electric Propulsion and Power Laboratory. 

He overcame a severe illness to become one of NASA’s 

Modern History Makers.

GRC-2023-C-00575 Photo by Bridget Caswell

3
Glenn’s senior leaders at the March 30 town hall.

New Deputy Center Director Dawn Schaible joined Center 

Director Dr. Jimmy Kenyon, Associate Director Larry Sivic, 

and others in addressing several timely topics during 

Glenn’s Town Hall meeting on March 30. 

Kenyon opened the meeting by recognizing recent 

accomplishments of individual employees across center 

organizations. He then formally introduced Schaible as 

the new deputy center director. 

Schaible shared her priorities and her areas of focus for 

the coming year as deputy center director, which include 

strengthening project execution by having the right 

processes, procedures, tools, and employee development 

in place. In addition, she discussed the need to have 

a culture that allows for open communication, healthy 

checks and balances, and sharing of lessons learned. 

The results of the 2022 Federal Employee Viewpoint 

Survey, which is administered annually by the U.S. Office 

of Personnel Management, were also discussed. Glenn 

had close to 76% participation, which is the highest in 

recent years.

“We have to hear from you, and this is one of the primary 

tools we use,” Schaible said, who then shared her 

thoughts on the responses received from the Glenn 

workforce. Glenn employees ranked the center high in 

concern for health and safety, respect, and work-life 

balance. Schaible noted that even in the top scores, there 

is still room for improvement. Some of the lower-rated 

responses centered on motivation, communication, and 

follow-through by leadership. 

To improve in these areas, each directorate developed 

action plans, and Schaible shared the actions that 

the center has taken and will take this year. One 

example is the focus on the center’s Diversity, Equity, 

Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) implementation 

plan. Progress on the center’s action plan will be 

shared at a future Town Hall. 

Kenyon discussed the President’s Fiscal Year 2024 

Budget request. It represents a nearly 6% increase 

over Glenn’s proposed 2023 budget. “This is a very 

strong budget request for Glenn,” Kenyon said. “The 

work you all do is important to the agency.” Kenyon 

discussed the administrator’s priorities for the agency. 

He reviewed Glenn’s priorities and shared progress 

toward these priorities.

Schaible addressed the topic of the post-pandemic work 

environment. She discussed the need to find a new 

balance between in-person and virtual work—to better 

balance personal effectiveness and Glenn’s overall 

effectiveness in meeting our mission. The goal is that 

the new norms elevate center success from good to 

excellent and ensure a thriving, vibrant future for the 

center. This means that while the work environment will 

continue to offer flexibility, more in-person interaction 

is needed to promote timely communication, rapid 

problem identification and resolution, knowledge 

sharing, and relationship building. Due to the diverse 

work portfolio, Glenn will not be establishing a 

centerwide policy for on-site work; rather, each 

directorate will be developing and sharing guidelines for 

their organization. Key elements for creating presence 

with a purpose in these guidelines include:

• Meeting our mission, project, and support 

 commitments, including cost, schedule, and 

 technical performance

• Interdependency across organizations—the needs 

 of our teams and of the center must be considered

• Being a learning organization focused on knowledge

 transfer, mentoring, and sound checks and balances—

 to be a healthy center

• Cultivating a sense of community—established 

 through trusting, professional relationships 

Kenyon plans to host quarterly Town Hall meetings to 

communicate with employees and provide updates on 

Glenn’s progress in meeting our mission and priorities.

Town Hall 

Addresses

Budget, On-Site 

Work, and More 

Photo by Marvin Smith GRC-2023-C-02083

4
Pertz Dr. Ross-Nazzal

The Women at Glenn Advisory Group hosted this year’s 

Women’s History Month event, “Celebrating Women 

Who Tell Our Stories,” on March 30. It featured two 

speakers whose mission is to research, preserve, and 

share the work being done across the agency. Glenn’s 

Robin Pertz, the Library, History, Archives, and Records 

supervisor, and Johnson Space Center’s Dr. Jennifer 

Ross-Nazzal, NASA Human Spaceflight historian and 

author, highlighted influential women and shared how 

the speakers’ own stories have intersected with NASA.

Dave Pleva, Graphics and Visualization Laboratory, 

standing, assists two students with a virtual reality 

demonstration during NASA Career Exploration Day 

at Glenn, March 16. The event brought 11th grade 

students closer to careers in STEM through hands-on 

engagement activities; research demonstrations; tours; 

and a panel discussion with NASA scientists, engineers, 

and current NASA interns. NASA Glenn, Aerozone 

Alliance, and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District 

collaborated on the event.

Celebrating NASA’s 

Storytellers

Exploring STEM with 

Schools, Industry

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Photo by Bridget Caswell

Photo by Bridget Caswell

Fifty-two teams of high school students, including 12 

sponsored by NASA Glenn, competed in the 24th annual 

FIRST Robotics Buckeye Regional Competition, March 29 

through April 1, at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein 

Center. Glenn-sponsored Cincinnati Hills Christian 

Academy’s Beak Squad (Team 4028), pictured, won 

the regional competition and advanced to the FIRST 

Championship in Houston. Two other Glenn-sponsored 

teams, Cleveland Youth Tech Academy’s Red Dragons 

(Team 120), and Wapakoneta High School’s Lunar 

Robotics (Team 9075) also advanced to the FIRST 

Championship. Glenn supports the event by sponsoring 

teams, providing mentors, and supplying machine shop 

technicians on game days. Glenn’s Office of STEM 

Engagement oversees Glenn’s activities.

Robotics Teams Advance to Championship

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MAY 2023

5

MAY 2023
Dr. Shyne Named AIAA Fellow

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) 

has named Dr. Rickey Shyne, Glenn’s Director of Research 

and Engineering, a 2023 fellow. AIAA confers the distinction of 

fellow upon individuals in recognition of their notable and

valuable contributions to the arts, sciences, or technology 

of aeronautics and astronautics. It is the world’s largest 

aerospace technical society. 

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Solar Eclipse Countdown 

On April 8, 2024, Northeast Ohio will have a front 

row seat to a total solar eclipse. The last time any 

part of Ohio saw a total solar eclipse was 1806, and 

after 2024, Ohio will not see another total solar 

eclipse until 2099. Glenn staff joined the Great 

Lakes Science Center on April 7 and 8 to begin the 

countdown to next year’s total eclipse of the Sun by 

offering a one-year-out kickoff event at the science 

center. Participants enjoyed an eclipse countdown 

and hands-on activities. 

More Than a Memory

Dr. Klineberg

Donald R. Canfield, 85, a 1998 retiree with 33 years of service, died March 31. He started at NASA Lewis 

(now Glenn) in 1965 after serving in the U.S. Air Force. He began as a design and operations engineer in the 

Engineering and Dispatching Branch, Facilities Operations Division. He later headed the Architectural Section 

in the Facilities Division and became deputy division chief of Facilities. He earned a group achievement award 

(1981), a special achievement award (1984), and an Exceptional Service Medal (1998). For 

his online obituary, visit https://tinyurl.com/3d8es5zy. 

Dr. John Klineberg, 84, who served as center director at NASA Lewis (now Glenn) from 1987 to 

1990, died Dec. 31, 2022. He began his NASA career at Ames Research Center and then at NASA 

Headquarters. Klineberg came to Glenn in 1984 to take the role of deputy director. After serving 

as Glenn’s center director, he transferred to Goddard Space Flight Center as center director. In 

1995, Klineberg retired from NASA after earning numerous medals and awards of distinction, 

including an Emmy, the Presidential Rank of Distinguished Executive, and Meritorious Executive. 

For his online obituary, visit https://tinyurl.com/mrxdw8yu. 

Dr. Shyne

6
7

Information Cafe

Join the Glenn Library staff for the next Information 

Cafe on Wednesday, May 17, from 11–11:45 a.m., 

in building 142, room 188, or on Teams. Check 

Inside Glenn for the topic and link. 

POC: robin.n.pertz@nasa.gov

Deadline for small items in the June issue is Wednesday, May 17, noon.

News and feature stories require additional time.

Congratulations, NASA!

Best Place to Work

Glenn Exchange Store

Hours Expanded

For an unprecedented 11th consecutive 

year, NASA has been named the 2022 

Best Place to Work in the Federal 

Government among large agencies by 

the Partnership for Public Service.

Monday through Friday

9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Research Support Building (164)

Lewis Field 

Asian American,

Native Hawaiian

and Pacific Islander

Wednesday, Aug. 9 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Along Taylor Road at Lewis Field

Save the Date!

 GLENN

SUMMER Fest

MAY 2023

7
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

John H. Glenn Research Center 

Lewis Field 

21000 Brookpark Road 

Cleveland, Ohio 44135 

Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility 

3597 E. Scheid Road 

Sandusky, Ohio 44870

www.nasa.gov

Read AeroSpace Frontiers online at https://www.nasa.gov/glenn/aerospacefrontiers.

Emergency and Inclement Weather Lines 

Lewis Field: 216–433–9328 (WEAT) 

Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility: 419–621–3333

Connect With Glenn

Shadowing Day Returns

High school students from across Ohio traveled to Lewis Field 

on April 6 to experience a day in the life of a NASA professional. 

During Glenn’s Office of STEM Engagement’s Shadowing Day, 

students explored career opportunities in STEM and business, 

and learned more about NASA’s missions along the way. 

“This is the first in-person High School Shadowing Day we’ve 

had in a few years, so the implementation of this event was 

very exciting,” said Ebony Moreen, Office of STEM 

Engagement. “I think it’s important for students—especially 

high schoolers who will soon have to choose a career path and 

are interested in STEM—to be exposed to opportunities that 

allow connections with STEM professionals. The face-to-face 

connections and hands-on experiences made Shadowing Day 

more interactive and personable.”

Dr. Rickey Shyne, director of Research and Engineering, began 

his NASA career as a summer intern. He welcomed students 

and adult chaperones and encouraged them to become fully 

engaged during their visit. “NASA is shaping the world of 

tomorrow,” he said, “and we have some of the best and the 

brightest people here at Glenn.”

Thirty-six students toured world-class facilities, such as NASA 

Glenn’s Icing Research Tunnel and Simulated Lunar Operations 

Laboratory. They then divided into smaller groups to gain realworld perspectives from Glenn professionals on interests such 

as space science, business and communications, computer 

science, graphic design, videography, photography, and various 

categories of engineering.

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Photo by Bridget Caswell

Photo by Marvin Smith

Leah Nakley explains how the Glenn Extreme Environment Rig is used to 

simulate the surface of Venus and other harsh planetary conditions found 

in our solar system.

Ru-Ching Chen describes features of the 225 cm2

 Supersonic Wind Tunnel in 

the Engine Research Building. This continuous flow facility is used to study 

fundamental flow physics and serve as a test bed for instrumentation.

On-Site at Glenn