VOLUME 18 ISSUE 2 FEBRUARY 2016

Glenn Advances Propulsion Toward Low-Carbon Aircraft

Since the beginning, commercial 

planes have been powered by carbonbased fuels such as gasoline or kerosene. While these fuels provide the energy to lift large commercial jets into 

the world’s airspace, electric power is 

now seen as a new frontier for providing thrust and power for flight.

Just as hybrid or turboelectric power 

has improved fuel efficiency in cars, 

boats and trains, NASA aeronautical 

engineers are exploring how planes 

can be redesigned and configured 

with electrical power.

One of NASA’s goals is to help the aircraft industry shift from relying solely 

on gas turbines to using hybrid electric and turboelectric propulsion in 

order to reduce energy consumption, 

emissions and noise.

“Aircraft are highly complex machines,” 

said Jim Heidmann, Aeronautics Directorate and NASA’s Advanced Air 

Transport Technology project manager. “Moving toward alternative systems requires creating new aircraft 

designs as well as propulsion systems 

that integrate battery technologies 

and electromagnetic machines like 

motors and generators with more 

efficient engines.”

Glenn researchers are looking at power 

systems that generate electricity in 

place of, or in addition to, thrust at 

the turbine engine. Then the electricity is converted into thrust using fans 

at other places on the aircraft. 

“These systems use electric motors 

and generators that work together 

with turbine engines to distribute 

Continued on page 2

Technology Transfer 

Office Hits the Road

Did you invent something new, or does 

your research make technology better, 

stronger or faster? Glenn’s Technology Transfer Office (TTO) wants to 

help you get that research documented, protected and ultimately licensed 

to industry so it can benefit the nation. 

This year, the TTO New Technology 

Representative and Administrator, 

along with TTO technology managers 

will begin a series of internal monthly 

informational sessions—dubbed “road 

Continued on page 2

Celebrating a 75-Year Legacy

GRC-1948-C-20578

A mechanic watches a General Electric I–40 turbojet engine firing. The I–40 

was incorporated into the Lockheed Shooting Star airframe, which became 

the first successful U.S. jet aircraft reaching 500 miles per hour. With this issue, 

AeroSpace Frontiers begins a series that highlights the center’s technology over 

the past 75 years. See page 5.

In This Issue

Director’s Safety Corner .............2

2015 CFC Highlights ..................3

Dr. King’s Legacy .......................4

Retirements ................................6

MIC Art Drawn From Sky ...........8
Verifying Our Egress-Housekeeping Efforts

I applaud the Glenn community for your overwhelming response to the 

Egress and Housekeeping Cleanup Initiative. Organizations throughout the 

center quickly got to work sorting through workspace clutter and tossing 

outdated/unnecessary items. Our Facility, Logistics and Environmental staffs 

can attest to your efforts. They are systematically addressing the high volume of work orders requesting removal of excess equipment and materials. 

Similarly, as we verify all technical developments to assure quality, safety inspections will be our final step in this initiative to verify that we are indeed 

achieving a much safer and cleaner workplace. I encourage your continued 

cooperation and look forward to the results of this outstanding initiative!

Achieving a Safe and Healthy Workplace is a Team Effort and You’re 

Stepping Up to the Challenge. —Jim 

Advancing Low-Carbon Aircraft

Continued from page 1

power throughout the aircraft in order to reduce drag for a given amount of fuel 

burned,” said Amy Jankovsky, Aeronautics Mission Office. “Part of our research is 

developing the lightweight machinery and electrical systems that will be required 

to make these systems possible.”

In addition to designing better motors, generators and integrated electrical system 

architectures, Glenn engineers are also researching the basic materials that go into 

those components. Research is being performed on the conductors inside, and 

the insulation around the wires. Along with studying the design of motors and the 

architecture of power electronics, engineers are improving magnetic materials and 

semi-conductors to make these motors and electronics lighter and more efficient.

“Our work is laying a foundation for planes that will require less fossil fuel in the 

future,” said Cheryl Bowman, High Temperature and Smart Alloys Branch. “Considering that the U.S. aviation industry carries more than 700 million passengers 

every year, making each trip more fuel efficient (by up to 30 percent) can have a 

considerable impact on the nation’s total use of fossil fuels.”

By Nancy Smith Kilkenny

Hybrid Electric Concept Plane

Photo courtesy of NASA

Tech Transfer on Road

Continued from page 1

shows”—to help civil servants report 

their new technologies. The TTO 

technology managers are skilled in 

promoting, negotiating and transferring technology into the private sector 

and aligning our patent portfolio with 

industry needs.

“We’ll be providing an overview of 

NASA’s Technology Transfer Program 

and will inform employees on why it 

is important to file a New Technology 

Report (NTR). The TTO will also hold 

hands-on sessions to assist employees in filling out and submitting an 

NTR,” said Glenn-Headquarters New 

Technology Representative, Irene 

Cierchacki, TTO. “NTRs are the basis for protecting the center’s and inventors’ technologies, and ultimately 

ensuring that taxpayers get the most 

benefit from our innovations.” 

NTRs provide:

• Protection of intellectual property

• Eligibility for internal and external 

awards and recognition programs

• Opportunities to patent inventions, 

which, when licensed to companies, reap royalties that are shared 

with inventors 

Road shows will be scheduled 

throughout Glenn’s research and 

technology organizations. Look for 

announcements on Today@Glenn.

For further information, contact Irene 

Cierchacki at 216–433–6036, Irene 

Cierchacki-1@nasa.gov.

Presenting at a 

Conference in 2016?

The Technology Transfer Office 

(TTO) can help you take your technology to the next level! We can 

provide you with informational 

brochures and slides to include in 

your talk and we can engage with 

any leads you receive! Please contact Karen Bartos at 3-6478 or at 

ttp@grc.nasa.gov today!

By Doreen B. Zudell

2
FEBRUARY 2016

CFC 2015 Campaign Proves “You Can Change a Life”

NASA Glenn’s Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) Committee concluded 

its successful 2015 drive, which provided opportunities for employees to 

support a vast network of deserving 

nonprofit organizations. Thanks to 

the generosity of our employees, the 

center raised $425,000 that will go to 

many worthy charities who urgently 

need our help.

The campaign included several events 

at Lewis Field and Plum Brook Station 

that raised more than $16,000 toward 

the total. The basket raffles at both 

Glenn campuses reaped more than 

$10,000! Additionally, other committee-sponsored events—the Chili CookOff, Tailgate Party, International Food 

Fair, Art Show and Pie the Manager—

offered fun ways for giving. 

CFC Chair Andrea Bonesteel and CoChair Mary Jo Long-Davis said several 

directorates held their own special 

events, such as lunches and bake sales, 

boosting the campaign total. 

“I’m honored to be the 2015 CFC 

chair,” Bonesteel said. “I want to 

thank all the volunteers and supervisors, as well as employees throughout 

the center who participated in CFC 

committee activities, organized their 

own special events and donated in 

any way. I’m also grateful for the dedication of my co-chair, Mary Jo, who 

outdid herself by baking for many of 

these events. NASA Glenn employees 

proudly stepped up to the challenge, 

and together we changed many lives.”

A long-time CFC supporter, Long-Davis 

said she was humbled while working 

behind-the-scenes this year, working 

with individuals motivated by the purpose of helping others. “It was a truly 

heart-warming experience and I’m 

very excited about serving as the chair 

for next year’s campaign,” she said. 

Editor’s note: An appreciation event, 

held earlier this month, announced 

the directorates with the highest participation, donations per employee 

and other awards. That information will 

appear in a future AeroSpace Frontiers 

article. 

By Doreen B. Zudell

GRC-2015-C-8132 Photo by Rami Daud

Pie the Manager (Director Jim Free)

GRC-2015-C-7818 Photo by Marvin Smith

Basket Raffle and Costume Contest

Photo by Doreen B. Zudell

Plum Brook Station CFC Festival

GRC-2015-C-6450 Photo by Rami Daud

Chili Cook-Off

GRC-2015-C-8140 Photo by Rami Daud

Art Show

GRC-2015-C-8393 Photo by Rami Daud

International Food Fair

3
News and Events

MLK Observance: “A Day On, Not A Day Off”

NASA Glenn’s Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity presented a program 

that reinforced Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s (MLK) philosophies of love, hope, forgiveness and prophecy during the MLK Observance, Jan. 20. Clarence Bozeman, 

driver for Dr. King and his wife, from 1958 to 1960, gave the 

keynote address. Bozeman shared personal accounts of the 

Baptist minister and social activist’s trials and tribulations 

as he led the U.S. Civil Rights Movement through most of 

the 1950s–1960s. Kennedy Jones, local police officer and 

award-winning gospel singer and songwriter, vocalized the 

themes of hope and perseverance. Pictured far left: Bozeman recalls the lessons he learned from Dr. King. Pictured 

left: Jones performs a medley of inspirational songs. 

GRC-2016-C-212 Photos by Rami Daud GRC-2016-C-216

Dr. Nazario Merits SFA Honoree Award

Dr. Margaret “Meg” Nazario, European Service Module Integration Office, received 

a Space Flight Awareness (SFA) Honoree Award during an event at NASA’s Johnson 

Space Center in Houston last month. 

Nazario (pictured right) was recognized for leading the integration between NASA, 

Lockheed Martin, the European Space Agency and the Airbus Defence and Space to 

ensure successful delivery of the Orion European Structural Test Article (E–STA) to 

Plum Brook Station. As a project manager for the E–STA test campaign, she is cited 

for coordinating the effort, under tight resource constraints, for structural tests that 

will begin in March. 

The SFA Honoree Award is one of the highest and most prestigious awards available to NASA or industry personnel supporting the human space flight program. 

Photo by Barb Klubnik

Glenn Workshop Helps Educate the Educators 

Approximately 35 educators from

Glenn’s six-state region participated 

in an Engineering Design Challenges 

(EDCs) workshop conducted by members of the Office of Education, Dec. 10. 

“Let it Glide,” the first of three EDC 

workshops scheduled for Fiscal Year 

2016, celebrated NACA’s 100th anniversary and highlighted Glenn contributions from 75 years of aeronautics 

research. The group of math, science 

and after-school program educators received professional development training on the science of flight 

and the engineering design process to 

help students design and build their 

own shoebox glider. Pictured, Glenn 

instructor Roger Storm, right, watches 

one of the many glider test flights being conducted. GRC-2015-C-8062 Photo by Marvin Smith

4
FEBRUARY 2016

Celebrating a 75-Year Legacy

This is the first in a monthly series of historical highlights commemorating Glenn’s 75th anniversary 

and extraordinary technical accomplishments that reach across 7 decades. 

Looking Back: 1940s

The turbojet engine transformed aviation in the mid-20th century by significantly increasing speed, altitude 

and range. These advances led to supersonic military aircraft, intercontinental flights and the democratization 

of the airline industry. Systematic improvements to the jet engine in the 

1940s by NASA Glenn—then known 

as the NACA Aircraft Engine Research 

Laboratory—resulted in exponentially 

greater performance in the 1950s and 

1960s.

The first U.S. turbojets emerged during 

World War II, just as Glenn initiated 

its research activities. Secret wartime 

testing in the Altitude Wind Tunnel 

improved the modest performance of 

these initial engines. After the war, the 

center concentrated almost all of its resources on the jet engine. During this 

period, researchers analyzed nearly 

every emerging turbojet model in its 

world-class altitude facilities. 

Researchers also made significant advances in compressor design, turbine 

cooling, high altitude combustion, 

engine controls and the use of afterburners and variable-area nozzles

to increase thrust. Glenn continues 

aeropropulsion work today, emphasizing efficiency, noise-abatement and 

emissions reduction.

Courtesy of NASA Glenn History Office

General Electric’s TG–180 axial-flow turbojet was installed in the Altitude Wind Tunnel for a series of investigations in 1945. Although the TG–180, also known as the 

J–35, was not the breakthrough engine that the military had hoped for, it powered the 

Douglas D–558–I Skystreak to a world speed record in 1947 and was also used on the 

Republic F–84 Thunderjet and the Northrop F–89 Scorpion.

GRC-1947-C-19794

News and Events

Students Gear-Up for Medieval-Themed Robotics Challenge 

Nearly 100 students representing Ohio 

and Pennsylvania teams, gathered locally 

for the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition global kickoff, Jan. 9, 

at the Tri-C Unified Technologies Center. 

Glenn’s FIRST Project Manager, Stephanie 

Brown-Houston, provided welcoming 

remarks and updates on education opportunities at Glenn prior to the unveiling 

of this year's game challenge, the medievalthemed FIRST STRONGHOLD. Pictured: 

Team 120 and Glenn mentor Larry 

Oberle, far left, pose with guest speaker 

Sgt. Timothy Maffo-Judd, Cleveland Police Dept. Bomb Squad. They later helped 

distribute game “Kit of Parts” to teams so 

they can begin building their robot.

Photo by S. Jenise Veris

The 15th annual Buckeye Regional FIRST Robotics Competition is March 16–19, 2016.

5
Retirements

Anastacio Baez, Power Management 

and Distribution Branch, Power Division, retired Jan. 1, 2016, with 37 years 

of service. 

Kevin Carmichael, Power Division, 

Research and Engineering Directorate, retired Jan. 1, 2016, with 37 years 

of service.

Elaine S. Daugherty, Data Systems 

Branch, Testing Division, retired Dec. 

31, 2015, with 33 years of service. 

Troy R. Hauser, Data Systems Branch, 

Testing Division, retired Dec. 31, 

2015, with 28 years of service. 

Dr. Donald A. Jaworske, Fluid Physics 

and Transport Processes Branch, Propulsion Division, retired Jan. 1, 2016, 

with 32 years of service. 

Bonita J. (Tufts-Davis) Jeffery, Information and Applications Office, Office of 

the Chief Information Officer, Jan. 1, 

2016, with 35 years of service.

Grisselle LaFontaine, Mission Support 

Office, Office of the Chief Information Officer, retired Dec. 31, 2015, 

with 28 1⁄2 years of service.

Eric Miller, Data Systems Branch, 

Testing Division, retired Dec. 31, 

2015, with 33 years of service. 

James J. Onest, Operations Management Branch, Facilities Division, retired Oct. 2, 2015, with 41 years of service.

Jeffry Paulin, Wind Tunnel and Propulsion Test Branch, Testing 

Division, retired Jan. 1, 2016, with 41 years of service.

Maryann Pawson, Procurement Division, Center Operations 

Directorate, retired Jan. 1, 2016, with 36 years of service.

Marisa Pischel, Operations Management Branch, Facilities 

Division, retired Jan. 1, 2016, with 36 1⁄2 years of federal service, including 35 years with NASA. 

Andrew Reehorst, Icing Branch, Propulsion Division, retired Jan. 1, 2016, with 

34 years of service. 

Juan Rivera, Data Systems Branch, Testing Division, retired Jan. 1, 2016, with 

36 1⁄2 years of service. 

Michael A. Robertson, Data Systems Branch, Testing Division, retired Jan. 1, 2016, 

with 39 years of federal service, including 35 1⁄2 with NASA.

Leo Robinson, Operations Management Branch, Facilities Division, retired Dec. 31, 

2015, with 33 years of service.

Larry Trase, Power Management and Distribution Branch, Power Division, retired 

Dec. 31, 2015, with 32 1⁄2 years of service.

Baez Carmichael Jeffery Onest

Paulin

Calendar

BLACK HISTORY MONTH PROGRAM: 

Glenn’s African Heritage Advisory Group 

will host a leadership panel featuring 

Glenn’s past three African American 

Center Directors: Donald Campbell, Dr. 

Julian Earls and Dr. Woodrow Whitlow 

Jr., Wednesday, Feb. 17, from 10 to 

11:30 a.m, in the MIC Auditorium. The 

discussion will focus on “Celebrating 

the Triumphs and Exploring the Future 

of African Americans at NASA Glenn 

Research Center.” A reception follows. 

Lunch can be purchased.

RETIRED WOMEN’S LUNCHEON: 

The next NASA Retired Women’s 

Luncheon is Thursday, Feb. 18, at 1 p.m. 

at the 100th Bomb Group on Brookpark 

Road, Cleveland. Please contact Gerry 

Ziemba, 330–273–4850 or gto64gerry@

yahoo.com to reserve your place. 

WOMEN IGNITE WORKSHOP:

Come hear engaging speakers on a

variety of topics affecting women,

Wednesday, March 9, 8:30 a.m. to 

12:30 p.m., in the MIC Auditorium. The 

workshop is open to everyone. Men 

are encouraged to attend! Registration 

is available through SATERN. See

Today@Glenn for details. POC: Marlena 

Hudson, 3–8928.

IFPTE LOCAL 28, LESA MEETING: 

LESA will hold its next membership 

meeting, Wednesday, March 9, noon, 

in the Glenn Employee Center’s Small 

Dining Room. 

NASA SPINOFF ONLINE: The 2016 

NASA Spinoff publication and video is 

now available and features how NASA 

is “Bringing Technology Down to 

Earth.” Visit spinoff.nasa.gov. 

Friendship 7 Anniversary

On Feb. 20, 1962, John H. Glenn became the first American to 

orbit the Earth. NASA Glenn’s namesake spent 4 hours and 56 

minutes in flight in the Mercury spacecraft Friendship 7 and 

orbited Earth three times.

6
FEBRUARY 2016

Welcome to the NASA Family

GRC-2016-C-178 Photo by Rami Daud

Left to right, first row: Miller and Gerges; second row: Ondercik, Odelberg and Ponce; and 

third row: Kehrt, Strick, Harris and Ljubanovic

Glenn welcomed three new hires at the 

close of the year, Dec. 28, 2015. They 

include Amjad Almansour, Ceramic and 

Polymer Composites Branch; Ronald 

Kehrt, Aviation Environments Technical 

Branch; and Jason Smith, Testing Division. An additional eight new hires reported for orientation, Monday, Jan. 11, 

2016. They include Daniel Gerges, Space 

Combustion and Materials Branch; Harry 

Harris, Mechanical Systems Design and 

Integration Branch; Damir Ljubanovic, 

Power Management and Distribution

Branch; Sara Miller, Power Architecture 

and Analysis Branch; Trevor Odelberg, Power Management and Distribution Branch;

Jason Ondercik, Engineering Management Branch; Raul Ponce, Structural Mechanics

Branch; and Robert Strick, Engineering Management Branch.

GRC-2015-C-8279 Photo by Quentin Schwinn

Left to right: Smith and Almansour. 

More Than a Memory

Thomas B. McDevitt, 80, a 1990 NASA retiree and Korean Air Force veteran with 

31 years of federal service, died July 3, 2015. McDevitt joined the NASA workforce 

in the 1960s. He served as an aeronautics mechanic in the Test Installation Division, 

supporting engine research and space power services. He supported drop tests in 

Cleveland’s Terminal Tower elevators using Styrofoam as a potential decelerator 

for the center’s Zero-Gravity Facility. He also worked on the Advanced Gas Turbine 

Project, demonstrating the feasibility of a fuel-efficient hightemperature turbine engine for automobiles.

Louis R. Revnyak, 91, a 1980 NASA retiree and Navy veteran 

with 37 years of combined federal service, died November 11, 

2015. Revnyak began his NACA-NASA career as an airplane 

mechanic. He was an active member of the Lewis Speakers 

Bureau and performer for the Lewis Performing Arts Theatre 

that put on the center’s annual Christmas play. Revnyak retired 

as an administrative specialist in the Materials and Structures 

Division. Revnyak

Awards

Derrick Cheston and Calvin Robinson

will be honored this month during the 

30th Annual Black Engineer of the Year 

(BEYA) STEM Conference sponsored

by Career Communications Group Inc.

Cheston, chief of 

Glenn’s Systems 

Engineering and 

Architecture Division, will receive 

the “BEYA Special Recognition 

Award.” He is recognized for technical leadership 

and contributions as one of NASA’s

senior leaders. In addition to being

the first African-American appointed

to serve at the NASA Engineering and 

Safety Center, he has led several Glenn 

engineering organizations during his

31-year career resulting in space flight 

and aeronautics development achievements.

Robinson, a computer scientist on 

the Graphics and 

Visualization Team,

Office of the Chief 

Information Officer, will be recognized as a “BEYA 

Modern-Day Technology Leader for Community Service.”

He is recognized for partnering with the 

Cuyahoga County Public Library to create educational robotics activities at

several branches and coordinating with 

Tech Corps on programming lessons

for a local high school. Robinson also

served as an advisor for NASA Glenn’s

Explorers Post 631, an after-school program designed to teach computer technology to high school students.

Cheston

Robinson

Connect With Glenn

Emergency and Inclement Weather Lines 

Lewis Field: 216–433–9328 (WEAT) 

Plum Brook Station: 419–621–3333

7
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field

21000 Brookpark Road 

Cleveland, Ohio 44135

www.nasa.gov

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 via 

e-mail to the editor: doreen.b.zudell@nasa.gov or 216–433–5317. 

March 2016 Calendar section deadline: Feb. 19, noon

News and feature stories require additional time

Editor: Doreen B. Zudell, ATS

Assistant Editor: S. Jenise Veris, ATS

Managing Editor: Kelly R. DiFrancesco

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

MIC Art Draws Inspiration From Above

For decades, Earth-observing environmental satellites have provided 

invaluable information, and the vantage point of space has provided new 

perspectives on the Earth. These images showcase Earth’s aesthetic beauty 

in the patterns, shapes, colors and 

textures of the land, oceans, ice and 

atmosphere. Some of these stunning 

images are captured in murals positioned in the recessed alcoves along 

the Mission Integration Center (MIC) 

hallways and lobbies.

“When choosing interior design elements for the Mission Integration 

Center, we wanted artwork that 

would reflect the uniqueness of this 

new office building,” said MIC Project 

Architect, Jared Reed, Facilities Division. “The wall coverings needed to 

provide color and timelessness, while 

reinforcing a clean, uncluttered feel 

throughout the building.”

Kelly Shankland (ATS), lead graphic 

artist in Publishing and Media Services, 

recommended adapting art from the 

NASA-produced book, “Earth As Art.” 

The publication features images of 

Earth from NASA’s Terra, Landsat 5, 

Landsat 7, EO–1 and Aqua satellites.

She identified 17 images that were 

transferred into vinyl wall coverings 

and then installed within the recessed 

alcoves. The murals feature satellite 

views from geographic areas such as 

the Great Salt Desert in Iran and the 

Anyuyskiy Volcano in Russia. One of 

the most stunning is a 10- by 25-foot 

wall covering of the Bogda Mountains 

in China that spans two floors. 

“While the artwork appears to be abstract, the pieces are actual images 

and not artist renderings,” Shankland 

said. “To ensure people understood 

this, I placed a geographic indicator 

on each mural to show its location on 

the globe.”

Jared said employees immediately 

embraced the distinctive wall coverings, which are very different from art 

typically placed in buildings throughout the center. “This artwork is a perfect match for this building and has 

become one of the most admired features of the MIC by employees and 

visitors alike.” 

By Doreen B. Zudell

GRC-2014-C-5458

Pictured above: A 4- by10-foot mural of the 

Vatnajokull Glacier Ice Cap in Iceland on 

the MIC’s top floor. Right: A 10- by 25-foot 

wall covering of the Bogda Mountains in 

China spans two floors.

GRC-2014-C-5500 Photos by Marvin Smith