VOLUME 24 • ISSUE 11 • NOVEMBER 2022

Safety Practices 

Yield Success

Pages 2–3

Improving

Hybrid Work 

Environment

Page 4

Mobile Machine

Shop Inspires

Trades

Page 8

Flu Season 

Protection 

Page 5
GRC-2022-C-08192 Photo by Bridget Caswell

Glenn’s 2022 Safety and Health Awareness Event on Sept. 20 reinforced 

that diligence to safety practices enables us to care for ourselves while 

successfully performing NASA’s mission. The hybrid event, which 

kicked off on-site at Lewis Field, included speakers, safety and health 

presentations, virtual vendor booths, and the annual health walk. Each 

opportunity supported the theme: Safety Belongs to Us.

Glenn’s Safety and Health Division Chief Steve Herron, welcomed participants, 

followed by Safety and Mission Assurance Director Gus Martzaklis, who affirmed 

Glenn’s commitment to safety during the pandemic. He noted that on-site occupancy 

(Lewis Field and Armstrong Test Facility) is now averaging about 60%. 

Acting Center Director Dr. Jimmy Kenyon stressed the importance of employees 

putting their health and safety first and speaking up when they see something 

wrong. These practices help foster a culture of safety. He encouraged all employees 

to participate in the NASA Safety Culture Survey, which assists in the center’s ability 

to chart progress toward that goal. Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate staff 

provided information on the survey during the event.

Keynote speaker NASA Chief of Safety and Mission Assurance Russ DeLoach, 

focused on the importance of the work we do at NASA and how our impact goes 

beyond the world of aeronautics and aerospace. This is a responsibility we cannot 

take lightly. 

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 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

I am extremely proud of your 

dedication and commitment to our 

mission. I also recognize we are still 

in a period of change and transition, 

working in a hybrid environment, 

and experimenting with new tools 

and interfaces. Dealing with change 

and getting the job done can result 

in fatigue. It’s important to take time 

to reenergize, for both your physical 

and mental health. I encourage you 

to meet with your supervisor and 

schedule your leave requests. Given our 

complex missions, we need everyone 

to be present, alert, and at their best 

to stay safe. Please see https://nsc.nasa.

gov/topics/fatigue-prevention for more 

information on fatigue prevention.

ACTING

DIRECTOR’S

SAFETY CORNER

Taking Time to

Reenergize

Martzaklis, left, reads employees’ questions for guest speaker DeLoach.
NOVEMBER 2022

GRC-2022-CN-00054

GRC-2022-CN-00055

“We are an agency that takes risks,” he said. “But our job is not to avoid risk. It is to avoid recklessness.” 

In addition to risks related to mission safety, DeLoach accentuated the importance of personal health and safety and the resources 

available to get help if we need it. At the conclusion of his presentation, DeLoach engaged in a candid Q&A session with the audience 

and questions sent live through the I/O tool.

By Doreen B. Zudell

3

GRC-2022-CN-00058

GRC-2022-CN-00057

Jordan Salkin

GRC-2022-CN-00056

Mary and Greg Wadel

Jim Mullins and Steve Herron

Rene Fernandez

Phuoc Thai

2022 Health

Walk Selfies

Employees took advantage of a beautiful 

day to walk for fitness and compete for the 

Golden Shoe award.
NEWS AND EVENTS

Best Practices for Hybrid Working

Caring for Our Neighbors

NASA Glenn donated over 1,254 pounds of food 

during the 2022 Feds Feed Families campaign, 

which ran from August through September. Ryan 

Brown, chair, reports that Lewis Field collected 

1,164 pounds of food for the Cleveland Food Bank. 

Armstrong Test Facility collected 90 pounds of food 

donations for the Volunteers of America Crossroads 

Homeless Shelter in Sandusky. Overall, the agency 

collected donations totaling 192,466 pounds, which 

far exceeded our goal of 160,000 pounds. Thank 

you to all those who gave so generously and to 

employees that assisted in this important campaign.

Glenn’s Michael Moxley, far left, moderated the event. Panelists leading 

the Leadership/Diversity Discussion breakout session included, left to right, 

Williams, Miller, Larry Sivic, Christi Tomaro, Saunders, and Matthew Schoewe.

Feds Feed Families committee, pictured, left to right:

Ryan D. Brown, Sam Yousef, Bill Varis, Heather Linden, 

Lauren Brown, and Jerry Traster. Not pictured: Eliot AretskinHariton, Kelly DiFrancesco, and Bob Laws. 

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On Sept. 21, NASA Glenn hosted a Future 

of Work Learning Session designed to 

improve how employees work in a hybrid 

environment. The event included keynote 

remarks from Case Western Reserve 

University Associate Professor Michael 

Goldberg and NASA Glenn researcher 

Tiffany Williams. Participants were then 

invited to attend breakout sessions led 

by center and agency subject matter 

experts, who shared best practices on a 

variety of topics. NASA’s Chief Resilience 

Officer Melanie Saunders and the Agency 

Future of Work Program Lead Sonia Miller 

participated in the event.

GRC-2022-C-08267 Photo by Bridget Caswell

Glenn’s Veterans Awareness Committee donated 

this collection of food for the campaign. Employees 

across the center contributed to this worthy cause.

GRC-2022-CN-00053 Photo by Samantha Yousef

GRC-2022-CN-00052 Photo by Rebecca Brown

1,254 lbs. colle c te d!

4
Fighting the Flu

Glenn Hosts Space

Apps Challenge

Snacks at Your 

Fingertips

Hungry? Thirsty? Need a pick-me-up during the workday? 

Lewis Field has several beverage and snack items available in 

vending machines throughout the campus. To locate a vending 

machine near you, visit https://nasa.sharepoint.com/sites/

glenn-exchange/SitePages/vending.aspx.

Team members from Just the Ducks, who work at an insurance 

company in Michigan, work on a project to meet a challenge 

during the Space Apps Challenge at Glenn. 

Registered nurse and clinical administrator Valerie (Brooke) 

Piguet, right, administers an Influenza (flu) vaccine to Philip 

Neudeck. Glenn’s Medical Services Clinic distributed 440 free 

flu vaccinations to civil servant and support service contract 

employees from Oct. 5-7 at Lewis Field. For employees who 

could not make it in for the vaccine, the Medical Services staff 

encourages you to do so at your local pharmacy or doctor’s office. 

Space enthusiasts and problem solvers of all types—

including coders, engineers, scientists, designers, 

storytellers, builders, entrepreneurs, artists, and 

technologists—joined the international Space Apps 

Challenge at NASA Glenn, Oct. 1–2. The world’s largest 

hackathon, the Space Apps gives participants an opportunity 

to create a team and solve challenges using NASA’s 

open-source data. The hybrid challenge enabled teams 

to participate on-site at Lewis Field or virtually through a 

livestream. This year’s “Make Space” theme celebrated 

that—at Space Apps, “there’s always space for one more.” 

GRC-2022-CN-00051

GRC-2022-C-08486

Photo by Doreen B. Zudell

Photo by Bridget Caswell

On the Cover: 

Medical Assistant Courtney Mitchell, 

right, checks in Joseph Nowell for a

flu vaccination at Lewis Field. 

GRC-2022-CN-00050

Photo by Doreen B. Zudell

NOVEMBER 2022

5
Hawersaat

Retirements

Robert W. Hawersaat, International Space 

Station and Human Health Office, Space Flight 

Systems Directorate, retired Oct. 31, 2022, with 

33 years of NASA service. 

More Than A Memory

York

Lawrence Petraus, 87, a 1995 retiree with 42 years of service, died Sept. 6, 2022. He began 

at NASA in 1953 and graduated from the Apprentice Program as a flight propulsion mechanic

in 1957. Petraus worked as a mechanic and then as a lead in the Facilities Operation Division 

from 1959 to 1985. He headed the Materials and Engine Components Branch in the Testing 

Division from 1985 to 1995. He chaired the Wage Grade Suggestion Award Committee and 

initiated many novel methods for recognizing employees, which earned him a NASA Exceptional 

Service Medal (1991). 

David York, 79, a 2005 retiree with 15 years of service, died Aug. 24, 2022. 

A software engineer, York served as the chief engineer of the Flight 

Software Engineering Branch, where he worked on groundbreaking 

projects that led to advancements in health care and remote learning as a 

member of the team that developed the first embedded web server. He 

performed software validation and verification on multiple launch vehicle 

missions. He led the Electrical Power System Team for Space Station 

Freedom. York received an Exceptional Service Medal and numerous other 

awards for his outstanding contributions.

The 2022 Combined Federal 

Campaign (CFC) has begun! 

“You Can Be the Face of Change”

Give today.

POC: tonya.l.mitchell@nasa.gov

For information and to donate, visit

https://nasa.sharepoint.com/sites/grc-cfc/.

6
7

For more information on upcoming events,

visit https://nasa.sharepoint.com/sites/grc/SitePages/calendar.aspx

Deadline for short news items is 

Wednesday, Nov. 16,

noon. News and feature stories 

require additional time.

The next Information Café is 

Wednesday, Nov. 16, 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

Emergency Management Office 

staff will conduct an audible siren 

test on the “emergency condition” 

tone on Saturday, Dec. 3, at Lewis 

Field. A mass notification voice test 

at buildings 100 and 302 will be 

conducted on Wednesday, Dec. 7. 

POC: allen.r.turner@nasa.gov

OUTDOOR SIREN TESTING

What is Storm Water Management?

Holiday Gathering

Are you familiar with Glenn’s 

Storm Water Management 

Program? Check out the new 

GRC Storm Water Newsletter

to learn more about our center’s 

efforts in protecting local 

waterways. Share your feedback 

with the team by taking a brief 

Storm Water Survey (click here

to participate). 

Send a message of hope to area children by donating an unwrapped 

toy. Visit Inside Glenn for collection box locations at Lewis Field and 

Armstrong Test Facility. Boxes will be collected the evening before 

the Center Holiday Gathering. The drive is coordinated through the 

Veterans Awareness Committee.

POC: samantha.yousef@nasa.gov

Join your co-workers for

this fun gathering. 

Includes 2022

accomplishments video 

Check Inside Glenn

for details

Veterans Day

Friday, Nov. 11

GRC 

Storm 

Water

ANNUAL NEWSLETTER

NOVEMBER 2022

7

INFORMATION CAFÉ

GLENN

HAPPENINGS
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

Mobile Machine Shop Enables and Inspires Trades

Brandenburg, front right, explains the capabilities of the equipment in 

the mobile machine shop with Glenn employees during Summerfest. 

GRC-2022-C-07156 Photo by Marvin Smith

The machine shop on wheels.

GRC-2022-CN-00049 Photo by Brian Brandenburg

In national student robotics competitions, a damaged robot can crush a 

team’s hard work and dreams of participating in a tournament. Glenn’s 

mobile machine shop helps robotics teams stay in the game by enabling 

on-site repair of their robots.

The mobile 36-foot trailer allows technicians to weld, machine, or 

perform sheet metal repairs to a damaged robot and send it back into 

play. Onboard equipment includes a mill, lathe, drill press, metal saw, belt 

sander, and generator, an air compressor and arbor press, and metal 

work tooling and welding equipment.

The mobile fabrication shop arrived at the center in February, thanks to 

the Robotics Alliance Project based at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. 

“Competitions for kids who love robotics are like tournaments to kids 

who love sports,” said Brian Brandenburg, Technical Services Branch. 

“When a robot is broken, it’s like the end of the world. That’s why 

the mobile machine shop and technicians are vital to the students’ 

experience and success.”

Brandenburg and other engineering technicians in Glenn’s Manufacturing 

Division took the trailer on the road earlier this year to support the 

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) 

Championship in Houston. 

During a competition, students provide details to the technicians on what 

part they need or what needs fixed. The Glenn staff then provide the part 

or do the repair. The interactions with engineering technicians at these 

events are excellent opportunities for students to gain insights into career 

paths for NASA that are vital to mission success.

“The students are fascinated with the equipment in the mobile shop and 

the technicians’ skills,” said Brandenburg. “Many of the students do not 

know about the trades.”

The Glenn technicians also took the trailer to Wisconsin this summer 

for the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh and introduced it to the center during 

Glenn’s Summerfest event. Brandenburg hopes that along with 

supporting robotics competitions, the trailer will be used in more 

outreach events to inform and educate the public—and to inspire the 

next generation of machinists and fabricators. 

By Doreen B. Zudell