NOVEMBER 2004

r. Theo G. Keith, Jr., former Distin-guished University Professor in Mech-anical Engineering at the University ofToledo, was appointed Glenn's Directorof Research andTechnology, effec-tive August 29.

Keith joins Glenn asa Senior ExecutiveService (SES) Inter-governmental Per-sonnel Act (IPA)appointee with over17 years of manage-ment experience and 7 years as a Govern-ment employee. His connections to Glenngo back more than 30 years, including10 years as a member of the Ohio Aero-space Institute (OAI) Executive Teamwhere he held a joint appointment asthe first director of Research and directorof Education, and vice president ofWorkforce Enhancement.

R&D 100 Awards ..................... 6Glenn innovation celebrated amongtoday's top technologies.

CULTURAL CHANGE .............. 7Feedback process designed tostrengthen relationships.

WELCOME HOME! ................. 9Three return home from servingin Iraq.

Volume 6 Issue 11 November 2004

The NASA Flexibility Act will help the Agencymove ahead with its Vision of Space Exploration.

Senator Voinovich attends Town Hall

Continued on page 8

D

Glenn welcomesdirector of R&T

C enter Director Dr. Julian Earlswelcomed NASA AdministratorSean O'Keefe and U.S. SenatorGeorge Voinovich to Glenn'sTown Hall event on October12 to discuss the importanceof the NASA Flexibility Act.

Sponsored by Senator Voinovichand signed into law on Febru-ary 24, 2004, the act allowsNASA more flexibility in recruit-ing, retaining, and rewardinga new generation of engineersat a variety of skill levels. "It'scrucial to NASA's ability to moveahead with our excitingagenda," O'Keefe said.

Voinovich said he championed the bill because he believes in the importance of thework done at NASA and the unique challenges it presents to the workforce.

"It takes the right people, with the right skills, for the right job," he said. "I believe thatthis law will help change the culture of the Federal workforce by making it more

competitive with private industry. . .and careers in public service moreattractive to youth." One-third of theAgency's workforce will be eligible forretirement in the next 3 to 5 years.

The event was followed by questionsfrom the audience, and then a tour ofsome of Glenn's research facilities. ◆

Senator Voinovich and Administrator O'Keefe answeredquestions from the audience during the Town Hall event.

Photo by Marvin Smith C-2004-1473

C-2004-1421Photo by Marvin Smith

Dr. Keith

Left to right: Administrator O'Keefe,Dr. Earls, and Senator Voinovich learnabout fuel cell technology fromDr. Patricia Loysell, (in background) LisaKohout, Dr. Valerie Lyons (hidden), AlbertJuhasz, and Dr. Sheila Bailey, all from thePower and Electric Propulsion Division.

2

he NASA Headquarters Office ofProcurement recently awarded Glenntwo Acquisition Improvement Awards.

● The Outsourcing Desktop Initiativefor NASA's (ODIN) Aerospace ResearchMission Centers. Glenn board membersincluded Don Sosoka, program manager;Thomas Murray, contracting officer rep-resentative; Thomas Spicer, contractingofficer (CO); Leahmarie Stervagi, alter-nate CO; Carl Silski, small business of-ficer; and Jacqueline Barbetta, industrialproperty manager. Glenn led this initia-tive with board representation from eachof the other aerospace research missioncenters. These members were individu-ally recognized for their innovativetechniques, streamlining practices, andcommitment to further NASA's procure-ment initiatives leading to multiplecontract awards for comprehensivecomputer services.

● The Simplified Acquisition Templatesfor use with SAP. The team includedGlenn employees Jean Boylan, AdeleSzuhai, Robin Strohacker, Elaine Shuman(IDI), and Celeste Dalton, Headquarters.The team was recognized for its out-standing work in creating a solution to aproblem associated with the IFM–SAP.They were tasked to review a number ofdifficulties with the use of the forms,terms and conditions, and representa-tions and certifications associated withsimplified acquisitions within theIFM–SAP system. As a result of theteams' creativity, duplicative effort waseliminated at the Centers, and thedecision was made to centralize clausemaintenance to ensure consistency andquality across the Agency. The difficul-ties associated with the use of the newCore Financial Module for the creationof simplified procurements have beensignificantly reduced as a result of thisteams' efforts. ◆

HQ awardsprocurement efforts

T

Dr. Maxime A. Faget, the man who designed the original spacecraft for ProjectMercury and is credited with contributing to the designs of every U.S. human spacecraft

from Mercury to the space shuttle, died on October 9. During hisNASA career that spanned four decades, Faget conceived andproposed the development of a one-man spacecraft, later used inProject Mercury. He was one of the original 35, assigned as anucleus of the Space Task Group to carry out the Mercury projectin 1958, which later evolved into the NASA Johnson Space Center.Faget was also part of the original feasibility study and teamresponsible for the space shuttle development. He retired fromNASA in 1981 following the second shuttle mission (STS–2). Foradditional information about Faget, visit http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/ABSTRACTS/GPN-2002-000223.html.

Leroy "Gordon" Cooper, Jr. (Colonel, USAF, Ret), the youngest of the original sevenastronauts, died on October 4 at the age of 77. Cooper piloted the sixth and last flight

of the Mercury program and later commanded Gemini V. Cooper'sflight in his Faith 7 spacecraft stretched the capabilities of theMercury capsule to the limits. The mission, May 15 and 16, 1963,lasted beyond 34 hours and 22 orbits, which was more than threetimes the longest U.S. human space flight until that time, and farexceeded the initial design capability of the capsule. During thatflight, he became the first astronaut to sleep in space. Cooper wasthe backup command pilot of Gemini 12, launched in November1965 and for Apollo 10, which flew in May 1969. He left NASAand retired from the Air Force as a colonel on July 31, 1970. Moreinformation on Cooper including his official NASA biography

is available at http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/features/cooper_obit.html andhttp://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/cooper-lg.html.

Dr. Faget

Copper, Jr.

Doctors at the Keck School of Medicine at the University ofSouthern California in Los Angeles are using an infraredvideo camera developed by scientists at NASA's Jet Propul-sion Laboratory, in partnership with Indigo Systems Corp.,Goleta, CA, to see if they can create useful maps of braintumors. They are trying to sketch tumor margins by detect-ing temperature changes during surgery, since tumor cells emit more heat thanhealthy ones. The camera's precision allows it to map temperature differences of100th of a degree Celsius at a high resolution. An advantage of thermal imaging is thatit is noninvasive. It measures heat energy emerging from patients without exposingthem to X-rays or intravenous solutions, and is performed without incisions or contactto the brain tissue. For more information on the infrared camera, visit http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/technology/features/tech930.html.

NASA infrared camera helps map brain tumors

Regal Entertainment Group (REG) moviegoers across the country are getting a lessonin science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through a unique partnershipwith NASA Langley's Center for Distance Learning. An estimated 14.4 million patronswill see newsbreaks from the award-winning NASA Kids Science News Network(KSNN) on the lobby plasma screens in more than 400 REG theatres including RegalCinemas, United Artists Theatres, and Edwards Theatres. To learn more about KSNNand other distance learning programming, visit http://ksnn.larc.nasa.gov/about.html.

Now showing at a theatre near you

Remember ourVeteransNovember 11

NOVEMBER 2004

3

Walz presents two Silver Snoopy awardsA stronaut Carl Walz presented SilverSnoopy awards to Dr. SuleymanGokoglu and Dr. Subramanian Sankaran(NCMR), members of Glenn's Micro-gravity Division, on September 23.

The Silver Snoopy Award is the astronauts'personal tribute to individuals whosesingle effort or long-term outstandingperformance has contributed to flightsafety and mission success—the mainpriorities for human space flight. Therecognition focuses on efforts thatenhance the probability of missionsuccess, such as improvements in design,administration, technology, productiontechniques, business systems, flight and/or system safety, and error identification,correction, or prevention.

Gokoglu was recognized as the projectscientist of the Water Mist Fire-Suppression Experiment (Mist), which wasflown on STS–107 onboard Columbia.Despite the ill fate of the mission, over 90percent of the data gathered in orbit wasrecovered. His expertise in combustionscience and chemically reacting systemswas critical for the successful execution

of the experiment from conceptionthrough post-flight analysis. His effortsand careful planning were essential todevelopment of an efficient flightoperational approach.

Sankaran was recognized as the projectscientist for the Physics of Colloids inSpace (PCS) series of experiments. Hismost notable contributions includefacilitating a clear, measurable, and

verifiable set of science requirementsworking with a large team of scientistsand engineers involved in the PCSexperiment that was operated for over10 months on orbit in the InternationalSpace Station. He was also crucial inassuring that high-quality standards weremet for an important element of thehuman space flight program. ◆

Two receive Space FlightAwareness honorsM

Pictured, left to right, Associate Administrator, Space OperationsMission Directorate William Readdy, Dr. Pereira, Melis, and NASAJohnson's Deputy Center Director and astronaut Bob Cabana.

atthew Melis and Dr. J. Michael Pereira, Structural Mechanicsand Dynamics Branch, were recently recognized as Space FlightAwareness (SFA) honorees for their key roles in NASA's Return toFlight program.

The honoree activity included a tour of Kennedy Space Center,reception, and award dinner. The SFA award, sponsored by theOffice of Space Flight and the NASA-Industry-SFA Panel, is one of thehighest and most prestigious awards available to employees of theNASA-Industry-Shuttle-Space Station Team. Deputy Director RichardChristiansen represented Glenn senior management at the honoreeevents on August 25.

Melis and Pereira both have served in key roles as technical leads andcoordinators for Glenn's Ballistic Impact Laboratory, which was calledupon to support the investigation into the Columbia Accident andNASA's Return to Flight program with an extensive analysis and testing program relatingto the shuttle external tank, orbiter windows, and orbiter wing leading edges sinceMarch of 2003. Each element of the program is on the critical path to clear the shuttle

Astronaut Walz, left, presents a plaque toDr. Gokoglu recognizing his contributionsto NASA's human space flight.

Astronaut Walz, left, and Center DirectorDr. Julian Earls, right, recognize Dr.Sankaran'scontributions to human space flight.

for safe return to flight status. The nextlaunch is expected to occur in springof 2005. ◆

4

Saftey 24/7

Technology alliance

Astronaut candidates visitDuring their first visit to Glenn on September 17, NASA's new astronautcandidate class learned how the Center contributes to the Agency mission,through facility tours and meetings with employees. During a news briefingwith local media, the candidates expressed their excitement about theresearch conducted at the Center and praised the talented, friendly employ-ees. The 11-member class includes three educator astronauts who wereselected from thousands of teachers across the country. It also includes threemilitary pilots, a Navy SEAL, an astrophysicist, two physicians, and an engi-neer. Three Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronauts joined thecandidates. Pictured, right, is Terry O'Malley, Missions Operations andIntegration Projects Office, giving an overview of the Combustion IntegratedRack Experiment Assembly Flight Unit, which is planned for a 2007 launch tothe International Space Station.

Guests and media witnessed the announcement of a new effort toinvigorate Ohio's economy on October 6 at Glenn's Visitor Center.The Glenn Alliance for Technology Exchange is a newly formedcollaboration between Glenn and two long-term partners, OAI andBattelle. Working closely with the Northeast Ohio TechnologyCoalition (NorTech), the alliance will work to build robust partner-ships between Glenn and industry as well as academia, enhanceGlenn's positive economic impact on both the region and the state,and help further NASA's mission through the development andtransfer of new technologies. Pictured, left to right, Center DirectorDr. Julian Earls; Chris Varley, NorTech; Don Majcher, OAI; andPierrette Woodford, Battelle.

OMB visit

C-2004-1472Photo by Marvin Smith

Photo by Doreen Zudell

Photo by Ahmed Abumeri

Irene Brahmakulam, who replaced Paul Shawcross as the Office of Manage-ment and Budget's (OMB) new examiner for NASA Aeronautics programs,recently visited Glenn to familiarize herself with each of NASA's four aeronau-tics research facilities and their institutional issues. Accompanied by severalmembers of the NASA Headquarters staff, Brahmakulam toured the 9- by 15-Foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel, the 10- by 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel, theAdvanced Subsonic Combustor Rig, the Icing Research Tunnel, and theElectric Propulsion Lab. Pictured in the 10- by 10, Glenn Fuller and Jaiwon ShinHeadquarters Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD); Jeff Swan,Research Testing Division; Tom Biesiadny, Inlet Branch; Irma Cortes, ARMD;Brahmakulam; and Dave Stark, Facility Management and Planning Office.

The Safety 24/7 celebration sponsored by Glenn's Safety Office attractednearly 600 employees eager to participate in games, prizes, and a free continentalbreakfast while learning how to maintain a safe environment not only in theworkplace but also at home. Bonita Haupt and Jean Farah, SHS/MedicalServices, coordinated the event that featured 17 different stations displayingsafety equipment and pamphlets for employees to learn. Pictured right, left toright, Sharon Thomas, AKAC/R&D Labs Technical Branch, and David ForthSAIC/Environmental Management Office, staff a station where participantsspun a wheel to answer questions about the material and to earn prizes.

Photo by Quentin Schwinn C-2004-1474

NOVEMBER 2004

5

Q: In the event of a buy-out, what would your policy beregarding an employee taking a buy-out and immediatelyreturning to work as a support service contractor?

LESA MEETING: LESA/IFPTE, Local 28,will hold its next monthly membershipmeeting on Wednesday, November 10,at noon in the Employee Center, room 101.

NATIVE AMERICAN OBSERVANCE:Keith Little, a member of the NavajoNation who served as a WWII codetalker, will be the keynote speaker for theNative American Month Observanceprogram, from 10 a.m. to noon onWednesday, November 10, in the DEBAuditorium. Little will speak on thetheme, "Expanding the Circle."

VETERANS DAY OBSERVANCE: TheVeterans Awareness Committee will con-duct its annual Veterans Day Observancefrom 1 to 2 p.m., November 10, in the DEBAuditorium. U.S. Marine Corps veteranKeith Little will be the keynote speaker.

A. (9/16/04) Employees who accept a separation incentive must refund thatincentive if they are reemployed by the U.S. Government within a period of 5years. In this context, "employed" includes working for a contractor in a way thatcreates a personal services relationship to the government. To preclude thecreation of such personal service relationships, in previous buyouts the Centerhas not permitted employees who have taken a buyout and accepted employ-ment by a Center contractor to have a duty station on the Center. While thecommitment to avoid creating personal services relationships still remains thesame, the Center will no longer preclude employees who accept a buyout fromworking for a Center contractor onsite.

Q. I recently found out that the contractors don't have to attend the TeamEffectiveness Training. How can you effectively bring about a change in theculture at the Center if a large portion of its workforce doesn't have to attendthe core training?

A. 9/16/04 This question has beenraised by employees throughout theAgency and is being addressed byappropriate Headquarters officials.NASA recognizes that our contractoremployees, while a part of their owncompany cultures, are also a part ofthe NASA culture. The current con-tract with Behavioral ScienceTechnologies, Inc. (BST) includes atask to conduct interviews and "pre-pare a white paper on the role ofoperating contractors and contractoremployees in changing NASA culture."The paper will "address the ways inwhich contractors influence and areinfluenced by the NASA culture andshall make recommendations forhow NASA can assure the desiredculture can be achieved." I am surethe Agency wil l respond to therecommendations from BST in a waythat will further the positive culturalchanges we are making. ◆

SATURDAY VISITOR CENTER EVENT:The Glenn Visitor Center (VC) will present"NASA's Great Observatories" on Sat-urday, November 20, from 10 a.m. to3 p.m. Learn more about NASA's magnifi-cent Hubble, Compton, Chandra, andSpitzer observatories; view the latestpictures; and see how their results arerevolutionizing the field of astronomy.Presentations: 11 a.m. "Hubble SpaceTelescope—Its History and Future" and1 p.m. "Compton, Chandra and Spitzer:Other Great Observatories." As always,free photos for everyone at the "PictureYourself in Space" digital photo booth,kids craft activities, and plenty of hand-outs! Reservations are suggested for thepresentations. For more information orto make your reservations, call 216–433–9653 or e-mail http://visit.grc.nasa.gov.

The above questions were chosen by theDirector as a sampling from the Ask theDirector Web site.

Check Today@Glenn for the One NASATransformation Dialogue Broadcast schedule.

AFGE MEETING: AFGE Local 2182 willhold its next monthly membership meet-ing on Wednesday, December 1, at5 p.m., at Denny's Restaurant, 25912Lorain Road, North Olmsted. All mem-bers are encouraged to attend.

WOMEN RETIREE LUNCHEON: Thenext luncheon for Glenn female retireeswill be Thursday, November 18, noon,at Donauschwaben's German AmericanCultural Center, 7370 Columbia Road,Olmsted Township. For further informa-tion, contact Betty Callaghan at 440–268–9662.

NA

SA

VIS

ION

To improvelife here,

To extendlife to there,

To findlife beyond.

2

2004 R&D 100 awards

6

T he editors of R&D Magazine anda panel of 50 experts chose three Glenn-developed technologies this year to beamong the 100 most significant newproducts to receive the highly covetedR&D 100 Award. Entries in 16 functionalcategories from many of the most presti-gious companies, research organizations,and universities in the world weresubmitted to the 42nd annual competitionand displayed at the R&D 100 Exhibitionand Banquet at Chicago's Navy Pier onOctober 14.

The following Glenn technologies wereselected in the categories of materials,electronics/communications, and micros-copy.

Glenn materials researchers, in collabora-tion with engineers from GE Aircraft En-gines and Pratt & Whitney, developed theME3 Advanced Turbine Disk Alloy, anickel-based powder metallurgy superal-loy that will not only withstand highercombustion temperatures for improvedengine efficiency, but also help prolongthe life of turbine and compressor disks.ME3 enables engines to withstand highercombustion temperatures and pressureratios, translating into increased fuel effi-ciency, lower fuel burn, and reducedemissions. ME3 is optimized for aircraftwith long takeoffs or high-speed cruisemissions, such as newly conceived superjumbo jets, high-speed civil transports,supersonic business jets, and severaladvanced military aerospace vehicles.Engine manufacturers can also use ME3at current operating temperatures toincrease the time between requiredengine maintenance, since it is estimatedto last nearly 30 times longer than cur-rent disk material.

Named for its inventor, Carlos Morrison,the Morrison Motor is a bearinglessswitched-reluctance motor with an 8-polestator and 6-pole rotor. The motor is char-acterized as bearingless because it oper-ates with magnetic levitation instead ofbearings, ideal for applications in which

Glenn innovation celebrated among today's top technologies.

large temperature variations or otherextreme conditions exist. The motoremploys a hybrid rotor and a stator thatcontains poles with a single set of wind-ings instead of the two sets used in con-ventional bearingless motors. This reducesoverall power consumption, produces lessmechanical noise due to lower rotoreccentricity, and suppresses vibrationbetter than bearing-based motors. Itscompact design and simpler motor con-trol logic, coupled with an infinitelyvariable torque/levitation load ratio,makes the Morrison Motor an attractivetool for use in pharmaceutical centrifuges,compact industrial grinders, millingmachines, and high-power density mo-tors for aircraft propulsion.

Glenn engineers, in collaboration withSest, Inc., and OAI, have also developeda diagnostic tool to evaluate and verifythe operation and calibration of instru-ments for measuring nanoscale objects,as the use of nanotechnology is expected

Continued on next page

(1) Carlos Morrison, Life PredictionBranch, displays his Morrison Motor. (2)The ME3 team, back row, left to right,William Karpinski, QSS, Tim Gabb, DavidEllis, and John Gayda, AdvancedMetallics Branch. Front, Robert Draper,Vehicle Systems Projects Office; AnitaGarg, Advanced Metallics; and JackTelesman, Life Prediction. Not presentare Pete Kantzos, OAI/Life Prediction;Michael Nathalz, Advanced Metallics;;;;;Brian Shannon, AKAC; David Mourerand Kenneth Bain, General ElectricAircraft Engine; and Paul Reynolds andRick Montero, Pratt & Whitney. (3)Draper displays forgings of small andlarge engine ME3 disks. (4) Back, far left,Peter O’Neill, GLTC/Battelle, joinsmembers of the Nanometer SHS teamincluding Dr. Philip Neudeck andAndrew Trunek, OAI/Sensors andElectronics Branch; and front, Dr. PhillipAbel, Tribology and Surface ScienceBranch; and J. Anthony Powell, Sest/Sensors and Electronics.

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Photos by Marvin Smith and Quentin Schwinn

Photo captionsPhoto captionsPhoto captionsPhoto captionsPhoto captions

4

NOVEMBER 2004

Communication supports new NASA culture

T

7

he Columbia Accident InvestigationBoard report and numerous other surveysconducted over the past 2 years havepointed to the need for a cultural changeinitiative within NASA.

Earlier this year, the Agencycommissioned Behavioral ScienceTechnology, Inc. (BST) to assess theexisting culture within NASA and tointroduce tools for positive change.In its March 2004 report, "Assessmentand Plan for Organizational CultureChange at NASA," BST concluded,"The present NASA culture does not yetfully reflect the Agency's espousedcore values of Safety, NASA Family,Excellence, and Integrity."

Glenn and Stennis are the first two fieldcenters to initiate a centerwide three-part approach to cultural change,which includes (1) 360˚evaluation andcoaching of leaders, (2) observation andfeedback, and (3) team effectivenesstraining. NASA Johnson, Kennedy, andHeadquarters are currently conductingthe process in specific areas withintheir organizations.

Glenn's Leadership Observation andFeedback Team (LOFT) is playing a vitalrole in the process. The 11-member team,chaired by Leslie Greenbauer-Seng, chiefof the Durability and Protective CoatingsBranch, and Dr. Rickey Shyne, chief ofthe Nozzle Branch, is working to supportthe overall improvement of the cultureat the Center by identifying andencouraging positive behaviors andpromoting constructive dialogue amongemployees and organizations at all levels.

The observation aspect involves LOFTmembers attending meetings through-out the Center. This is conducted openlyand always preceded with notificationand discussion with the manager.Observers follow the prescribed CriticalBehavior Inventory, drawn from theBST Safety Climate Survey and Glenn

The feedback process is designed to strengthen and continually improve employeecommunication and relationships.

Pictured, center, Rick Manella, chief of the Structural Systems Dynamics Branch, conducts astaff meeting while Dr. Greenbauer-Seng, right of Manella, attends as a LOFT observer.

Photo by Doreen Zudell

BY DOREEN B. ZUDELL

Implementation Team recommenda-tions, to record successful leadershiptraits. Following the meeting, the ob-server speaks with the manager abouteach observed behavior and its effecton the meeting attendees.

"The purpose is to provide recognition ofdesired behaviors, such as openness andconsistency, and to understand reasonsfor undesired behaviors," Greenbauer-Seng said, "Feedback is deliveredrespectfully and is based on positivecommunication to encourage managersto consider opportunities for change."

"Giving and receiving 'effective' feedback,both positive and negative, is a valuableskill not only for supervisors but alsofor peers and subordinates," Shyne said."While the feedback process encour-ages and supports the use of desirableleadership behavior and skills, allemployees need to understand thattheir feedback counts as well."

Greenbauer-Seng and Shyne said thatthe observation and feedback processsupports the cultural change initiativein fostering leadership excellenceand providing a work environmentthat will strengthen the Center's ability

Glenn earns threeR&D 100 awards

to grow dramatically over the next de-cade. The Nanometer Step Height Stan-dard (Nanometer SHS) is a calibrationstandard with arrays of atomic scale stair-cases. Each staircase features regularlyspaced steps nearly 1 micrometer apartwith atomically flat terraces between steprisers of either 0.5 or 1.0 nanometers, aschosen during fabrication. These heightsare around 10 times smaller than thoseof previous standards for scanning probemicroscopy calibration. The new devicesare fabricated from highly durable singlecrystal silicon carbide, whose unique crys-tal properties enable the atomic scalestaircase formation. The SHS team isworking with Peter O'Neill from GLITeC,NASA's midwest regional technologytransfer office, to potentially market theproduct. ◆

Continued from page 6

to contribute to the success of theAgency's future. The new processwill be incorporated as a "best practice"at Glenn. ◆

8

Emergency drill designed toprevent loss and injuriesTesting emergency scenarios is vitally importantin the event of a major accident.

D uring an hour-long drill simulating anemergency response to a fire onboardNASA's KC–135 aircraft, Glenn's tarmacbecame the scene of an exercise to testNASA's and local agencies' abilities torespond to an aircraft incident.

The September 16 event was designedto test and strengthen disasterpreparedness procedures among crewsfrom Glenn, Brook Park and FairviewPark fire departments, Cleveland HopkinsAirport Crash Rescue, and Fairview andSouthwest General hospitals.

About 30 Glenn employees from severaldirectorates at the Center participatedby playing the role of victims undergoingtreatment by emergency personnel. Thiscreated the feel of a realistic event andhelped rescue crews, local hospitals,and Glenn employees to perform as ifan actual emergency were occurring.

Victim injuries were triaged andassigned severity codes thatwere written on 3- by 5-inch cardsprior to evacuation of the aircraft.Victims with severe injuries weretransported to Fairview Hospitaland treated by the hospital team.

"Drills such as this help eachagency experience problemsthat may occur during an actualemergency and make corrected actionsif mistakes occur," said Jeff Wagner,Environmental Management Office."The drill also provided an opportunity forall the agencies to train together andestablish stronger working relationships."

Wagner said that Glenn will continue towork with local agencies to conductemergency preparedness drills. ◆

Photo by Doreen Zudell

New R&T directorContinued from page 1

Among his many responsibilities at OAIwere the Senior Research Associate Pro-gram, the NASA/OAI Summer InternProgram, and the collaborative NASA,American Society for Engineering Educa-tion, Case Western Reserve University,OAI Summer Faculty Fellow Program.

During his 33-year tenure at the univer-sity, Keith taught over 45 different gradu-ate and undergraduate level courses, andpublished and performed research inmany NASA-relevant areas, includingpropulsion, turbomachinery, aircrafticing, aeroelasticity, space power, tribol-ogy, computational fluid dynamics, heattransfer, and fluid dynamics. For morethan 20 years, many of his graduatecourses were taught onsite at Glenn. Keithis also the author or coauthor of morethan 260 articles in archival journals andconference proceedings. He is a Fellowof the American Society of MechanicalEngineers and the Society of Tribologistsand Lubrication Engineers.

"As director of Research and Technol-ogy, Dr. Keith will assist in the reshapingof the research model at the Center," saidCenter Director Dr. Julian Earls. "His ex-perience in working with private industryand academia will make him invaluablein leading the change. Dr. Keith is a wel-come addition to the SES corps at Glenn."

he Office of Workforce Planning will be implementing two new Agency systems.These systems will assist project managers and senior management in the planningand allocation of our most valuable asset: YOU!

The Workforce Integrated Management System (WIMS) provides essentialworkforce data to Center management in order to make better workforce staffingand management decisions. WIMS will address the need to strategically assessthe Center's Human Capital by program/project, by organization, and by com-petency. End-user training begins in November.

The Competency Management System (CMS) is coming this month. It is part ofthe Strategic Plan for the Agency that contains knowledge on the capability of theworkforce, the competencies required for each position, and the competenciesneeded for each project. Each civil servant will be asked to input his or herprimary and secondary competencies into the system to help prepare Glenn forthe future. Look for more information on Today@Glenn in the coming weeks.Contact Trey Carlson at 216–433–8609 for more details.

T

Systems will focus on human assets

Frank DeAngelo, Glenn Safety Office, roleplays a victimfor Hopkins Aircraft fire fighters Alex Kundrant andWesley Arnold.

NOVEMBER 2004

9

Veterans awareness: honoring sacrifice and service

n recognition of Veterans Day, Novem-ber 11, the AeroSpace Frontiers spokewith three Glenn employees who recentlyreturned from serving in Iraq.

George Saad, Prototype DevelopmentBranch, retired from the United States AirForce Reserves (USAFR) in July after acombined 26 years of military service.Saad's last tour of duty was 2 years spentas the USAFR 910th avionic flight chief,supporting the 910th Airlift Wing fromYoungstown, OH. First, they went toGermany; then on to Camp Justice,Masirah, an Air Base off the peninsula ofOman, Iraq (for support in Iraq and Afgha-nistan); and then to Ali Al Salem, Kuwait.

"We were responsible for the recovery,repair, and launch of three differentC–130 models' avionics systems—whatever was necessary to keep theplanes operable," Saad said. "I had togo through quite a learning process towork on the aircraft, but I found thatmy experience at Glenn and the militarywere mutually beneficial."

A mechanical engineering technician atGlenn, Saad fabricates sensors used inaircraft and flight experiment instrumen-tation. However, most of his militarycareer was spent as an avionics instrumen-tation technician responsible for systemmaintenance of C–130's (a.k.a. Hercules),the military's most versatile aircraft.

For Erick Lupson, 30 years of Federalservices include being a NASA employeeand a USAF veteran and reservist.

BY S. JENISE VERIS

I

Lupson, who is a contracting officer in theServices and Constructional Branch ofthe Procurement Division, began hisNASA career in 1979.

Lupson first saw active duty with the USAFduring the Vietnam War, then as a reserv-ist in the Desert Shield/Desert Storm warin 1990. More recently, Lupson was calledto serve in Iraq where he addressed anemergency situation at the El Drafra AirBase (AB) in the United Arab Emirateson the southern end of the Persian Gulf.

"As USAFR first sergeant in the 76th

Aerial Port Squadron, assigned to the910th (Airlift Wing at Youngstown, OH),I was responsible for supervising over145 soldiers and dealing with person-nel issues to maintain the welfare of thetroops. Fifty of those soldiers are still onactive duty in the Persian Gulf."

James Williams, a systems electrical/electronics technician in the R&D LabsTechnical Branch, joined the United StatesArmy Reserves (USAR) after graduatingcollege and becoming a naturalizedU.S. citizen. Last year, after serving NASAand the USAR simultaneously for the past17 years, he was called to active duty.

Although he escaped the strife of civil warin his homeland of Liberia, ironically heserved a year in Iraq. As staff sergeant,E–6, he trained members of 428 Quarter

Master Company to perform a numberof duties specific to their location.They set up water purification and distri-bution plants for combat support, handledammunition and bulk deliveries, andset up retail fuel lines. In Tikrit, the home-town of Sadam Hussein, their missionwas to set up a water plant; and at theTikrit-South airport, they had charge ofinventory of weapons.

"At Glenn I support several different re-searchers and the experiments performedin the Optical Instrumentation Lab bysetting up hardware and outtakes for la-ser activity," Williams said. "The variousroles and responsibilities require consid-erable organization and technical skill.Those skills and a healthy respect for thechain of command helped me get thingsdone in Iraq as well."

The Glenn Veterans Awareness Commit-tee (VAC) has erected a "Wall of Honor"in Building 15 honoring these and otherGlenn employees who serve in the U.S.Armed Forces (Active/Reserve). Glennemployees who have a family memberserving in either the Active ArmedForces or Reserves may also request aBlue Star Banner to display. E-mail orcall VAC members Claudette.J.Wlasuk@grc.nasa.gov, 216–433–2516, orL inda.M.McMil len@grc.nasa .gov,216–433–8031. ◆

USAFR First Sergeant Lupton, right, is greetedupon his arrival by other first sergeantsstationed at Al Drafra, AB, April 2004.

Right, USAFR flight chief Saad stands outsidethe Camp Center at Camp Justice in Oman.Below, USAR staff sergeant Williams standsguard near one of the water purificationplants his company set up in Tekrit, Iraq.

AeroSpace Frontiers is an official publication ofGlenn Research Center, National Aeronauticsand Space Administration. It is published thefirst Friday of each month by the Communityand Media Relations Office in the interest ofthe Glenn workforce, retirees, Governmentofficials, business leaders, and the generalpublic. Its circulation is approximately 6700.

Editor..................................Doreen B. Zudell InDyne, Inc.

Assistant Editor.......................S. Jenise Veris InDyne, Inc.

Managing Editor......................Lori J. Rachul

DEADLINES: News items and briefannouncements for publication in theDecember issue must be received by noon,November 10. The deadline for the Januaryissue is noon, December 17. Submitcontr ibut ions to the editor via e-mail,

doreen.zudell@grc.nasa.gov, fax216–433–8143, phone 216–433–5317 or 216–433–2888,or MS 3–11. Ideas for newsstories are welcome but willbe published as space allows.View us online at http://A e r o S p a c e F r o n t i e r s .grc.nasa.gov.

10

Promotions

Klem

Mark Klem was selected for the position of Low Emissions Alter-native Power (LEAP) project manager, Vehicle Systems ProjectsOffice. Klem, who currently serves as the Next Generation LaunchTechnology Propulsion R&T project manager, brings to his newposition experience in development of the space shuttle mainengine combustor gained while employed at NASA Marshall anddemonstrated ability to integrate technical feasibility based onsystems requirements to implement key projects at the Center.His space propulsion experience will be an asset to LEAP advo-cacy in hydrogen-based propulsion as well as propulsion and

power technology and system concept development for Mars exploration, a poten-tially new addition to the Vehicle Systems Program technology portfolio.

Kestutis Civinskas was selected for the position of Ultra-Efficient Engine Technology(UEET) project manager, Vehicle Systems Projects Office. Civinskas, who currentlyserves as deputy chief of the Aeropropulsion Projects Office, has extensive technicaland project management experience, including research conducted in fluid dynamicsand heat transfer of advanced air-breathing and space propulsion turbomachinery,project management of two Base R&T projects, and as former UEET manager of theHighly Loaded Turbomachinery Subproject. His demonstrated management of largetechnical projects and ability to integrate technologies will be particularly valuable tothe UEET project and the Quiet Airplane Technology Project.

s a part of an annual celebration of National Business Women's Week, threeemployees were recognized for their contribution within NASA Glenn's Business& Professional Women (BPW) organization and the Glenn community on October 9,at the BPW Region 3 Meeting in Akron. BPW Honoree Anita Alexander, Office of theDirector, was recognized for her "innovative membership programs," being the first tocollaborate the BPW club with diversified groups at NASA. BPW Honoree KimalaLaster, Research Testing Division, was recognized for "overcoming barriers for women"through her active role as amentor and promoting educa-tion for women. CommunityHonoree Olga Gonzalez-Sanabria, Engineering andTechnical Services Directorate,was recognized for "empower-ing others to follow theirdreams" by her leadership andas a role model for Hispanics. ◆

Pictured, left to right, Laster,Alexander, and Gonzalez-Sanabria.

AHonors

Continued on next page

Sovie

NASA Values: Safety, NASA Family,Excellence, and Integrity

Ronald "Joe" Sovie,who retired January2003, recently died.Following an initialassignment with theArmy Rocket andGuided MissileAgency, Sovie beganhis 42-year NASAcareer serving as aresearch physicist insuch areas as plasma physics, electricpropulsion, and space power. Most re-cently, he was a consultant for onsitecontractor Northrop Grumman.

Remembered as a focused and straight-forward guy, who worked tirelessly onbehalf of the Center, Sovie devoted mostof his NASA career to the developmentof aerospace power systems. As deputychief of the Power and On-Board Propul-sion Technology Division for 10 yearsand acting chief for 2, Sovie led advancedspace power technology developmentsupporting numerous NASA missions.Among his noted accomplishments waschair of the Independent EvaluationGroup supporting the Strategic Defense

Job Assignment: I am an educationprogram specialist in the EducationPrograms Office.

Time at NASA: I will have served 20years this coming June.....

Describe your family: My husbandBrian and I live in Strongsville withour two children, Michael (6) andLauren (4). Brian works for Analexsupporting the Microgravity Division.

Favorite quote: Favorite quote: Favorite quote: Favorite quote: Favorite quote: "I am convinced thatlife is 10 percent of what happens tome and 90 percent how I react to it.And so it is with you...we are in chargeof our attitudes." —Charles Swindoll

Social/professional activities at Glenn: I manage the Shadowing Program for theCenter, the NASA/Tennessee State University College Bound Program, and Help-ing One Student to Succeed (HOSTS). I am also the point of contact for theNASA College Scholarship Fund for Glenn.

Dream job: I really had to think hard about this one. I do like working at the Center,and I love what I do here. Interior decorating interests me quite a bit, but so doesforensic science. In all honesty, putting paychecks aside, I think the thing I wouldreally love the most is to just be a wife and mother—that's my true "dream job."

Hobbies/interests outside of NASA: I have many personal interests. I love to spendtime with my family and friends. I enjoy painting, crafting, gardening, reading, beingoutdoors, and home decorating. I especially enjoy scrapbooking because not onlydoes it let me utilize my creativity but it also enables me to do something for myfamily (many times with my family and friends) that will last for generations. I'mcapturing a part of our family history, special moments together, and making surethat our children know how special they are to us by journaling with the photos.Through this hobby, I've been able to capture many special moments that we'vespent together that we can enjoy for a lifetime.

Food temptations: Ice cream, chocolate, and homemade chocolate chip cookies!

Vacation fantasy: I wouldn't really say it's a "fantasy," but I look forward to goingback to Maine where we went on our honeymoon. I would love to go back therewith my husband and our children and also spend time in the New England states..

11

NOVEMBER 2004

a closer look at our colleagues

Marie Borowski

Borowski shares the joy of scrapbooking withher four-year-old daughter, Lauren.

Glenn Cowgill, 74, who retired with 30years of Federal service, died in May.Cowgill was a U.S. Army veteran andserved in Glenn's Computer ServicesDivision for many years prior to hisretirement in 1985.

Murray Gordon, 83,who retired in 1976with 34 years of Fed-eral service, recentlydied. Gordon be-came the Center'sfirst labor relationslawyer and was rec-ognized for a decadeof achievement on

Continued from page 10

behalf of his successful pioneering effortsin NASA labor relations.

William SandersWilliam SandersWilliam SandersWilliam SandersWilliam Sanders, 74, who retired in 1995after 37 years of NASA service, recentlydied. Sanders spent his entire career asa research metallurgist in the MaterialsDivision. His early work was in the field

of compatibility of nuclear fuels withmetallic containment materials. Hewas a leader of NASA's initial efforts toinvestigate silicon carbide and siliconnitride as advanced gas turbine materi-als, which provided the ground workfor Glenn's current efforts in ceramicmatrix composites.Gordon

Photo by S. Jenise Veris

Borowski shares the joy of scrapbooking withher 4-year-old daughter, Lauren.

Initiative Organization Power Programwith oversight of multimegawatt powertechnology development activities; anddeputy program manager for the nationalmultiagency SP-100 Program to developa national nuclear space power systemcapability. He also managed major NASAprograms in collaboration with theDepartment of Energy during the energycrisis of the 70's; was deputy director,Power, Propulsion, and Energy Divisionat NASA Headquarters; and served onthe Headquarters Technology team forthe new NASA Exploration Initiative. Priorto retirement, he led Spacecraft SystemsProgram development activities forGlenn's Space Directorate.

Sovie received the NASA ExceptionalService Medal for his leadership effortsin nuclear and solar space power in 1989and the AIAA Aerospace Power SystemsAward in 2002 "for a lifetime of personalcontributions in the guidance and man-agement of advanced space powertechnology research and development,including the development of a founda-tion for a national nuclear space powercapability as deputy program managerfor the SP-100 program."

He is survived by his wife and four chil-dren including daughter, Amy Jankovsky,Life Support and Habitation ProjectsOffice, and her husband, Robert, ElectricPropulsion Branch, who carry on theGlenn legacy.

12

Volume 6 Issue 11 November 2004

AeroSpace Frontiersis recyclable!

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

John H. Glenn Research CenterLewis Field21000 Brookpark RoadCleveland, Ohio 44135

Laboratory expansion aidsfuture long-term missions

W ith the expansion of Glenn's StirlingResearch Lab, the number of test bedsavailable to advance development of ahigh-efficiency Stirling RadioisotopeGenerator (SRG 110) for NASA spaceexploration missions has tripled.

The SRG is being developed formultimission use, including providingelectric power for unmanned Mars roversand deep space missions by a governmentteam including NASA Glenn, theDepartment of Energy (DOE), LockheedMartin, and Stirling Technology Company.DOE requested Lockheed Martin as thesystem integration contractor to developthe qualification unit, with an option for thefirst flight units using two opposed Stirlingconvertors and two General Purpose HeatSource modules. Stirling TechnologyCompany previously developed the Stirlingconvertors under contract to the DOE andnow continues as a subcontractor toLockheed Martin. Lockheed Martinselected Glenn, which has been activelyinvolved with Stirling technology for over25 years, in a supporting tech-nology roleand to conduct the extended operation ofthe Stirling convertors, perform mapping

of the units, and to provide someof the analytical capabilities tosimulate the whole system usingGlenn's world-class facilities.

Jeff Schreiber, Thermal EnergyConversion Branch, is team leadfor the Glenn effort that includesLanny Thieme, lead fortechnology, and Mary Ellen Roth,lead for in-house testing. Theyrecently surpassed 10,000 hours ofoperation with two technology dem-onstration convertors (TDC) flightprototypes TDC's 13 and 14, which haveoperated around the clock since April 2003.

"We created the new laboratory to increaseour test stands from two to six and toaccommodate a power system test bed inthe center of the room so that we can mockup a whole system within one roomto simulate the spacecraft electrically,"said Schreiber. "Each test stand canaccommodate two TDC's or two advancedStirling convertors, referred to as EE–1 and2 built by Sunpower, Inc., of Athens, OH,under a Phase II Small Business InnovationResearch grant."

The SRG is one of two radioisotope-basedgenerators being developed by DOE toimprove efficiency over current powersystems used by NASA. The increasein efficiency, by a factor up to 4, couldpermit a new era of solar system missionsdesigned for agility, longevity, flexibility,and com-prehensive scientific explor-ation. These essential improvements onGlenn's current technology would enable"all weather, anywhere, anytime" ex-ploration of planetary surfaces. Thetechnology is also directly applicable asthe power source for a wide range ofexploration missions for the ScienceMission Directorate. ◆

BY S. JENISE VERIS

Photo by S. Jenise Veris

Schreiber, far right, and Salvatore Oriti at work insideGlenn's expanded Stirling Research Lab.