DECEMBER 2005

PRESIDENTIAL RANK.............. 2President Bush honors three managersamong the top Federal employees

AWARENESS EVENTS ............. 6Two awareness committees educatethrough recent programs

NACA XI REUNION ................ 9NASA Ames hosted over 300members of the NACA/NASA family

Volume 7 Issue 11 December 2005

D

Continued on page 8

AA of aeronautics stresses integrated research

Dr. Porter visited Glenn to talk with employeesabout NASA's Aeronautics Program.

uring her All Hands address at Glennon November 16, NASA's new AssociateAdministrator for the AeronauticsMission Directorate, Dr. Lisa Porter, saidthat conducting long-term, focusedresearch is key to reshaping NASA'sAeronautics Program.

"We need to set milestones that willenable us to continually assess ourprogress toward these long-term goals,"she explained.

Since transitioning from the role ofNASA Administrator's senior advisor forAeronautics in October, Porter has beenworking to set those priorities. To start,during a series of Aeronautics ProgramWorkshops she solicited input from allfour NASA aeronautics centers to begindeveloping milestones in three areas:

Fundamental Aeronautics, AviationSafety, and Airspace Systems. Shestressed that each area will operateunder an integrated approach thatvalues sharing and rejects duplication.

"It's important to obtain proper inputfrom researchers who will do the work,"she said. "Researchers should know notonly what they are doing but why theyare doing it. Everything we do musthave technical credibility and merit."

Aguilar selected to head GlennOperations Directorate

Aguilar

enny Aguilar has returned home to Cleveland and NASA Glenn as director of CenterOperations. Aguilar rejoins Glenn after spending 12 years away, most recently at NASAHeadquarters as deputy assistant administrator for Diversity and Equal Opportunity.

In his new position, Aguilar builds on a career devoted to recruitingand developing NASA's talented workforce first begun as Glenn(Lewis) deputy director of Personnel and then director of EqualOpportunity Programs.

Aguilar brings a wealth of experience that includes NASA KennedySpace Center director of Personnel, where he was responsible formanagement of personnel programs, recruitment and employ-ment, student programs, employee development/training, theunion/management partnership, benefits, awards and policy

K

C-2005-1712 Photo by Marvin Smith

Dale confirmed asDeputy Administrator

NASA Admin-istrator MichaelGriffin applaudedthe U.S. Senate'sconfirmation ofShana Dale asNASA's 12th deputyadminist r a t o r .

Continued on page 3Dale

Continued on page 10

2

Presidential Rank presentedto three Glenn managers hree Glenn managers were among anelite group of Federal executives whoPresident George W. Bush conferred thePresidential Rank Award—the highestaward reserved for civil servants.

On November 4 in Washington, DC,the Presidential Rank of MeritoriousExecutive was presented to ExternalPrograms Director John Hairston, Jr.,and Chief Counsel J. William Sikora.

Hairston was recognized for his leader-ship and unique ability to leverage thecapabilities of NASA employees withlocal, regional, and national partners insupport of the Agency's mission to ed-

T ucate the next gen-eration of explorers.

Sikora was recog-nized for consis-tently demonstrating leadership andexceptional creativity, initiative, andinnovation in providing NASA with high-quality, customer-focused legal services,particularly as the legal advisor to theColumbia Accident Investigation Board.

Glenn Chief Scientist Anthony Strazisaraccepted the Presidential Rank ofMeritorious Senior Scientist. He is recog-nized for his extraordinary leadershipand expertise in optimizing the effective-

ness of colleagues, team members, andGlenn facilities in advancing experimen-tal validation of computational fluiddynamics applied to the design of aircraftengine compressors.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Manage-ment administers the Presidential RankAward Program, which is determinedthrough a rigorous selection process withfinal approval given by the President. ◆

Hairston Sikora Strazisar

Paul Morrell was named NASA's chief of staff on September 16. Prior to his newposition, Morrell served as a senior advisor to the Administrator, helping develop, adopt,disseminate, and implement a broad range of policies and activities in the furtheranceof national research and development goals. Morrell has more than 24 years ofexperience in the legislative, government, and political arena. He joined NASA in April2005 after serving as director for Communications Planning for the National SecurityCouncil.

Effective October 3, Administrator Griffin added the responsibility of deputy chief ofstaff to Jeffrey Jezierski's role as NASA's White House liaison. Jezierski is responsible forthe placement and interaction of the presidential appointees at NASA. He assistedthe transition from Administrator Sean O'Keefe to Administrator Griffin. He alsocoordinates events and communications with the White House and other agencieswithin the Executive Branch. Prior to coming to NASA, Jezierski served as a deputyassociate director in the Office of Presidential Personnel at the White House fromMay 2001 to July 2003.

On September 23, Christopher Scolese, former deputy director of Goddard SpaceFlight Center, came onboard at Headquarters as the Agency's chief engineer, replacingRex Geveden who recently was named associate administrator. As chief engineer,Scolese reports directly to Administrator Griffin and is responsible for the overall reviewand technical readiness of all NASA programs. The Office of the Chief Engineer assuresthat the development efforts and missions operations are being planned and conductedon a sound engineering basis with proper controls and management of technical risks.

Veteran space shuttle commander Scott Horowitz became associate administrator forthe Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, effective September 28. He leads theAgency's efforts to develop the new spacecraft that will return astronauts to the Moonand travel to Mars and other destinations in the solar system. Prior to his appointment,Horowitz, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, served as pilot or commander on four shuttlemissions, and he was director of Exploration and Space Transportation at ATK, the

company that produces the spaceshuttle's solid rocket motors. Administra-tor Griffin named Doug Cooke deputyassociate administrator. Cooke, who mostrecently served as acting associate ad-ministrator for Exploration Systems, hasbeen instrumental in developing NASA'snext generation spacecraft conceptsduring his 32-year NASA career.

On October 3, Lesa Roe, former deputydirector of NASA's Langley Research

Coats Geveden

Horowitz Roe

Continued on page 10

DECEMBER 2005

3

Dr. Earls receives highest honors

C enter Director Dr. Julian Earls' years ofservice to NASA as well as to the localcommunity were recently recognizedwith prestigious honors.

After the Agency's Strategic Manage-ment Council meeting on October 26,Agencywide senior management per-sonnel, including Administrator MikeGriffin, gathered at the Visitor Centerfor a farewell reception for Earls, whoretires on January 3, 2006.

During the reception, AdministratorGriffin bestowed NASA's highesthonor—the Distinguished ServiceMedal—on Earls. This medal is awardedonly to Federal employees who, bydistinguished service, ability, or courage,have personally made a contributionrepresenting substantial progress tothe NASA mission in the interests of theUnited States.

This NASA Honor Award is the mostrecent bestowed on Earls during his40-year career with the Agency. Previousmedals include: Outstanding Leadership(2004), Exceptional Service (1995),Certificate of Appreciation (1994), andEqual Opportunity (1974).

On October 15, Cleveland State Univer-sity (CSU) recognized Center Director Earlswith its most prestigious non-academichonor during the 4th annual MosesCleaveland Black Tie Scholarship Dinner.

CSU President Michael Schwartz pre-sented the President's Medal to Earlsfor his significant contributions to thegrowth and development of CSU's aca-demic quality.

"I am honored and humbled to receivethe President's Medal," Earls said. "It takeson special significance to receive anaward from Dr. Schwartz, an outstandingeducator, administrator, and leader."

During the dinner-reception, theCuyahoga County Commissioners andCongresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jonesalso recognized Earls for his outstandingcommitment to education. ◆

The former deputy director for Homeland and National Security joined NASA inNovember.

"With Shana coming on board, I'm confident we now have the right leadershipteam to guide the Agency as we move forward in the next great era of spaceexploration," Administrator Griffin said.

Dale previously served as chief of staff and general counsel for the Office of Science andTechnology Policy in the Executive Office of the President. Earlier in her career, Daleserved as staff director for the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee of the HouseScience Committee's Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics where she gainedsubstantial experience related to NASA. She also served as Republican counsel for theScience and Space Subcommittees on the House Committee on Science, Space andTechnology. In addition, Dale's work as a congressional staffer included participatingin drafting federal law involving NASA and the Commercial Space Act of 1998.

Dale joins NASA's ranksContinued from page 1

Right: Administator Griffinpresents Dr. Earls with acertificate of appreciationthat accompanies theDistinguished Service Medal.

Below: CSU President Schwartzbestows the CSU President'sMedal upon Dr. Earls.

Above: pictured left to right,Dr. Earls, AssociateAdministrator Rex Geveden,NASA Kennedy DeputyDirector Dr. WoodrowWhitlow, and Glenn DeputyDirector Rich Christiansengather during Dr. Earls'reception by Agency seniormanagement.

C-2005-1705 Photo by Marvin Smith

C-2005-1706

Photo by Marvin Smith

Photo courtesy of ClevelandState University/MPA

4

Photo by Jeffrey Hammel

Wild Halloween fun

Breakfast and baskets

WAG clothing drive

Photo by Barbara Esker

Glenn's Eva, the Inflatable Astronaut, joined other costumed characters for the wildesttrick-or-treat in town during Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's 7th annual Boo at the Zoo.Eva, Disney princesses, Spiderman, Harry Potter, and other costumed guests handedout candy, snack foods, and other special treats, including NASA insignia decals.Friends of the National Zoo sponsor this event as a safe and fun alternative for familieswith children ages 2 to 12 to enjoy Halloween festivities. Animal encounters, keepertalks, festive decorations, and haunted trails rounded out the exciting extravaganza,which ran 2 weeks leading up to Halloween. Pictured is Eva visiting with Boo at theZoo guests.

Aspiring astronauts

Photos by Doreen Zudell

Glenn's Women's Advisory Group (WAG)concluded their Fall Suit Drive on October 26,collecting 383 items of professional clothing tobe distributed through Dress For Success, anonprofit organization that helps women makingthe move from welfare to the workplace. WAG'sSpring Accessory Drive in April acquired 770accessories, bringing the total from both eventsto 1176 items. WAG acknowledges thegenerosity of Glenn employees who made thedrives so successful. Pictured is WAG member,Valerie Lyons, chief, Power and ElectricPropulsion Division, and Dress for SuccessProgram Services Manager Rachel DeAngelowhile delivering the donations to the Dress forSuccess office.

WNWV, 107.3, FM, The Wave radio station brought some excitement tothis year's Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) by providing free coffeeand donuts and offering spins on their prize wheel during the CFC BasketRaffle on October 20. Other local sponsors provided information on theirservices and distributed samples of their products to employees. Twenty-five baskets were raffled, garnering a total of $1892 to the CFC. Names ofbasket donors and winners can be found at http://www-internal.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/CFC/GRC/basket_enter_2.html.

Instead of sleeping in on Saturday, November 5th, over 350 studentsfrom 23 local schools spent the day at Glenn during the 13th annualYoung Astronaut Day. Astronaut Sunita L. Williams, a Euclid native,welcomed students who tested their skills in a number of fun andchallenging engineering and scientific activities. Glenn's Aeronau-tics Division and the Northern Ohio section of the AmericanInstitute of Aeronautics and Astronautics sponsored this year'sevent. Pictured above are students from St. Patrick School, Bryan,OH, performing a Hubble Space Telescope repair simulationactivity. Inset photo: Astronaut Williams observes students fromSuperior Middle School, Montpelier, OH, performing a spaceshuttle docking exercise to the International Space Station usingSpaceSim software.

Photo by Bob Davis

Photo by Karen Edwards

DECEMBER 2005

5

AFGE MEETING: AFGE Local 2128 willhold its next monthly membership meet-ing on Wednesday, December 7, at5 p.m. at Denny's Restaurant, 25912Lorain Road, North Olmsted. All mem-bers are encouraged to attend.

LESA MEETING: LESA/IFPTE, Local 28,will hold its next monthly membershipmeeting on Wednesday, December 14,at noon in the Employee Center,room 101. 101.VC GOES WARP DRIVE: Glenn's VisitorCenter (VC) will hold its monthly ThirdSaturday Program on Wednesday, Decem-ber 28, this month to accommodateschool-age children who are on holiday

Center Director's Message

Dr. Earls

My philosophy of educationand administration

A s I mark my final days as your colleague and director, I was reflecting on a requestto submit my philosophy of education and administration. This request was in concertwith my consideration of options for the next phase of my life. My philosophy ofeducation has governed my daily life and influenced me in my many opportunitiesand roles at NASA. That philosophy flows from four quotations.

The first is from Sidney J. Harris, who said, "The primary purpose of a liberal educationis to make one's mind a pleasant place in which to spend one's time." The second isfrom Grayson Kirk, who said, "The most important function of education at any levelis to develop the personality of the individual and the significance of his life to himselfand to others. This is the basic architecture of life; the rest is ornamentation anddecoration of the structure." The third is from Emerson, who said, "The true value ofan education is the ability to make yourself do the thing that has to be done, whenit ought to be done, whether or not you like it." The fourth quote is from mydearly departed mother and father who had an eighth grade and fourth gradeeducation, respectively. They said, "Education without common sense is like a loadof books on the back of a jackass."

My philosophy embraces these concepts of education to achieve peace withinoneself, to provide service to others, to be persistent, and to exercise sound judgment.My administrative philosophy does not differ from my educational philosophy.

The key to both is an abiding respect forpeople. Another insightful quote frommy parents is, "God did not give anybodyeverything, but He gave everybodysomething." Success administratively isdependent upon one's ability to recog-nize, support, and grow that "something"in others.

I strongly believe that my purpose as anadministrator, executive, and leaderhas been to create an environment inwhich people can develop to their fullpotential. My philosophy is groundedin the belief that no one comes to workeach day desiring to do a job poorly.Treating people equitably makes a realdifference. I also believe that it is impor-tant to get employees involved andempower them to take "ownership" ofan organization's policies and pro-cedures. Only then do they honor,respect, and "take care" of those policiesand procedures.

I hope that in my 40 years at Glenn, andespecially in the last 2 years as yourdirector, I have—through my actionsand interactions—justly lived out thesephilosophies.

break. During the December program,visitors will learn about creative, yet real,engineering concepts to allow fasterexploration beyond the confines of oursolar system. Glenn scientists BryanPalaszewski and Marc Millis will illustratecurrent and far future possibilities forpropelling into space. The program runsfrom 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with presentationsat 11 a.m., Millis on "Warp Drive, When?"and at 1 p.m., Palaszewski on "AdvancedPropulsion Concepts." Other highlightsinclude free photos from the PictureYourself in Space booth, kids "make andtake crafts," and plenty of handouts.For more information and reservations,call 216–433–9653 or visit http://visit.grc.nasa.gov.

FAREWELL RECEPTION FOR CENTER DIRECTOR

All Center employees are invited to a cake and coffee reception to wishCenter Director Dr. Julian Earls a fond farewell on Thursday, December 8,

at 2 p.m. in the Main Cafeteria.

National Quality Assurance auditorsrecently completed the 5-day ISO9001-2000 Quality Managementand ISO 14001:2004 Environ-mental Management audit. TheCenter's Quality ManagementSystem was recommended forrecertification to the ISO 9001–2000 standard, marking 6 suc-cessful years since the initial audit inSeptember 1999. The Center'sEnvironmental Management Systemwill be transitioned to the 2004version of the ISO 14001 standardafter one action item has beencompleted. Glenn's Internal AuditManager Peggy Raines would liketo thank everyone who participatedin the audit. The audit report isavailable at the Web site at http://w w w . g r c . n a s a . g o v / W W W /iso9000/.

Glenn earns ISOrecertification

6

BY S. JENISE VERIS

Disability Awareness Month

orbert "Nobby" Lewandowski'smessage was clear to everyone who at-tended his presentation sponsored byGlenn's Disability Awareness AdvisoryGroup (DAG) on October 31: your atti-tude can be more crippling than anyphysical disability.

From the moment he took the micro-phone to sing "New York, New York,"Lewandowski began to dispel mythsabout his stuttering, and the potentialfor successful careers for people withdisabilities.

"One percent of the population stutters,but almost all who stutter can sing with-out a problem. As a child, pop singer,Carly Simon learned to manage herstuttering by singing her sentences,"explained Lewandowski, a successfulbusinessman and motivational speaker.

Nobby says, "no" to naysayersLewandowski shared howhis attitude on achieve-ment—if it is to be, it isup to me—helped him toset and achieve goals de-spite the naysayers heencountered in school andin the workplace. He wasfired from an accountingfirm because he refused tobe limited to a desk with-out client interaction.Lewandowski said that heknew taking a stand wasrisky, but he believes "ifyou're not living on the edge, you're tak-ing up too much room."

A few years later, Lewandowski openedhis own CPA firm, which became the18th largest in Northeast Ohio. In additionto achieving his goal of becoming CEOof a major company, he also realized hisgoal of becoming a nationally recog-

N

Photo by Dick Woodard

Lewandowski and Center Director Julian Earls lead a rousingchorus of "YMCA" with, left to right, Deb Cotleur and SeanTucker, Equal Opportunity Programs Office; and Olga Gonzalez-Sanabria, director, Engineering and Technical Services.

nized motivational speaker, an occupa-tion he finds very rewarding. As a result,he has been asked to serve on numerousboards including his alma mater, KentState University, and the AmericanInstitute for Stuttering along withNational Basketball Association all-starsBill Walton and Kenyon Martin, whoshare his disability. ◆

NWelcome home! ews Channel 5 anchor Leon Bibb helped Glenn's Veterans Awareness Committee(VAC) acknowledge the sacrifices of veterans during VAC's recognition ceremony onNovember 10 in the DEB Auditorium.

While the VAC honors all veterans, the recent event focused on the Vietnam conflict,commemorating its 35th anniversary of the end of American involvement, and provideda long overdue "Welcome home."

During the VC event, Bibb a decorated veteran of the U.S. Army, poignantly sharedsome of his personal thoughts, feelings, and experiences of his days leading up to andtime served in the Vietnam conflict. ◆

Left: Bibb stands with Puritas CommunitySchool students and other guests whoprovided support through cards, a poem,and donations of personal items for localveterans hospitals. Below: Bibb and BillSaettel, Technology Transfer andPartnership Office, place a memorial

wreath asemployees(retired andactive duty)from thevariousmilitarybrancheslook on.

Photos by Doreen Zudell

Glenn retiree Bill Wynne participatedin the dedication of the "Smoky andDogs War Memorial" at the Rocky RiverReservation of the Cleveland Metro-parks on November 11. "Smoky" was aYorkshire Terrier, owned and trainedby Wynne, who performed heroicdeeds and entertained soldiers inhospitals during World War II. Thebronze monument was unveiled dur-ing the dedication of the newly ex-panded Memorial Field in Lakewood,OH. To learn more about Smoky, visitwww.smokywardog.com.

Wynne, center, in front of the Smokymemorial during the recent dedication.

Photo by Daniel SmithC-2005-1708

Canine contributions

DECEMBER 2005

7

Partnership advances knowledgeof aircraft emissionsP roduction of cleaner, more efficient air-plane engines was the ultimate goal ofexperiments conducted by NASA Glennand its industry partners at ClevelandHopkins International Airport fromOctober 30 through November 9.

The tests were part of a national effortto study aircraft particulate emissionsusing a variety of aircraft. The AircraftParticle Emission eXperiment 3 (APEX3)Project is the first to include small jetsand large cargo aircraft.

"We were excited about conductingthese tests at the Cleveland HopkinsInternational Airport," said APEX3 ProjectManager Dr. Chowen Chou Wey,Vehicle Systems Project Office. "Work-ing with our next-door neighbors andexpert researchers from across thecountry in attaining the APEX3 objectivewas an extremely rewarding experience."

Wey said extensive airplane emissionsdata was gathered as a result ofcooperation among NASA, ClevelandHopkins International Airport, ContinentalAirlines, Continental Express Airlines,FedEx Express, GE Aircraft Engines,Pratt & Whitney, Rolls Royce, Environ-mental Protection Agency, Departmentof Transportation Volpe Center, Depart-ment of Defense Arnold EngineeringDevelopment Center, University ofMissouri-Rolla, Montana State University,University of Central Florida, AerodyneResearch Inc., and Federal AviationAdministration.

During the collaborative effort, the teamstudied engine exhaust and plume devel-opment by acquiring data from behindparked aircraft at three downstreamlocations. Additionally, data was acquireddownwind of nearby taxiing aircraft andthose taking off.

"We were pleased to work with NASAGlenn, Continental Airlines, ContinentalExpress and FedEx Express on thisimportant project," stated John C. Mok,director, Cleveland Airport Systems."Since operational costs are of para-

mount concern to all of us, thedata gathered will be instru-mental to the future successof every facet of the aviationindustry. This project is anexcellent example of manylevels of partnership comingtogether for the ultimategood of everyone." Glenn's Dr. Wey, front left, consults with Ed Lawrence-

Kirk and Frank Dudek, Continential Airlines technicianswho operated the aircraft during testing.

Photo by Doreen Zudell

Handling the holiday bluesafter a loss

or those who have lost loved ones through death, divorce, oreven relocation, negotiating the holiday season may prove painful

and challenging. The same rituals that brought joy in years past can serve instead asstark reminders of missing loved ones.

Clinical specialist Angela Gentile, LISW, shares the following suggestions from theEase@Work Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to help cope with loss during theholidays.

Don't Ignore it. Many people try to bury their grief and generate false cheer duringan inevitably sad time. Acknowledge that it will be a difficult time and think aboutways to simplify or scale back on the potential stressful activities.

Remember. While trimming the tree, hanging stockings, or eating a special meal duringholiday gatherings, it is okay to give people a chance to share fond memories. It is away to help people grieve; but try to limit this period and move on so that it does notbecome overwhelming.

Start a New Ritual. A new ritual can be a positive way to remember and honor the lostloved one. Make a donation a community effort or charity in their name or volunteer.Put your energies into taking part in new activities with relatives, neighbors, and friends.

Make it a practice to assist the elderly. Create a personalized book of coupons toredeem at the holidays or throughout the year. Include things like grocery shop-ping, baking cookies, mowing the lawn, and playing cards or games together. This is awonderful lesson for realizing what a difference helping others can make in our lives.

Invite someone over for a holiday meal that you know might also be alone. . . . . Cooksomething special that you know they like to eat and give them a gift to make themfeel like they are part of your family.

Get together with several other families and put together holiday baskets for a localhospital, assisted living, or nursing home. Limit the contents to edible gifts wrappedin holiday paper.

Whether you choose to try any of the above suggestions or not, EAP can help you gainthe skills you need to cope. Contact Gentile at 3-2989 for more ideas or to schedulean appointment. ◆

F

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Continued from page1

In addition to leading the Agency s aero-nautics research efforts, Porter will con-tinue to lead NASA s efforts in the devel-

Dr. Porter talks with Glenn employees

opment of the national aeronautics policyin cooperation with other governmentagencies.

Decommissioning Project updateO n October 18, Keith Peecook, acting Decommissioning project manager, and mem-bers of his team devoted the day to updating media and the local community on thedecommissioning of NASA's Reactor Facility at Plum Brook Station (PBS) in Sandusky.

Members of the local media from Sandusky, Cleveland, Toledo, and Lorain participatedin a briefing and tour of the Reactor that demonstrated decommissioning progressmade since the last media tour in 2002. Later that day, the team met with communityrepresentatives during a quarterly Decommissioning Community Workgroup meetingheld at the Cedar Point Center on the campus of BGSUFirelands in Huron.

Citizens of all ages participated in the 7th annual Community Information Session (CIS)that began at 7 p.m. following the Workgroup meeting. The CIS was an educationalopportunity to meet and learnfirst hand from members ofNASA's Decommissioningteam who were there toanswer visitors' questions.

"NASA has kept the commu-nity informed and involvedfrom the beginning of thedecommissioning. These eventswere the latest opportunity todo so," said Peecook. "We alsowelcome comments or ques-tions via our Community Infor-mation Line on the Decommis-sioning Web site."

Decommissioning Projectinformation was made available in several forms including a series of displays alongwith fact sheets, historical artifacts, pictures, the October edition of the project'squarterly newsletter, Decommissioning News, and a viewing of selected segmentsfrom the documentary "Of Ashes and Atoms," on the history of the Reactor Facility. ◆

Photo courtesy of FOCUS GROUP

Project Radiation Safety Officer Bill Stoner, PBDecommissioning Program Office, talks with CIS visitors

Glenn employees merit seven more Space Act Awards ASA's Inventions and ContributionsBoard awarded seven Glenn-developedtechnologies a Space Act Award. Theseare monetary awards that recognize out-standing scientific or technical contribu-tions sponsored, adopted, supported orused by NASA that is mutually significantto aeronautics or space industry.

ImMAC Software Suite: The integrated

N multiscale Micromechanics Analysis Code(ImMAC) is a suite of software tools,composed of three primary programsMAC/GM, FEAMAC, and HyperMAC,which enable multiscale analysis ofadvanced materials and structures. Teammembers include Steven Arnold, BrettBednarcyk (OAI) and Jacob Aboudi (OAI),Materials and Structures Division; and CraigCollier, Phillip Yarrington, Collier R&D.

Surface Enhancement Technologies toAchieve Improved Durability & Safety inAerospace Materials: Advanced technolo-gies were developed for surface enhance-ment of materials used in commercial andmilitary jets, as well as the space shuttle.Work focused on processing, microstruc-ture, properties, and durability. The devel-oping team included members of Glenn'sMaterials and Structures Division: MajorRobert Barrie and Peter Bonacuse (Army),Timothy Gabb, John Gayda, Gary Halford,Sai Raj, Jack Telesman (Glenn); and PeteKantzos and Brian Shannon (OAI); alongwith Paul Prevey, Lambda Technologies.

Aircraft Engine Sensor/Actuator/Compo-nent Fault Diagnosis Using a Bank of KalmanFilters: A new robust method of automatedreal-time diagnosis of faults in an aircraftengine or a similar complex system apply-ing Kalman filters, each uniquely designedfor a specific failure hypothesis. TakahisaKobayashi (QSS Group), Instrumentationand Controls Division, is the developer.

Spiral Orbit Tribometer: This innovation is alow cost method to rapidly compare andrank spacecraft lubricants and greases un-der realistic conditions. Developers includeStephen Pepper and Mark Jansen, WilliamJones, Jr., Materials and Structures Divi-sion; and Edward Kingsbury.

Hybrid Ice Protection System: Glenn's re-search into low-power ice protection sincethe early 1980's enabled the commercialsuccess of a the first completely new formof ice protection certified by the FederalAviation Administration in more than 40years. The team responsible includes Cox& Company's Kamel Al-Khalil, ThomasFerguson, and John Smith; with Glenn'sDean Miller and Andrew Reehorst, Propul-sion Systems Division.

Active Combustion Instability Control:This innovation is based on the discoveryof the intra-harmonic coupling mechanismthat exists in the combustion process, whichcan be exploited in the control designby focusing control on the harmonicsto suppress instability, enabling safe opera-tion of low-emissions combustors overa wide operating envelope. George

Continued on page10

DECEMBER 2005

NACA XI reunion held at Ames

9

F

BY S. JENISE VERIS

ifty Lewis-Glenn retirees eagerly traveledto San Jose, CA, the weekend of Septem-ber 30 to reunite and reminisce at theNational Advisory Committee on Aero-nautics (NACA) XI Reunion hosted byNASA Ames Research Center. This year'scelebration also marked the 90th anni-versary of NACA, a small civilian researchorganization that employed many of thepioneers of aeronautics and space tech-nology from 1915 to 1958 beforetransitioning to NASA.

Next to the host institution, the Lewis-Glenn delegation was the largest groupof NACA retirees welcomed by VicPeterson, former Ames deputy directorand chairperson for this year's event. TheAmes program and hospitality commit-tees provided a steady pace of activitiesthat included a half-day tour of Amesand several bus tours to local and nearbyattractions.

Among the Ames' facilities highlightedwas NASA's Advanced SupercomputerFacility, which operates the third fastestcomputer in the world, and The AirTraffic Control Center and ControlTower, where retirees were engaged in amockup of Ames research applied toimprove airline scheduling and ground-handling operations for flight safety.

"With the aid of their giant, 3-D wrap-around screen, we could physically seethe runways and taxiways as planes tookoff and came in for landings. It was as if wewere taking part in a dream of the future,"said Lewis delegate June Bahan-Szucs, a1994 retiree from the Community andMedia Relations Office and former mem-ber of the Rocket Engine Facility, duringthe NACA years.

Ames Center Director Scott Hubbardoffered the keynote address at theReunion banquet, where several distin-guished NACA alumni were recognizedincluding Jo Dibella, secretary to Dr. HughDryden, who was the last NACA Directorand first Deputy Administrator of NASAin 1976. Dibella is credited with coordi-nating the first NACA reunion.

Pictured right: Dibella (center), the first reunionorganizer, with left to right, Edie Watson Blackmanand Helen Robinson.

Above: Reunion guestsat the Computer HistoryMuseum. Far left: Szucsmarvels at the prototypeastronaut suit on displayin Ames' Visitor Center.Left: Reunion Chair VicPeterson greets AmesCenter Director ScottHubbard at the banquet.

Photos courtesy of NASA Ames

Reunion participants can recall this memorable event through a photo album thatPeterson is personally assembling. It will be available early in the new year. In themeantime, the NACA Family can look forward to the next reunion that will be hostedby Langley Research Center. ◆

iTA progress remains steadyFor now, NASA's new Chief Engineer Christopher Scolese will stay the course to ensure theAgency's goals regarding the independent Technical Authority (iTA) remain clear and crediblefor safe and reliable operations of NASA's ongoing and future missions and activities. Scolesenoted in a November memo to all NASA employees that he is working throughout the Agencyto ensure the engineering technical authority continues to be clear and unambiguous, as well asbased on technical expertise and credibility.

According to Scolese, "We have learned much from the experience we have had with TechnicalAuthority and will incorporate these lessons learned into our new development. We will also usethese lessons learned to continue to improve the systems, organizations, and personal authoritiesthat have been established since the Columbia accident." In the meantime, Scolese noted "wewill continue to execute the current concept of independent Technical Authority while wetake the time necessary to develop the improvements and plan a transition."

For more information on NASA's iTA, visit http://pbma.nasa.gov/ita_main_cid_501.

AeroSpace Frontiers is an official publication ofGlenn Research Center, National Aeronauticsand Space Administration. It is published the firstFriday of each month by the Community andMedia Relations Office in the interest of theGlenn workforce, retirees, Government officials,business leaders, and the general public. Itscirculation is approximately 6700.

Editor.....................................Doreen B. Zudell SGT, Inc.

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

Managing Editor...............Kelly R. DiFrancesco

DEADLINES: News items and briefannouncements for publication in the Januaryissue is noon, December 9. The deadlinefor the February issue is noon, January 12.Submit contributions to the editor via e-mail,doreen.zudell@grc.nasa.gov, fax, 216–433–8143, phone, 216–433–5317 or 216–433–2888, or MS 3–11. Ideas fornews stories are welcome butwill be published as spaceallows. View us online at http://AeroSpaceFrontiers.grc. nasa.gov.

Honor

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Continued from page 2

New leadershipacross the Agency

Center, took over the reins of centerdirector following Roy Bridges' retirementannouncement, effective January 2006.Roe previously served as Langley's asso-ciate director for Business Managementfrom August 2003 until being nameddeputy director. She has more than 20years experience in engineering, techni-cal, and managerial positions, workingfor both government and private indus-try. She began her NASA career atKennedy Space Center in 1987.

Michael Coats became director of NASA'sJohnson Space Center, effectiveNovember 7. A former astronaut ofthree shuttle missions and vice presidentof Lockheed Martin Astronautics(Denver), Coats replaces JeffersonHowell, Jr., who is on assignment as avisiting professor to the Lyndon B.Johnson School of Public Affairs at theUniversity of Texas at Austin. Coats firstjoined NASA in 1978 as a member ofthe first astronaut class specificallyselected to fly the space shuttle. Heretired from NASA and the Navy inAugust 1991.

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development. He also served as NASA Kennedy's director of Equal OpportunityPrograms prior to accepting the position at NASA Headquarters.

"Ken's qualifications and ability to assume his new responsibilities is unquestionableamong his peers around the Agency," said Dr. Earls.

Aguilar is the recipient of NASA Exceptional Service Medal, the Ohio Governor's Awardof Merit, and the Community Service Award from National Image of Northeast Ohioamong others.

In addition to Aguilar taking the helm of the Center OperationsDirectorate, Michael Bilinovich joins the management team asthe new chief of the Security Management and Safeguards Office.

Bilinovich brings to the position extensive experience in both localand Federal law enforcement. He has enjoyed a distinguishedcareer as a special agent with the U.S. Secret Service first begun inCleveland in 1983. Most notable among his assignments was assis-tant to the Special Agent in Charge overseeing security operationsfor Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He also served as

the assistant to the Special Agent in Charge at the Houston Field Office and morerecently, the Special Agent in Charge at the Cleveland Field Office. ◆

Kopasakis, Instrumentation and ControlsDivision, is the developer.

Data Qualification/Validation Testbed: Thissoftware was created to conduct the veri-fication procedure for a data validationsystem designed for a particular applica-tion, which was initially applied to a

Glenn's Dr. Marla Perez-Davis, chief, Electrochem-istry Branch, and Olga Gonzalez-Sanabria, director,Engineering and Technical Services, were honoredas Distinguished Alumni during the University ofPuerto Rico-Mayaguez (UPR) 2005 Alumni Asso-ciation Ceremony held October 16. Both graduatesof the UPR School of Engineering were amongseven alumni of various disciplines who wererecognized and presented with a plaque. Theplaque reads: "for their professional endeavors forthe benefit of our society, for serving as a rolemodel for our youth, and for their legacy tofuture generations, is an affirmation of the prestigeand academic excellence of our alma materand its vital contribution to Puerto Rico."

Gonzalez-Sanabria and Perez-Davis

Center Operations Directoratewelcomes new leadership

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Bilinovich

Seven Space Act Awards selectedcomponent of rocket engine healthmanagement system. Shane Sowers (ANLX)Glenn's Instrumentation and ControlsDivision, is the developer. ◆

The Technology Transfer and PartnershipOffice manages these awards. ContactLaurel Stauber, Glenn's Awards LiaisonOfficer, 3-2820.

Photo by Raphael Sanabria

11

DECEMBER 2005

T

Zydowicz

George Zydowicz,50, a systems engi-neer with LockheedMartin under theODIN contract, re-cently passed away.Zydowicz, who wasknown as "GZ" bymany of his closefriends, supportedUNIX-based sys-

tems and services since 1998.

Anthony Facca, Environments Branch, afriend and coworker of Zydowicz,said Zydowicz will be remembered forhis incredible memory, friendliness, andprofessionalism.

"George contributed his considerableexpertise and 30 yeras of IT experienceto improving the distributed computingenvironment here at Glenn. His presencewill be sorely missed," Facca said.

Otis Anderson,56, who retiredin 1995 after 30years of NASAservice, recentlydied. Anderson,who began as anapprentice, servedas an electrician inthe Test InstallationDivision prior tohis retirement. He returned for a briefperiod as an onsite contractor withAkima from 1999 to 2001.

Anderson

I would like to say thanks to all of theNASA Glenn and Analex people whosupported me during the passing of myfather. The kind words, prayers, cards,and flowers meant so much to meand my family. Again, thank you. —Ed (and Betty) Zeeck, Jr.

Thank you for your support and thekindness expressed following the deathof my father. You will never know howmuch it meant to me to be able to counton my Glenn family. —Sandra Reehorst

he Glenn "Special" Children's Fund was organized in 1958 to help all Glennemployees who have children with special needs. Forty-seven years later, the fundcontinues to assist Glenn employees during this special time of year. Employeeswho want to continue this tradition simply contribute the money they wouldnormally spend on holiday cards to coworkers and postage to the fund.

Because the success of this fund depends on the Glenn community, the "Special"Children's Fund Committee asks employees to continue to be as generous aspossible. Last year's generous contributions to this fund totaled over $4000. Ifthere are no requests from employees, the money collected goesto local charities. Thanks to the support of management at Glenn,100 percent of the money donated went to the care of children.

Please send tax-deductible donations, no matter how small, toCarmela Bynum at Mail Stop 21-15. Cash and checks are ac-cepted. Make checks payable to "Glenn's Special Children'sFund." To aid employees in their contributions, the committeewill be sending donations envelopes in the interoffice mail.

Employees needing assistance for family members should contact SuzanneAldrich at 3–9473. ◆

"Special" Children's Fund

ACES program to begin third year his year, 33 pairs of mentors and men-torees discovered the value of formaland informal organizational knowledgeand open communication betweenemployees at different organizationallevels through their involvement in theAdvancing Careers and EmployeesSuccess (ACES) program. Civil servantemployees can now sign up to participatein the 2005-06 ACES program, whichbegins its third year in January.

Several mentors returned this year,including Cynthia Forman, OrganizationDevelopment and Training Office chief."The mentorees and their curiosity,energy, motivation, and diverse insights

T are really reinvigorating. The more theprogram can bring us together, thebetter," she said.

The ACES program has proved to bebeneficial to both the mentors and thementorees. "My ACES experience hasbeen outstanding. I was able to learnabout many opportunities out therefor development and advancementfrom my mentor, as well as create a newIDP (Individual Development Plan)tailored to my career goals," saidmentoree, Anthony Nerone, Mechanicaland Rotating Systems Branch.

ACES Program Coordinator and pastmentoree, Jennifer Budd, OrganizationDevelopment and Training Office,believes the program provides formalstructure for knowledge sharing (bothtechnical and cultural) that is vital forthe health of the organization. Formore information and to sign up for the2005–2006 session, contact Budd,3–8021, or visit http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/ODT/Mentoring. ◆

This article was written by Kelly Gilkey,Structural Systems Dynamics Branch.

12

Volume 7 Issue 11 December 2005

AeroSpace Frontiersis recyclable!

National Aeronautics and Space Administrationwww.nasa.gov

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

W

Volunteers help Visitor Center expand public outreachBY DOREEN ZUDELL

hy does Evelyn Nunn, a Glenn Visi-tor Center (VC) volunteer since 1983,staff the VC lobby desk every Tuesdaymorning? Why would Allen Loew, ahuman resources manager, take thetime to research the life of Orville Wrightand portray the aviation pioneer in frontof hundreds of people at the VC?

"I've always been interested in scienceand space, but my career took a differ-ent direction," Loew explained. "So myinvolvement with the VC, with thesupport and empowerment of the VCstaff, enables me to be a part of theNASA mission."

Loew and Nunn are just two of 55 indi-viduals who donate their time, talent,and enthusiasm to Glenn's VC. Volun-teers range from students to seniorcitizens and from NASA Glenn retireesto members of the general public. Theysupport the VC by conducting/assistingwith tours and programs, staffing thelobby desk or amateur radio station,assisting in various departments of theVC, and providing general informationand guidance to visitors.

The VC staff showed their appreciation tothese individuals by hosting the annualVolunteer Recognition Program onNovember 9 in the VC Auditorium. Allthe VC volunteers received personalthanks and certificates of appreciationwhile 16 of them were given awards forreaching certain benchmark hours forthe first time. Loew and fellow volunteerAaron Clark, who were instrumental inproviding support of the VC's publictours, earned special recognition.

"Our programs have expanded and thenumber of visitors has greatly increasedover the past few years," explained VCVolunteer Coordinator Monica Boyd,BTAS/Community and Media RelationsOffice. "The VC staff couldn't accomplishour mission without the support of ourvolunteers. They are truly members ofthe NASA family and help us successfullymeet the needs of the public." ◆

Above: Boyd, right, presents the prestigiousPresident's Award and the 5000 hour goldbar to Nunn, at the Volunteer RecognitionProgram. The President's Award is given tovolunteers who are members of the Retiredand Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) with4000 hours. The VC has 24 RSVP members.Left: Loew gives a presentation about theInternational Space Station.

Photo by Kelly DiFrancesco

HAPPY HOLIDAYSHAPPY HOLIDAYS