MAY 2005

ONE NASA AWARDS ............. 2Employees recognized for livingOne NASA philosophy

DIME CELEBRATES FIFTH ....... 6Competition makes an impact

ROBOTICS FEVER ................... 7FIRST inspires on the field and off

CULTURAL CHANGE .............. 12Cultural Change ImplementationTeam passes baton

Volume 7 Issue 4 May 2005

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Jennings addresses transformation

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ames Jennings, associate administratorfor Institutions and Management, stressedthe necessity for cultural change and trans-formation within the Agency during anAll Hands meeting at Glenn on March 6.

Jennings began by congratulating Glennemployees for their pioneering effortsin the Agency's cultural change initiative,citing the value of the Center's work inthe Leadership Observation FeedbackTeam (LOFT). He noted how the resultsof a second survey conducted in Octobershowed significant progress in the wayemployees view the Glenn culture.A third survey will be conducted inNovember. It is hoped that it will reflectan even higher percentage of employeeswho feel that the Agency is makingpositive strides in cultural change.

BY DOREEN ZUDELL

"I can't give enough credit to the Glennteam for the job they have done towardthese efforts," Jennings said.

Jennings cited actions in three key areasthat will help sustain a posi-tive culture Agencywide:● Establish a system thataligns rewards with posi-tive behavior● Make cultural changepart of education and de-velopment programs● Include positive behav-iors as part of the criteria inselecting supervisors.

Jennings spoke on thetopic of Agency transfor-mation as it relates to jobsand facilities. He noted thatit is imperative that NASAshift its current focus toachieve the Vision forSpace Exploration.

Under the President's budget proposalfor fiscal year 2006, aeronautics researchwas prioritized and downsized. Jenningssaid that efforts are being made, how-ever, to return more research and projectareas to the aeronautics portfolio.

Jennings said that the Agency is workingto define projects in the area of spaceexploration as well. He affirmed the im-portance of research in achieving thisvision. "We cannot shortchange devel-opment," he said. "We need to solvetechnology issues to get to Mars."

Griffin namedAdministrator

Michael D. Griffinreported to workon April 14 asNASA's 11th Ad-ministrator. Grif-fin became theleader of theAgency on theday the Expedi-tion 11 crewlaunched to the International SpaceStation. The Administrator was con-firmed on the evening of April 13and officially sworn in the next day.

"I have great confidence in theteam that will carry out ourNation's exciting, outward-focused,destination-oriented program," said

Jennings recently met with management and employees.C-2005-432Photo by Marvin Smith

Griffin

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Glenn receives OneNASA Peer awards

Griffin. "In the coming days, I'll bespending a good deal of my time review-ing our progress toward returning thespace shuttle safely to flight. I will alsobe reviewing the activities of our missiondirectorates and our various supportingfunctions. I share with the Agency agreat sense of privilege that we havebeen given the wonderful opportunityto extend humanity's reach throughoutthe solar system."

During his confirmation hearing beforethe U.S. Senate, the Administrator statedthat his priorities, consistent with thePresident's Vision for Space Exploration,will be as follows:● Fly the space shuttle as safely as pos-sible until its retirement, not later than2010● Bring a new Crew Exploration Vehicleinto service as soon as possible after thespace shuttle is retired● Develop a balanced, overall programof science, exploration, and aeronauticsat NASA, consistent with the redirectionof the human spaceflight program tofocus on exploration● Complete the International Space Sta-tion in a manner consistent with ourinternational partner commitments andthe needs of human exploration● Encourage the pursuit of appropriate

partnerships with the emerging commer-cial space sector● Establish a lunar return program havingthe maximum possible utility for latermissions to Mars and other destinations

President George W. Bush nominatedGriffin as NASA Administrator in March,while Griffin was serving as the SpaceDepartment Head at Johns HopkinsUniversity's Applied Physics Laboratoryin Baltimore.

Griffin was president and chief operatingofficer of In-Q-Tel, Inc., before joiningJohns Hopkins in April 2004. He alsoserved in several positions within OrbitalSciences Corporation, Dulles, VA,including chief executive officer ofMagellan Systems, Inc.

Earlier in his career, Administrator Griffinserved as chief engineer at NASA andas Deputy for Technology at the Strate-gic Defense Initiative Organization.He has served as an adjunct professorat the University of Maryland, JohnsHopkins University, and George Wash-ington University.

Griffin taught courses in spacecraft de-sign, applied mathematics, guidance andnavigation, compressible flow, computa-tional fluid dynamics, spacecraft attitude

control, astrodynamics, and introductoryaerospace engineering. He is the leadauthor of more than two dozen technicalpapers, as well as a textbook, "SpaceVehicle Design."

A registered professional engineer inMaryland and California, the Administra-tor is a fellow of the American Institute ofAeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Heis a recipient of the NASA ExceptionalAchievement Medal, the AIAA SpaceSystems Medal, and the Department ofDefense Distinguished Public ServiceMedal, the highest award given to a non-Government employee. He is a certifiedflight instructor with instrument andmultiengine ratings.

He received a bachelor's degree in Phys-ics from Johns Hopkins University; amaster's degree in Aerospace Sciencefrom Catholic University of America; adoctorate in Aerospace Engineering fromthe University of Maryland; a master'sdegree in Electrical Engineering from theUniversity of Southern California; amaster's degree in Applied Physics fromJohns Hopkins University; a master's de-gree in Business Administration fromLoyola College; and a master's degree inCivil Engineering from George Washing-ton University. ◆

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Michael Griffin takes the helm at NASA

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enter Director Dr. Julian Earls acknowledged three individu-als and one team for their demonstration of the One NASA philosophyduring the Director's Leadership Team meeting on April 12. The employ-ees, civil servants and support service contractors, recently receivedprestigious One NASA Peer Awards.

The new award program allows members of the NASA family to cel-ebrate and reward One NASA philosophies demonstrated by an indi-vidual or team within the Agency. Selections must involve participationfrom multiple NASA centers and are based on one or more of thefollowing themes: decisionmaking for the common good, collaboratingto leverage existing capabilities, and exercising standards that demon-strate efficiency.

Center Director Dr. Julian Earls, right, presented the teamaward to Thomas Miller, Concha Reid, and Barbara McKissock.Not pictured are Michelle Manzo and Jacquelyn Selee.

Photo by Marvin SmithC-2005-533

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Glenn wrap concept handles hot panelBY S. JENISE VERIS

ith a targeted launch date betweenMay 15 and June 3, Discovery and theSTS–114 crew is executing final checksfor their mission to the InternationalSpace Station. During the mission, theywill test new safety procedures NASAand partnering organizations havedesigned, developed, and tested overthe past 2 years to ensure the safe returnof the shuttle and crew.

Discovery will be fitted with severalnew features recommended by theColumbia Accident Investigation Board.Among these are 22 temperaturesensors on each of the orbiter wingreinforced carbon-carbon (RCC)leading-edge panels to measure heatdistribution across the wings.

Since a breach in panel 8 of the leadingedge at liftoff was determined to bethe cause of the Columbia accident, theReturn To Flight (RTF) Program hasdevoted extraordinary effort toaddressing the potential for panel repairon orbit. Until now, on-orbit repair planscentered on small-scale, "proof-of-concept kits," such as crack and plugrepair for STS–114, tile repair for STS–115, and small-area repair for STS–116.

Beginning with the STS–117 mission, thefocus will be on repair concepts overlarge areas (10 inches or more). Glenn'srefractory metal overwrap is one oftwo repair plans currently under reviewby the RTF RCC repair team, which ismanaged jointly by NASA Johnson andNASA Langley.

"I believe there's nothing [no concept]out there with both the flexibility andversatility that our concept is capable ofaddressing," said Glenn lead for the metalwrap concept, Frank Ritzert, AdvancedMetallics Branch. "The wrap can be bentlike a taco shell over the damaged areaof a wing or used to bridge a gap acrosstwo panels."

Ritzert and Dr. James Nesbitt, Durability

Return To Flight efforts

and Protective Coatings Branch, identifiedrhenium, a rare and costly metal, as themost suitable of five refractory sheetalloys. The metal would be protectedfrom the reentry environment by a silicidecoating. The selection process involvedtwo tests simulating the hottest possibleRCC reentry temperature of 2960 ˚F for15 minutes. Metal samples wereprescreened with an oxygen-propanetorch test, performed by Raymond "Craig"Robinson and Don Humphrey, both ofQSS/Durability and Protective CoatingsBranch. The most successful, coatedrhenium, was shipped to the Boeing's LifeCycle Analysis Team facility in St. Louisfor a more rigorous arcjet test thatduplicated the temperatures, as well asthe harsh reentry plasma environment.The rhenium-based material designsurvived the arcjet profile.

Glenn's concept repair kit would include:a large coated sheet (up to 2 by 4 feet) ofthe refractory metal; a low-temperature,low-melting silicate coating that could beapplied in advance or on orbit; and agasket material to seal the edges andbond the coated metal to the RCC panel.

"Integration of the material with a solutionfor actually adhering the wrap to the

orbiter wing is underway," Ritzert said."Some design issues still remain, but wehave a new budget and new milestonesto achieve."

The new network of sensors andcameras monitoring the shuttle willdeliver data to astronauts and groundengineers that may contribute to thedevelopment of this and other repair kits.These research efforts are further proofof Glenn and the entire Agency'scommitment to reduce risks and expandthe frontiers of future exploration. ◆

Metal candidates were prescreened in Glenn'sQuick Access Rocket Exhaust Rig beforeshipping to the Boeing facility in St. Louis.

Glenn to get new food service provider

corn Food Services, Philadelphia, PA, was recently selected for theGlenn Food Service contract following a full and open competition. A formerSection (8) small minority/women-owned business, Acorn has operations fromMaine to Alaska. It has extensive Federal cafeteria experience, including contractswith the Department of Defense Homeland Security, the Navy, and the Air Force.

Mark Kilkenny, cochair of Glenn's Cafeteria ImprovementTeam, said that the Acorn contract offers many menu options,promotions, and catering options to the Glenn cafeteria. Thecompany is expected to come onboard later this month.

Look for Today@Glenn and future AeroSpace Frontiersissues for further information on the new cafeteria contractimplementation. ◆

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String theory

Harvest for Hunger 2005

Glenn ExPO

Dr. S. James Gates, professor of Physics at the University of Maryland,pictured, headlined a trio of String theorists, including Dr. MichaelDuff, University of Michigan, and Dr. Amanda Peet, University of Toronto,who visited the Center on March 18. Gates gave a lecture on SuperstringTheory, an emerging physics that attempts to unite Einstein's generalrelativity with quantum mechanics using the idea that incredibly tiny"strings" of energy define the very existence of matter and how matterinteracts. Gates, Duff, and Peet joined several Glenn researchersfor lunch, followed by a tour of Glenn's facilities that house such researchas quantum entanglement for communication, fingering combustionas an example of self-organized criticality, quantum dot photovoltaics,and sonoluminescence. The event was sponsored by the Researchand Technology Directorate.

Glenn employees had several opportunities to participate in the Center'sHarvest for Hunger (H4H) campaign, including Juan's Amazing MagicShow, a QSS Group, Inc., fundraiser, on Friday, April 1. Juan, who is thehusband of QSS employee Christine Paniagua, engaged the audience ina lunch-hour performance filled with the excitement of magic, music,and comedy. Additional funds were raised at the Great American Chili-Cookoff held on April 8. The competition included three entries byExternal Programs Directorate members: "Bomb House Chili" by Gre-gory Bobbitt, Glenn's H4H campaign coordinator; "Heavenly Chili," byAnna Falcon; "Momma Mia's Chili, by Maria Torres; and one from theOffice of the Chief Information Officer, "Chicken Chili," by Erline Trsek.Admission included chili samples and a chance to win one of more than30 door prizes donated by local businesses and sports organizations. Atotal of 650 pounds in nonperishable food items and toiletries werecollected from the Cook-off and drop-off points across the Center andat the neighboring OAI facility. Glenn's total cash contribution for thecampaign was $2,023.

C-2005-532Photo by Marvin Smith

Photo by S. Jenise Veris

Photo by Doreen Zudell

Above: Center DirectorDr. Julian Earls samplesAnna Falcon's "HeavenlyChili" entry, the People'sChoice Award winner.Right: Juan calls onaudience participationduring the magic show.

Glenn hosted an Exploration of Partnership Opportunities (ExPO)forum on April 6 at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel. Attendingwere 130 guests from companies, universities, and nonprofitorganizations ranging from large aerospace companies to smallregional organizations. The goal of the forum was to foster collabo-ration between NASA, industry, and academia in preparation forupcoming competition opportunities supporting NASA's SpaceExploration Vision. Presentations describing Vision architectureconcepts and a poster session on Glenn technologies that contrib-ute to the Exploration mission offered insight for collaboration withGlenn. One-on-one meetings with Glenn technologists were verypopular and allowed visitors to talk about topics of direct interestto them. Arrangements for Glenn facility tours were available aswell. Pictured is Eric Pencil, Electric Propulsion Branch, left,explaining electrical propulsion technology to ExPO participants. Photo by Quentin SchwinnC-2005-529

MAY 2005

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DISTINGUISHED PUBLICATIONS:Nominations for the 2004 Glenn Distin-guished Publication Award, instituted toencourage and reward outstanding re-search and technology contributions byGlenn staff members, were due todivision chiefs by 4:30 p.m. on Wednes-day, May 4, 2005. If you have notforwarded your nomination, pleasecontact your division chief immediatelyto ensure that your nomination will beconsidered. The paper must be apublication or presentation dated be-tween July 1, 2003, through June 30,2004. Division chiefs must submit theirfinal selections to their directorate of-fices by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, June 3,2005. Each directorate office will sendone package to the chief scientist'soffice by 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June8, 2005. For further information,contact Anthony.J.Strazisar@nasa.gov.

LESA MEETING: LESA/IFPTE, Local 28,will hold its next monthly membershipmeeting on Wednesday, May 11, at noonin the Employee Center, room 101.

ASIAN-PACIFIC ISLANDERS HERITAGE:Glenn's Asian and Pacific Islanders

The following question was chosen bythe Director as a sampling from theAsk the Director Web site.

Heritage Month Observance is scheduledfor Thursday, May 19 at 10 a.m. in theAdministration Buildingauditorium. Glenn'sAsian and PacificIslanders AdvisoryCouncil will host LynnaLai, co-anchor ofWOIO TV 19 ActionNews at FIVE, who willpresent the keynoteaddress. In addition, theevent will include cultural performancesand cuisine sampling, as well as thetraditional artifact display. The theme forthis year's celebration is "Bridging theGap Between Our Differences—Promoting Diversity."

WOMEN RETIREE LUNCHEON: The nextluncheon for Glenn female retirees willbe Thursday, May 19, noon, at MaplesideFarms Restaurant, 294 Pearl Road,Brunswick. For further information andto make a reservation, contact GerryZiemba, 330–273–4850.

FREE FAMILY FUN: On Saturday, May21, Glenn's Visitor Center will present"Ohio Astronauts." Learn more about the

history of astronauts from Ohio and theirimpact on our Nation's space program.Presentations will be held at 11 a.m. and1 p.m. Free photos will be available at the"Picture Yourself in Space" digital photobooth, "Make and Take" craft activitiesfor kids, and plenty of handouts. For moreinformation and reservations, call 216–433–9653 or see visit.grc.nasa.gov.

LLF GOLF OUTING: Lewis Little Folks(LLF) onsite child development centerwill host its fifth annual benefit golf outingon Friday, June 3, at Springvale GolfCourse, North Olmsted. The event beginsat 8 a.m. (shotgun tee-off). The cost is$70 per golfer ($25 tax deductible) andincludes greens fees, cart for 18-holegame, dinner, golf kit, and prizes. Entrydeadline is May 13. Contact CarmellaGenaro, 216–433–5264. ◆

Q. We are being told that we must compete. However, at the same time most of theexploration announcements don't allow the Government to propose as the prime,that is, the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) of last year and upcoming BAA. Weare told we must run the race, but shackles are being put around our feet. Not only dowe have the burden of our expensive facilities to put us at a disadvantage cost wise, butwe also have to jump on the back of some contractor or university to compete. Whyare we being forced to play on an uneven field? Are there procurement regulations thatare forcing this upon us (Government can't compete with industry) or is the ExplorationSystems Mission Directorate just playing hard ball?

A. (04/07/2005)No, procurement regulations are not the reason for the competitioninitiative. The Development Program Themes in the Exploration Systems MissionDirectorate each have approaches to their portfolios that currently vary. In this answer,I am assuming you are referring to Exploration Systems Research and Technology.

The acquisition strategy and portfoliowere constructed to separate competi-tions with Government prime proposersfrom competitions with industry as primeproposers. Total resources were allocatedto afford about 40 Intramural (Govern-ment-led) and 70 Extramural- (Industryor Academic-led projects), withpartnering encouraged in both focusedon Spirals 2 and 3. As we understand it,the plan for allocating the remainingunallocated resources in the portfolio isto have both intramural and extramuralcomponents, but no commitment hasbeen made on this yet. The reason forseparating Government and industry isto foster collaboration, partnership, andenhance Government-industry interac-tions. When Government and industrycompete directly, the experience is thatbarriers to cooperation are introduced.There have been two announcementsso far in ESR&T, one for Governmentled, and One for Industry led. ◆

Lai

News Notes items for theJune issue are due by Thursday,May 12, noon.

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Jennings visits

Jennings admitted that it is challengingto determine the exact facilities (at PlumBrook and Lewis Field) that will be neededfor the future because the work hasyet to be fully defined. "Currently wehave more infrastructure and peoplethan we have work on our plate,"Jennings explained. "We need to deter-mine the skills [and positions] that wethink we'll need."

Jennings said that all NASA centers—andthe Agency overall—are consideringalternative operation structures toensure a competitive edge. CenterDirector Dr. Julian Earls noted thatwhile the Federally Funded ResearchDevelopment Center concept was men-tioned, a more hybrid approach mightbe beneficial. He pointed to Glenn'spartnerships with OAI and the NationalCenter for Microgravity Research asexamples successful collaboration.

With a variety of workforce transforma-tion efforts underway, it may be difficultto understand the relevance of eachprocess and how they fit together toensure a stronger, more competitiveNASA. Jennings pointed to the "NASATransformation White Paper," which com-municates the linkage and alignment ofthe various Agency efforts. The "NASATransformation White Paper" and thecharts are available on the Inside NASAWeb site at http://www. insidenasa.nasa.gov/nasa_nas/ops/NASA_transformation/NASA_trans_wp.html.

The meeting concluded on the topic ofthe NASA family. Both Jennings and Earlsstressed the importance of embracingthe values of teamwork, support, andaccountability. Everyone has somethingto bring to the table, they agreed.

Earls said that the best way to workthrough the transformation is for employ-ees to continue to give 100 percent."During this time of transformation, it'simportant to perform the jobs we havetoday to the best of our abilities." ◆

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DIME competition makes animpact on high school studentsBY DOREEN B. ZUDELL

hen students participate inGlenn's Dropping In aMicrogravity Environment(DIME) competition, theimpact of the experience goesfar beyond the experimentsdescending 79 feet along the2.2-Second Drop Tower.

"DIME provides an oppor-tunity for high school studentsthat they cannot obtainthrough their school labor-atories," explained programcreator and coordinatorRichard DeLombard, HumanHealth and Performance Systems ProjectBranch. "Participants conduct a researchprogram from beginning to end,following the same steps that a NASAresearcher follows."

Now in its fifth year, the DIME com-petition is open to students in grades 9through 12. Participating five-memberteams of students and advisors fromscience classes, clubs, and scout troopsdevelop an experiment concept, preparea proposal, and submit the proposal toGlenn. A panel of Glenn microgravityexperts selects the top proposals.The selected teams (up to four eachyear) continue their experimentdevelopment and fabrication in theirclassrooms and then conduct theirexperiments in Glenn's world-class 2.2-Second Drop Tower each April. In thefirst 4 years, schools from Florida,Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvaniaparticipated, conducting experimentsprimarily in the areas of fluids andcombustion. This year teams fromOregon, Georgia, Illinois, and Michiganare participating.

"Going to Cleveland [NASA Glenn] wasone of the best experiences of my life,"said Nikita Patel, part of a team from TroyAthens High School, Troy, MI, whoparticipated in the 2004 DIMEcompetition. "The best part of the

project was building it and testing it.It felt so good to take our ideas frompaper and put them into actual hardware.It was amazing to see it all cometogether. And when the experimentactually worked, we were ecstatic!"

Jennifer Gottlieb, a science teacher atTroy Athens High School, served as Patel'steam mentor in 2004. An advocate of theDIME competition, Gottlieb previouslymentored a winning team in 2003, andreturned this year with another set ofstudents who conducted an experimententitled "The Drag Force in Microgravity."

"The enthusiasm and creativity that theDIME competition generates in thestudents is incredible," said Gottlieb. "I'vebeen able to incorporate the DIMEcompetition into the curriculum of myadvanced placement physics classes.The program is so popular that studentenrollment in these classes has grownfrom 13 a few years ago to 55 studentsthis school year. Each step of the processis a wonderful opportunity for thestudents to improve their skills andknowledge. Writing the proposal, forexample, not only builds students'technical knowledge but also improvestheir writing abilities."

Gottlieb and other mentor-educators say

Troy Athens High School's Gottlieb, far right, returned forthe 2005 DIME competition with a new team of students,left to right, Christina Miceli, Kim Boyntor, AmandaCleghorn, and Lauren Heitzer.

Photo by Doreen Zudell

MAY 2005

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ometimes motivation can be tracedto a single inspirational act. This was trulythe case at the 2005 FIRST (For the Inspir-ation and Recognition of Science andTechnology) Robotics Competition, heldfrom March 24 to 27 at Cleveland StateUniversity Convocation Center. Beyondall the "fast-moving and action-packed"demonstrations of robotic creativity, thisevent is more about students and mentorsbuilding relationships that lead to a sus-tained interest in science and technology.

Tales of overcoming trials and tribulationwere widespread among the 42 teamsthat competed in this year's BuckeyeRegional. Even so, participants might singleout the gracious professionalism exhibitedby other teams on behalf of Cleveland St.Ignatius High School, as their choice of thisyear's most inspirational event at FIRST.

On Good Friday, March 25, the St. Ignatiusteam elected to sit out the qualifyingheats in observance of the Christian holyday. Upon hearing this, three New Yorkteams—Newfane, Webster, and Penfeld—volunteered to run Ignatius' robot forthem. As a result of this charitablegesture, the Ignatius team advanced tothe last day of competition. The excite-ment surrounding the "Good Samaritanmatches" drew comparisons to the 1981Oscar-award-winning movie Chariots ofFire, about a track star who nearly forgoeshis chance for an Olympic medal bychoosing not to compete on the Sabbath.

Inside the pits and on the field, team spiritand perseverance ran high and in somecases struck gold: Timken High School(Canton, OH) earned the Judges Awardfor Resourcefulness after producing acompetitive robot, despite working withlimited tools in the lobby of a partly-finished building; and Success TechnologyAcademy earned the Rookie InspirationAward for recruiting a new team afterschool district changes sent severalstudents involved in a FIRST team toseparate schools.

The winning robotics alliance—ToledoPublic Schools (OH), Huron Schools (MI),and James Ford Rhodes High School

(Cleveland, OH)—and the climbto the top after 2 days of indivi-dual and joint competition was atestament to perseverance andsportmanship. And althoughtheir technical creativity standsout, an even greater occurence isthe legacy of inspired supporters.

The Chairman's Award, con-sidered the most prestigious among FIRSTawards, focuses on the most inspiringteam story in which an entire commuity istransformed.The 2005 Regional Chairman'sAward was presented to Warren G. HardingHigh School, Warren, OH, for their ongoingimpact on fellow students, the school,and the community at large.Throughoutthe year, the team applied their skills toactivities like volunteering for Habitatfor Humanity, Adopt-a-Highway, andOperation Christmas Child. Teammembers have improved their grade pointaverages, focused their career plans onengineering and other advanced degreefields, and achieved an 88-percent collegematriculation rate. In addition, Hardingassisted other FIRST rookie teams witha workshop and robot demonstrationsand helped spread the FIRST messagethrough fundraising events throughoutthe community.

"NASA is doing its part to spread themessage through team sponsorship,

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which has enhanced FIRST programparticipation," said Carol Galica (IDI),Glenn's FIRST program manager in theEducational Programs Office. "Eleven outof 42 teams participating in the BuckeyeRegional were sponsorship grants throughNASA's Robotics Education Project. Anadditional six teams were awarded teamregistration from Glenn's EducationalPrograms Office."

So what is NASA's return on itsinvestment? FIRST exposes students tovarious career choices, as they strive tosolve engineering design problems in anexciting and stimulating environment.Perhaps some of these same students willenter the pipeline of talent that mightone day contribute to new NASA missionsin the exploration of the Earth, Moon,Mars, and beyond. ◆

FIRST's vision inspiresBY S. JENISE VERIS

DIME effects far reaching

that the effects of the DIME competitionare far reaching for many of their students.When her teams return to school,Gottlieb says, they are on a "NASA high"for weeks. She added that many of herstudents who have participated in DIMEcompetitions have gone on to collegeto major in engineering and science-related fields in college. Nikita Patel,for example, is completing her fresh-man year in Biology (pre-med) at theUniversity of Michigan.

Gottlieb and DeLombard agree that oneof the greatest benefits of the program is

how it dispels misconceptions that areoften associated with careers in math andscience. They say that the experience ofsuccessfully working through a researchproject and meeting NASA scientists,engineers, and technicians who performthis work on a regular basis providesmore realistic and obtainable goals foryoung people.

"When the program started 5 years ago,I had hoped that it might help to inspirethe next generation of project scientistsand astronauts," DeLombard said. "Ithink that we are achieving that goal farbeyond our expectations." ◆

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Chairman Award winners Warren HardingHigh, are pictured in a spirited match.

Reactor Facility ("OfAshes to Atoms"), anda book about theCentaur Program.

Cheryl McCallum, BTAS/Community andMedia Relations Office, received her Indi-vidual Award for collaborating with NASAHeadquarters and other centers to sharepublications, exhibits, and speakers to staffpublic events across the country. She alsohas coordinated a series of monthly spe-

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Employees recognizedfor ONE NASA effortsContinued from page 2

Author Homer Hickam visits Center omer Hickam, Jr., author of "Rocket Boys," spoke to a capacity crowdin Glenn's DEB auditorium during a public discussion on April 14. Glenn andthe Cleveland Area Metropolitan Library System sponsored the event. DeePerry of 90.3 WCPN radio moderated.

"Rocket Boys," the 2005 selection for the North Coast Neighbors Sharea Book program and the inspiration for the movie "October Sky," is a best-selling novel-memoir based on the author's coming of age in Coalwood, WV.A coal miner's son, Hickam dreamed of launching a rocket and sending it intospace. His quest began with boyhood friends and a homemade launch pad andeventually led him to an 18-year career with NASA during the shuttle era.

Attendees at Glenn's DEB auditorium included high school students fromCleveland-area schools. Two NASA Explorer Schools participated in thediscussion with Hickam through videoconference. The program was alsoWebcast, offering students and the general public an opportunity to interactwith the author through e-mail and on NASA TV.

North Coast Neighbors Share a Book is an initiative of libraries in the localand surrounding regions. Based on similar "one book" events held in othercities, the program attempts to unite the community around a commontheme: reading the same good book, and sharing thoughts and ideas about it

with other people. Thisevent marked the culmi-nation of the 2005 Sharea Book program, whichfeatured dozens of bookdiscussions throughoutthe community. ◆

H

Perry, center left, listens asHickam, center right, shareshis memoirs with students liveand via satellite.

C-2005-534Photo by Marvin Smith

Coleman McCallumBudd

The Team Award was presented to theNASA Aerospace Flight Battery Programled by Michelle Manzo, acting chiefof the Electrochemistry Branch, alongwith Power and Electrical PropulsionDivision staff members BarbaraMcKissock, Thomas Miller, Concha Reidand Jacquelyn Selee. The team wasrecognized for ensuring the quality,safety, reliability, affordability, and per-formance of flight battery systems forNASA missions while establishing thefoundation that enables the infusion ofvalidated technology into future missions.

This program is deemed one of the bestand longest lived examples of successfulimplementation of the One NASA phi-losophy in the Agency. Its accomplish-ments can be attributed to successfulinteractions between no fewer thanseven NASA centers in conjunction withother Government agencies dealingwith aerospace battery-related issues.

Before reaching 2 years of service atGlenn, Jennifer Budd, Organization De-velopment and Training Office, has de-veloped and maintained a high level ofrapport with her colleagues across theAgency to ensure the highest level oftraining for employees. This award rec-ognizes her continuous involvement ascolead for the NASA FIRST (For the In-spiration and Recognition of Science andTechnology) Program, ensuring consis-tency and alignment across NASA cen-ters by developing a curriculum for allAgency mid-level personnel.

One of the three Individual Awards waspresented to Kevin Coleman, Logisticsand Technical Information Division, fordeveloping an online History Office atGlenn, as well as collaborating with theNASA Headquarters' project on the to-tal rewrite of the program and projectschedule for NPR 1441.1. UnderColeman's leadership, Glenn's HistoryOffice has become one of NASA's mostproductive groups, realizing suchprojects as the Dream of Flight Sympo-sium, a documentary on the Plum Brook

cial programs to expand the public out-reach capabilities of the Glenn VisitorCenter and Speaker's Bureau. The pro-grams have literally attracted thousandsof new patrons to Glenn's Visitor Center.

For further information about One NASAPeer Awards, visit www.onenasa.nasa.gov/Onehome.html. ◆

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lthough their determination and perseverance did not earn them a trip to space,the Mercury 13—13 distinguished female flyers and military personnel—are ap-plauded as heroes and role models for a new generation of women astronauts inMartha Ackmann's book, "The Mercury 13: The Untold Story of 13 AmericanWomen and their Dream of Space Flight." Ackmann was the featured speaker atthis year's Women's History Month program. Her presentation was a celebrationof these pioneering women, tempering with humor the realities of discriminationthat denied them their dream. Her talk was highlighted with filmed interviewsof modern-day pilots, including STS–114 Commander Eileen Collins, who said thatshe had found inspiration in the women's story.

Ackmann fielded questions about her book before handing over the spotlight toZelma Watson George and Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, as performed in vignettesby members of the local Women in History Troupe. George was a leader in theCleveland community and former director of the city's Job Corps Centerfor Women, while Hopper is best known as an inventor and computer pioneerwho helped develop Common Business-Oriented Language (COBOL) for comput-ers. A reception with refreshments followed in the DEB cafeteria, where Ackmann

joined employees for abook signing conductedby the Glenn Exchange.The Glenn Women's Ad-visory Group and theOffice of Equal Oppor-tunity at Glenn spon-sored the event. ◆

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Flight Software Branchearns Level 2 distinction n December 2004, Glenn's FlightSoftware Branch achieved a CapabilityMaturity Model (CMM) Level 2 ratingfor its software development activities.By achieving the Level 2 rating, thebranch joins just four other organizationsacross the Agency that have achievedthis distinction.

What does this mean and why does itmatter? CMM, originally developed bythe Software Engineering Institute for theDepartment of Defense, is recognized asa set of industry best practices for thedevelopment of software. The Level 2rating indicates that an organization hasestablished and follows a cohesive set ofprocesses ensuring adherence to projectmanagement principles.

"The CMM–2 assessment is nice, but moreimportantly, we now have instituted somebest practices that should make our jobsless frustrating," said Flight SoftwareBranch Chief Kevin Carmichael. "Creditfor this success goes beyond our branchand includes members of the SoftwareEngineering Process Group (SEPG) whospent many hours building and refiningthe best practices."

Using CMM as a guide, the Glenn SEPGanalyzed current software practices, rec-ommended improvements, and coachedthe development teams in the use ofthese improved practices. Nine monthsprior to assessment, Flight SoftwareBranch personnel from multiple softwaredevelopment projects piloted a set ofprocesses that SEPG established to im-prove the planning, tracking, configura-tion management, quality assurance,requirements management, and metricsgathering associated with softwaredevelopment.

SEPG plans to continue these efforts asGlenn and the Agency begin the transi-tion to the Capability Maturity ModelIntegrated (CMMI), a broader model thatincorporates all engineering disciplinesand support areas involved in develop-ment of a system—mechanical engineer-ing, electrical engineering, software engi-

neering, manufacturing, and ac-quisition—for the implementa-tion of industry best practicesfor engineering development.This model is already part of anew NASA-required proced-ure for software developmentAgencywide NPR 7150 NASASoftware Engineering Require-ments. Portions of it apply toevery type of software thatNASA will build or buy in the future.

NASA's Software Engineering InitiativePlan guides Glenn's SEPG efforts. Theplan defines a comprehensive approachto improve software quality, safety, and

reliability throughout the Agency by im-proving software engineering processes.Further data about the initiative, 7150,and useful development tools are avail-able at http://software.grc.nasa.gov. ◆

A dream deferred

CMM Assessment Team, left ro right, Randi Green,Joseph Ponyik, William Pierce (lead assessor, Nupit, Inc.),Charles Farrell, and Denise Varga, all of the ComputingScience Division.

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Women's History Month Observance

Pictured left, Ackmann autographs herbook for Dr. Sasi Pillay, Glenn's chiefinformation officer. Above, members of theWomen in History Troupe in costume asHopper and George.

C-2005-530

Photos by Marvin Smith

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.....................Kelly R. Goodale

DEADLINES: News items and briefannouncements for publication in the Juneissue must be received by noon, May 12.The deadline for the July issue is noon, June10. Submit contributions to the editor viae-mail, doreen.zudell@grc.nasa.gov, fax 216–

433–8143, phone 216–433–5317 or 216–433–2888, orMS 3–11. Ideas for news storiesare welcome but will bepublished as space allows.View us online at http://AeroSpaceFrontiers. grc.nasa.gov.

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AwardsDr. Valerie Lyons, chief, Power and Electrical Propulsion Division, and Linda McMillen,computer specialist, Office of the Chief Information Officer, are the recipients ofthe 13th annual Glenn Federal Women's Program Award presented on March 24 duringWomen's History Month. The award honors two male or female civil servants(supervisor and nonsupervisor) based on contributions to the advancement of womenat Glenn and participation in community service organizations. Lyons won for herleadership as an accomplished scientist and senior executive manager for one of theCenter's three core competencies; mentorship and inspiration to young aspiringwomen; activity in several professional organizations; and genuine care, encourage-ment, and support for members of her staff. The nonsupervisory award was presentedto McMillen for her leadership and motivation through commitment to improving herown performance and identifying opportunities for others; contributions as a teammember in several Glenn organizations as well as for special projects benefitingthe local community; and loyalty, sensitivity, and compassion for her friends andcoworkers.

The Cleveland Chapter of the National Technical Association (NTA) honored Dr. AfrozZaman, Antenna, Microwave and Optical Systems Branch, for outstanding technologi-cal achievement during the recent 2005 NTA Nsoroma Awards luncheon at Windowson the River in Cleveland. Zaman was recognized for her sustained contributions to theadvancement of antenna technology, which have been essential in maintaining Glenn'sleadership in the field not only within NASA, but also across the professional communityat large. Zaman was among five recipients of the Nsoroma Award that recognizeslocal women of color who demonstrate a significant scientific, technological, oreducational accomplishment.

The Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) has selected Dr. Christo-pher DellaCorte, Tribology and Surface Science Branch, for the prestigious 2005 AlSonntag Award. Established in 1983, the award honors the STLE member(s) authoringthe best paper on solid lubricants published in the Society's Tribology Transactionsduring the year preceding the STLE annual meeting. DellaCorte will be recognized onMay 17 at the President's Luncheon for his paper, "The Effects of Substrate Materialand Thermal Processing Atmosphere on the Strength of PS304: A High TemperatureSolid Lubricant Coating." DellaCorte will receive the honor of becomming the STLEFellow during the luncheon.

Community Outreach

NASA Glenn Business & Professional Women, through American Legion Post 421 ofFairview Park, is sponsoring two students, daughters of Glenn employees, to attendBuckeye Girls' State Program in Ashland through Bowling Green State Universityfrom June 12 to June 18. Buckeye Girls' State Program is designed to educate Ohio'syoung women in the duties, privileges, rights and responsibilities of good citizenship.

The 1-week program activities includegovernment workshops, legislative ses-sions, campaigning, party rallies, debat-ing, and voting. Student Lucinda Allen(daughter of Lucille Rhodes, EducationalPrograms Office) attends Success Tech-nology Academy in Cleveland. She wasselected as a delegate for the 2003 ModelUnited Nations Program at Case WesternReserve University. Another student,Kathy Oprea (daughter of Janeal Oprea,CIO Business Office), attends Berea HighSchool. She attended the Junior Stateof America Symposium on Leadershipand Politics at Ohio State University.She started her own chapter at BereaHigh School and is also on the OhioRiver Valley Region cabinet. ◆

Allen

Dr. DellaCorte Dr. Lyons McMillen

Oprea

Dr. Zaman

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MAY 2005

Robert R. Godman, 87, who retired in1973 after 33 years of Federal service,recently died. Godman was serving asdirector of Engineering Services at hisretirement. During his tenure at NASA/NACA, he helped to design jet enginesused in World War II and the spaceshuttle engine.

James Zimmerman, 78, , , , , who retired in1981 after 30 years of Federal service,recently died. He was serving as super-visory contract specialist at his retire-ment.

Steve DeBarr, Research Testing Division,retired on April 3, 2005, with 34 1/2 yearsof Federal service, including 30 1/2 withNASA.

James Dudenhoefer, Power and ElectricalPropulsion Division, retired on April 3,2005, with 39 1/2 years of NASA service.

Wayne Gardner, Research TestingDivision, retired on April 3, 2005, with 39years of Federal service, including 35 withNASA.

Terry Gabel, Facilities Division, retired onApril 3, 2005, with 26 years of Federalservice, including 14 with NASA.

Klaus Gumto, Computing ScienceDivision, retired on April 3, 2005, with 41years of NASA service.

Craig Horak, Research Testing Division,retired on April 3, 2005, with 34 yearsof Federal service, including 30 1/2 withNASA.

Gary Thomas, Research Testing Division,retired on April 3, 2005, with 38 1/2 yearsof NASA service.

Kathleen Webb, Procurement Division,retired on April 3, 2005, with 38 1/2 yearsof NASA service.

Ken Weiland, Research Testing Division,retired on April 3, 2005, with 36 1/2 yearsof NASA service.

David York, Computing Science Division,retired on March 31, 2005, with 14 1/2years of NASA service.In the "News and Events" section of the

April AeroSpace Frontiers, RubenRamos' name was inadvertently omittedfrom the photo caption on the 2005Combined Federal Campaign. Ramosserved as a loaned executive withthe Northeast Ohio Combined FederalCampaign.

Omission noted

Dudenhoefer

Gumto Weiland YorkWebb

s Memorial Day approaches, Aero-Space Frontiers takes this opportunity tointroduce a section that will be reservedto announce our coworkers who havebeen called to protect our Nation.

Senior Master Sgt. Air Force ReserveRalph Fekete, mechanical engineeringtechnician, Prototype DevelopmentBranch; Sgt. Army Reserve Joseph Mor-gan, (KPSI) Security Management andSafeguards Office, security officer; Lt.Marine Reserve Kenneth Roth, (KPSI)

Security Managementand Safeguards Of-fice, security officer;Sgt. Army ReserveWard Souders , (LMIT)Environments Branch,senior technical spe-cialist.

The following employ-ees have safely returned from duty:Erick Lupson, contract specialist, Servicesand Construction Branch; George Saad,

Called to duty"... Although many miles may separate us, there's one thing I hope that they'll find, our soldiers will never be forgotten, though out of sight, they're not out of mind." (used with permission, 2004 Linda Lee Wolovich)

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Editor's note: Information for this columnwas coordintated through Glenn'sVeteran's Awareness Committee. Photo-graphs are published upon availability.Lupson, Saad, and Williams werefeatured with photographs in theNovember 2004 AeroSpace Frontiers. ◆

Souders

mechanical engineering technician, Pro-totype Development Branch; and JamesWilliams, electronics technician, R&DLabs Technical Branch.

Sincere thanks to my friends for all theirkind thoughts and support on the passingof my brother. —Nick Varaljay

Retirees wishing to receive homedelivery of the AeroSpace Frontiers

must complete a NASA C–431form, which is available through

Glenn's Retirement Office.

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Volume 7 Issue 4 May 2005

AeroSpace Frontiersis recyclable!

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

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

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Cultural transformationwelcomes new leadership

n March, Glenn's original CulturalChange Implementation Team passedthe baton to a new team of employeeswho will carry on the important task ofhelping to create a stronger future bysupporting the Center's cultural changeand transformation goals.

"The way we relate to one another isvital to the way we do business," saidKenneth O'Connor, Glenn Safety Office.O'Connor and Calvin Ramos, SatelliteNetworks and Architecture Branch,have assumed the duties of cochairs,replacing Leslie Greenbauer-Seng,Durability and Protective CoatingsBranch, and Dr. Rickey Shyne, Safetyand Mission Assurance Directorate,who led the process since June 2004.The process was designed for teammembers to serve for a period of timeand then return fulltime to their re-spective roles at the Center.

A charter member of the team, O'Connorknows the importance of maximizingcommunications between managers andemployees and has been intricatelyinvolved in the Leadership Observationand Feedback Team (LOFT), one

component of the culturalchange process. He andRamos lead a new team of10 LOFT members, whoare from both staff andmanagement positions andrepresent multiple Glennorganizations. Observersattend meetings acrossthe Center to identifyand encourage positiveleadership behavior and promoteconstructive dialogue among all levels ofemployees and organizations. He saidfostering these positive behaviors(communications, decisionmaking,management credibility, and supportingemployees in the organization) at all levelsof the Center will be essential to supportthe Agency transformation.

Over the past year, LOFT observationshave been focused primarily on regularstaff meetings. At this point, however,the team is interested in branchingout to observe business and researchproject-based meetings where high-profile decisions are made. As with allmeeting observations, the leaders(supervisors) should be communicating

the observation feedback informationto the meeting attendees (employees)for the process to work most effectively.In turn, all employees need to under-stand that their feedback counts.

Ramos can attest to the need for theLOFT effort to foster critical leadershipbehaviors and to support the Center andAgency transformation and culturechange efforts. "As a cochair, I'mcommitted to ensuring that the processis value-added and not an impediment toachieving the Center and Agency goals."

For further information on the culturalchange activities, visit the Web site at<http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/GRCculture/index.htm>. ◆

BY DOREEN ZUDELL

Greenbauer-Seng, center, transitions as a Cultural ChangeImplementation Team cochair with new cochairs, O'Connor,left, and Ramos.

Photo by Doreen Zudell

NASA: Explore. Discover. Understand.