WHERE ARE THEY NOW? - THE 1997 DRYDEN ACADEMY
1999 Elections
by Ian Ruiz, NAAA President
president@nasa-academy.org
The end of the year is upon us once again, and it is time to elect new officers to the NAAA Executive Council. This is a unique opportunity to lead an energetic group of aspiring and current space professionals. The NAAA as an organization is still young and has a lot of potential just waiting to be explored by the new leadership. As such, if you have an idea of where you think the NAAA should be or believe that you could contribute to the leadership of the origination, I would encourage you to run for office this year. In addition, if you are even considering the possibility of running but have questions about what exactly is involved, I would encourage you to contact myself at president@nasa-academy.org or either of the other officers as we would be glad to answer your questions. Don't miss this opportunity to take an active role of leading the NAAA into the next millennium and on its way to being a more valuable organization to its members.
This year's elections chair is Mr. Jon Sims, as such he will be collecting
the nominations and counting the ballots. The dates for the 1999
elections are as follows:
|
|
|
|
| Nominations | October 21st | November 1st |
| Voting | November 8th | November 15th |
| Results Announced | November 22nd | |
| New Officers Take Office | December 1st |
You can nominate someone for office by sending an email containing their
name, contact information, and office for which they are being nominated
to elections@nasa-academy.org during the above mentioned nomination dates.
President's Address
by Ian Ruiz, NAAA President
president@nasa-academy.org
I would first like to thank all of the alumni that attended the annual event this year and contributed to the future plans for the NAAA. However, I would especially like to thank both Jim Chase and Stephanie Thomas for their contributions, for without their efforts the NAAA's 3rd Annual Event would not have been as successful as it was.
In this newsletter there are several articles providing information
on what transpired at the annual event. I encourage you to look through
them to see where you can contribute to make NAAA a better and stronger
organization. Remember that the NAAA belongs to the Alumni, and it
is what we make of it. Furthermore, If you believe the NAAA should
be pursuing other endeavors, or perhaps should not be undertaking our currently
stated activities then I strongly encourage you to be vocal with your opinion
by contacting the executive council at ec@nasa-academy.org.
THIRD ANNUAL CONGRESS
OF THE NAAA
The 3rd Annual NASA Academy Alumni Congress was held in Cambridge, Massachusetts on October 3, 1999, in conjunction with the Thinkmars inaugural Mars Week conference. The congress drew over 30 alumni members from all over the country representing three NASA centers and five different summer program years. Alumni members took an active part in the three-day conference finishing the weekend with a focused and productive congressional session.
The congress, chaired by current president Ian Ruiz, covered a wide range of topics. The Sunday morning session began with a quick overview of NAAA operations including a breakdown of the association’s financial position, a review of the monthly newsletter, discussion about the future of the NAAA’s web presence, and the format for 1999 elections. The remainder of the session was spent reviewing the current working groups and discussing key special projects for the upcoming year. Projects underway include the creation of an enhanced electronic communication architecture, formation of a Board of Advisors, development of new financing strategies, initiation of public, educational, and political outreach programs, and the generation of a promotional CD. Andrew Hoppin also provided an update of the UNISPACE III Space Generation Forum as a joint NAAA/Thinkmars workshop.
Thinkmars is a student-run organization formed by members of the MIT and Harvard communities to develop a viable business plan for the human exploration of Mars. Thinkmars was created in response to the NASA Means Business Competition initiated at the NASA Johnson Space Center. Beyond generation of the business concept, the Thinkmars team decided to host an annual, week-long conference devoted to the exploration of Mars. Topics ranged from novel space propulsion concepts and robotic exploration to the possibility of life on Mars and the steps needed to make the dream a reality. Conference activities included speakers from government and industry, interactive workshops, and a dinner reception. 1999 Mars Week events culminated in an entertaining dinner reception featuring Dr. Chris McKay from the NASA Ames Research Center addressing the topic “Life on Mars: Past, Present, and Future.”
Mars Week speakers included:
Dr. Robert Zubrin, “Why Mars” - Mars Society President
Frank Sietzen, “Space Policy 2000” - Ad Astra Editor-in-Chief
Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz, “Plasma Propulsion Systems”
- NASA Astronaut
Dr. Everett Gibson, “Life on Mars” - NASA Johnson
Space Center
Dr. Maria Zuber, “Geology of Mars” - MIT Professor
Jennifer Harris, “Robots on Mars” - Jet Propulsion
Lab
Dr. Buss Aldrin, “Mars: The View from Apollo” -
Apollo Astronaut
Dr. Pascal Lee, “Mars on Earth” - NASA Ames Research
Center
Dr. Chris Mckay, “Life on Mars: Past, Present, and
Future” - NASA Ames Research Center
Justin Talbot-Stern, “ThinkMars Business Concept”
- Thinkmars Chairman
Kevin Leclaire, “ThinkMars Business Concept” - Thinkmars
Business Plan Manager
Thinkmars Workshops included:
The Business of Mars
Terraforming
Discussion with Buzz Aldrin
UNISPACE III Space Generation Forum
One-way to Mars
Mars, The Next Generation’s Apollo
Political Action
How to Organize a Grass-Roots Movement
NAAA Alumni Attendees included Jim Brice GSFC '94 Staff, Rob Bayt GSFC
'93, Warren Brown GSFC '93, Troy Savoie GSFC '93, Mike Moreau GSFC '94,
Andrew Hoppin GSFC '94, Robin Smith GSFC '94, Adam London GSFC '94, Cyrus
Jilla MSFC '95, Eric Anderson GSFC '95, Jeff Munson GSFC '96, Chris Wilkinson
GSFC '96, Ian Ruiz GSFC '97, Andrea Kodys GSFC '97, Kathy Sienko ARC
'97, Julie Townsend MSFC '97, Jenny Mindock GSFC '98, Jamie Lennon GSFC
'98, John Feighery GSFC '98, Stephanie Thomas GSFC '98, Jim Chase GSFC
'98, Jeff Freeman GSFC '99, Robert Lamontagne GSFC '99, Nia Jetter GSFC
'99, Carrisa Tudryn GSFC '99, Kate Shaw GSFC '99, David Khatami GSFC '99,
Leigh Anne GSFC '99, Dominic Papineau ARC '99, and Courtney Vanyo
ARC '99.
NASA Academy Promotional CD-ROM
Update
by Rob Lamontagne, GSFC '99
At the NAAA 3rd Annual Congress we discussed, among other things, the NASA Academy Promotional CDROM. We contemplated several suggestions for content and for presentation, but the focus of discussion was on trying to find someone with the skills to put this together in a flashy yet professional manner. Recently I sent out an introductory email to the NAAA Alumni list and I have already received messages from a few volunteers. This project could turn out to be very beneficial in getting the word out about the NASA Academy to our nation’s ‘best and brightest’ applicants, but it requires the combined talents of all of us.
The NASA Academy Promotional CD is an idea that spawned from a group project at the Goddard Academy this summer. The idea is that we should produce a CDROM with all types of information hyping up what the NASA Academy is all about. The CD would be composed much like an interactive web-page but would include lots of digital pictures and video clips that often aren't feasible to implement over the internet. Once the CD is completed, there should be money available through Dr. Soffen's office to make 1000 copies and send them to the Space Grant schools as well as to interested applicants by request.
Here’s where you, the NAAA members, come in! I have plenty of pictures and some video from '99 Goddard and '99 Ames, but I would like to include more diversity of materials on the disc. If anyone could make copies of video, audio tracks, pictures, or anything you would like to see on such a disc, please contact me.
However, the biggest stumbling block is this: I started working on putting together the CD this summer when I returned from Goddard and things were going along fine until school started up again and changed everything. After a month and a half into my senior year I haven't had a chance to even think about the CDROM. It is now abundantly clear that if I don’t solicit your help, the project will most certainly fail. Please, if there is anyone out there who knows a little about designing a web page and is interested in making a promotional CDROM that lives up to the NASA Academy name let me know.
I have this great vision, without the time or the know-how to see it through. I feel it would be a great shame not to spread the word about the Academy. If you share my high regard for the academy and want to see it flourish as I do, please contact me and help see this through.
Thank You,
Rob Lamontagne
(603) 862-8713
rob_lamontagne@hotmail.com
Electronic Communications Update
by Mike Moreau, GSFC '94,'95
moreau@colorado.edu
One of the items of discussion at the NAAA Annual Congress was the topic of "Electronic Communications." I brought up a couple of issues for general discussion, including long term planning for a physical location of the NAAA website (currently hosted on a computer at the University of Arizona that is maintained by Chris Lewicki, GSFC '96) and some general plans to improve the end process used to keep the database information and email lists up to date. I also answered some general questions regarding some of the services the NAAA provides online, such as email aliases, the electronic phonebook, etc.
Here are some of the things that are currently in work, and some areas where we could use some help from the alumni now:
During the 3rd Annual Congress both Jeff Munson and Kathy Sienko offered
to co-chair the formation of a board of advisors using the Boston area
alumni as their key resource. However, they could still use your
support in both drafting a charter for the board and approaching perspective
board members. In addition, they will be teaming with David's financial
group in an effort to generate revenue while constructing the board.
If you are interested in getting involved with this endeavor please contact
either Jeff at Jeff.Munson@nasa-academy.org
or Kathy at Kathy.Sienko@nasa-academy.org.
During the 3rd Annual Congress it was announced that the NAAA will be
setting up a full brokerage account with Aerospace Investments in anticipation
of pursuing stock donations from large organizations. Furthermore,
David Goldstein has offered to chair this fundraising effort. If
you would like to get involved in this effort please contact David at David.Goldstein@nasa-academy.org.
Denver Area Alumni Get It Together
by Laura Sachi, GSFC '95
I spent the last few days trying to think of a great metaphor to explain the recurring phenomenon of NASA Academy reunions, but all allusions to the glories of reminiscing, the flights of dreamers, the intensity of thinkers and the revelries of a few party-mongers in themselves couldn’t really describe a reunion. Maybe if they were all thrown in a blender and set on frappé for about 45 seconds it might have the consistency of an Academy reunion.
How many of you can remember when you first set foot in your “Academy house”? Excited or incredibly nervous (depending on your level of shyness, mine being right up there with turtles) to finally meet the people you had been chit-chatting with over e-mail for the last month. All those preconceived notions fluttering away like birds from a shaken tree. Well, not all of them -- some people just encapsulate their total personality in everything they do (you know who you are, or at least, WE know who you are). As I walked through Downtown Denver to the Wynkoop Brewery for a recent Academy reunion, that excited nervousness came back to mind. The feelings weren’t quite the same though, because they weren’t tinted with the dread of wondering what I had gotten myself into. Even though half the people I would be enjoying a night with I had never met other than an occasional Academy e-mail, I had a nice little buffer zone of comfort with my fiancé Mike waiting with me on one side, and Mike Moreau on the lookout for more alumni on the other. You gotta admit that all evenings starting out with M & Ms will usually amount something quite entertaining.
You would think by now that I would learn that all Academy get-togethers are a blast, but I always need a little reassurance. In true Academy style, Brian Roberts set the tone of the evening by promptly getting the hood of his convertible stuck on an overhang above his parking spot. I won’t go into any more gory details on that one because I don’t want to deflate the legend that it might become in future Academy reunions. If you really want to know more, go ask Brian.
By this time, a large majority of us had arrived and were ready to sit
down and eat. Well, some of us were just ready to sit down so we
could catch our breath after laughing so hard. The size of the group
was pretty impressive in all measures -- every year of Goddard was represented
(I wonder where all the Marshall and Ames people migrate to after the Academy),
there was a fifty-fifty male-female ratio (unheard of in anything technical),
and the breadth of interests even extended beyond the general space theme
(thanks spouses and friends). Our group was even large enough that
we could have been our own Academy if it
weren’t for the Anglo-Saxon heritage dominance that night (blatant
hint as to where the next Academy and/or new NASA center should be).
Aside from being awed by the sheer diversity of a group of strangers brought
solely together by one experience, I was really dominated by one thought
-- the hour it was going to take to get the bill straightened out.
I don’t know about any of you, but the Academy I went to could never seem
to come up with enough change out of our extravagant meal allowance to
pay off an entire restaurant bill, even if tip were excluded.
Since so many of us had seen each other that night for the first time, it only seemed appropriate that we introduce ourselves. I don’t think I need to mention that it was obviously done NASA style -- Name, occupation, academy, possible relation to other members in the group, etc. Normally I would have groaned at this civilized, monotonous ordeal, but I had the fortune of just quitting my job at Lockheed Martin and had the opportunity to yell “Fight the Power!” when it came my turn to introduce myself. After all that was done, the conversations started going as dinner was ordered and subsequently served. The whole flow of conversation was like a roundelay as the topics ebbed and flowed across the table. I caught snippets of people’s attempts to pose as reporters/journalists to get a ride on the Vomit Comet while someone else was getting their fingers stuck in a car window. A house in Castle Peak was talking about some idiot at work. I was listening to Trey McDowell’s recent train adventures that had somehow turned into a mad dash to put on a towel and stick a fish in his ear while at the airport. Think Arthur Dent and costume contest before your mind wanders too far down that path. I can’t really tell you what happened at the other end of the table, since they were barely within shouting distance. I think the next time a reunion comes along in Denver we’re going to have to play musical chairs so we all could talk to each other. Or, if we get that new Academy here (second blatant hint in case you missed it the first time), we can just meet in the big open living room of the sorority house.
What else can I tell you from here? Dinner was eaten and we actually
had enough money the first time to cover the bill (put that one in the
books), and it was eventually time to stop talking about faster, better,
cheaper and any non-space anecdotes that could keep the interest of the
significant others. Being in a formal establishment, we had to keep
our antics to a minimum (no face painting, mashed potatoes or incendiary
devices) and parted from great food and friends. I think my actuarial,
space-disinterested fiancé summed up best what makes Academy reunions
so desirable -- “Those people aren’t geeks at all -- they were really quite
fun to be around!” You heard him. Start having some fun and
get your Academy reunion going! Oh, and make sure to get a permit
for the incendiary devices beforehand.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? - THE 1997
DRYDEN ACADEMY
Name: Joseph B. Mueller
Email: mueller@aem.umn.edu
Current contact info: 612.379.1556 605 Ontario
St. SE, #2, Mpls, MN 55414
Work company or school: University of Minnesota
Work title and/or major and degree sought: Master of Science
in Aerospace Engineering
Work/school contact info: 612.626.7596 107
Akerman, 110 Union St. SE, Mpls, MN 55455
Major work/school project(s): Designing a Linear, Parameter Varying
Controller to be flown on the F/A-18 Systems
Research Aircraft at Dryden Flight Research Center in February 2000.
Name: Heath Richard Roettig
Email: roettihr@netzero.net
Current contact info: 7722 Hackberry Ct. Apt. C, Indianapolis, Indiana
46227
Work company or school: Rolls-Royce Allison
Work title and/or major and degree sought: Associate Engineer
Work/school contact info: P.O. Box 420, Indianapolis, Indiana 46206
Major work/school project(s): AE 2100 Turboprop Performance Analysis
Discussion (2-3 paragraphs, can be personal and/or work-related):
The last couple of years have been very interesting
ones for me. Several things have caused me to change my goals and
the direction of my life. For a long time I thought that I wanted
to get into the astronaut program. However, I have had occasion to
rethink that goal. I am currently planning on moving to Portland,
Oregon in the next few months. I plan on getting a law degree (preferably
in constitutional law) and perhaps gaining some experience in law enforcement.
Both of those will facilitate my mission to enter national politics.
There is a quote by John Adams that has become, in some ways, my creed
"It is freedom gentlemen. It is freedom and not a choice of the forms
of servitude for which we contend." Everyday I see our freedoms and
the constitution being slowly eroded. It has become unacceptable
for me to sit idly on the sidelines and watch that happen. Because
of this, I have decided to focus my energies and efforts towards getting
into a position where I can do something to reverse this trend. This
is going to be a long and difficult process, but I believe that I am up
to the challenge. Wish me luck, because I am going to need it.
By the way, I do promise to strongly support our nations space program
once elected, so be sure to get out and vote for me when I run for office
in 10 to 15 years :-).
Name: Kyle Snyder
Email: kylesnyder@yahoo.com
Current contact info: 1950 Roswell Rd, Apt 18B11, Marietta, GA
30068 (678) 560-1549
Work company or school: Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems
Work title and/or major and degree sought: Engineering Technologist
Major work/school project(s): I am working in the Product
Definition Initiative at LMAS.
Discussion (2-3 paragraphs, can be personal and/or work-related):
We're a small team doing Business Process Re-engineering,
working with ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) to deploy SAP, and coordinating
efforts with the Product Data Management team. How is that for buzz-words?
Currently I am process modeling how the airplanes at LMAS (the C-130J and
F-22!) are actually built, tested, and modified. The goal of PDI
is to propose new solutions to improve efficiency, reduce cost, and increase
production through better processes, business rules, engineering tools,
and organization. So I have seen exactly how a huge corporation works
and executes in this first year out of school. Although I am not
using my Math Masters, I am barely doing any real engineering work, so
I am really learning business management and how-to play politics in the
work in the place.
The F-22 has been a terrific success in flight testing
at Edwards. All milestones have been achieved and met on or ahead
of schedule, including super-cruise (sustained Mach 1.5+ without afterburner).
So there is always good news coming out of here, even if Congress isn't
happy with the program. They did approve funding for more R&D
work and made a down payment on the first 6 F-22s, so there will be at
least a small wing of them.
Life in Atlanta is great. I was out traveling
most of the summer, but I have really been busy all year since moving here
last August. I quickly found a volleyball team that needed a powerful,
explosive huge guy to play middle, thankfully they settled for the slow
skinny guy that was willing to learn. Well, we won the regular season
USA men's BB division for the Southern Region. We played in the National
tournament in late May in San Jose, CA. Finished about in the middle
of the pack which was a terrific showing under some unforseen circumstances
(me with 5 hours of sleep for the first 2 days of the tourney). It's
a team full of great guys and we had a wonderful season and we are all
coming back together and getting ready for this winter. I played
in several outdoor tournaments when I was here through the summer.
Only won one (a co-ed doubles) tournament, but it's always great to get
outside. I spent a week in Tunisia in late July. An old friend
from UTSI went home to get married, so I seized the opportunity to finally
get out of the country. Truly an amazing week. Although not
much more comfortable than a horse, I did have a short little ride on a
camel into the Sahara. We passed somewhere near where they shot some
of the desert scenes that were used in thd pod races from "Episode 1: The
Phantom Menace." Needless to say, I have enjoyed being out
of school, having a real job, and living life to the fullest.
Name: Laura Thackray
Email: thac5864@uidaho.edu
Current contact info:
Work company or school: University of Idaho (until 12/99)
Work title and/or major and degree sought: B.S. Mechanical Engineering
(earned on 12/99)
Work/school contact info: Moscow, Idaho 83843
Major work/school project(s): Studying Frost Formation on Aircraft
Wings of Varying Surface Roughness
Goddard 1997 Academy… you're
up next! Please send me your entry in a timely manner! Thanks!
Name:
Email:
Current contact info:
Work company or school:
Work title and/or major and degree sought:
Work/school contact info:
Major work/school project(s):
Discussion (2-3 paragraphs, can be personal and/or work-related):
Your comments and suggestions are welcome.
Newsletter Editor: Erin Robinson erobinson@mail.arc.nasa.gov
The Executive Committee: ec@nasa-academy.org
Ian Ruiz, President
president@nasa-academy.org
Kyle Snyder, Vice-president
of Operations vp-ops@nasa.academy.org
Joe Mueller, Vice-president
of Finance vp-finance@nasa.academy.org