Industry Day Speakers

▽ ▷ Daniel Barta, NASA

Dr. Barta works at NASA Johnson Space Center as Topic Manager for Habitation Systems and Project Manager, Next Generation Life Support (NGLS). The project develops new technologies for Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) and Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Space Suits for future human exploration missions. Dr. Daniel Barta has 26 years’ experience in research and development. When he joined NASA in 1991 Dr. Barta was assigned as a plant physiologist for the Lunar Mars Life Support Test Project. The project included a series of closed habitation human-in-the-loop tests of integrated physicochemical and bio-regenerative life support technologies under development for long duration human exploration missions.

Dr. Barta has a Ph.D. in life sciences from the University of Wisconsin Madison, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Prior to coming to NASA he had research and post-doctoral appointments with the Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robotics.

▽ ▷ Ben Benvenutti, NASA

Ben Benvenutti is the Lead Contracting Officer for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) programs at the NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC) located in Stennis Space Center, Mississippi. Ben has been with NASA for over ten years and has a Level Three Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting.

Ben is married with two daughters and lives in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. He received his undergraduate degree in Business from the University of Mississippi and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Mississippi Law School. He enjoys all aspects of gulf coast life except the wind and water accompanied by hurricanes.

▽ ▷ Carolina Blake, NASA

Carolina Blake is the Associate Director for Partnerships at NASA Ames Research Center and is currently on detail to the Associate Center Director for Research and Technology. Carolina is also the Ames Regional Economic Development Project Manager (RED). The NASA-wide RED Program specifically calls for federal laboratories to collaborate with external entities to share expertise with businesses, to participate in regional technology innovation clusters, and to engage in those technical areas of importance to the agency’s mission to ensure the greatest national benefit through the local Ames organization and the region. Additionally, Carolina is the Ames Small Business Technical Advisor, providing advice on the extent to which small businesses can participate on upcoming contracts with the goal of ensuring maximum practicable small business opportunities.

Previously, Carolina ran the Technology Transfer Program at Ames. Carolina has directed a variety of efforts at NASA that focused on development of public/private strategic partnerships and alliances that foster the transfer and commercialization of NASA-funded research and technology to U.S. industry, including running the most successful business incubator in the Agency. She has been associated with NASA Ames Research Center both as a government employee and as part of the industry supporting the NASA mission since the early 1990s. Prior to this, Carolina worked in business development, strategic planning, marketing and contracting in the United States, Europe, Africa and South America.

▽ ▷ Zachary Burkland, NASA

Zachary Burkland is the Business Manager for NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Programs. He joined the Program Management Office at NASA Ames Research Center in January of 2016, and is responsible for managing all business aspects of the program with collaboration from the mission directorates.

Previously, Zachary was a Contracting Officer with NASA procurement for 7 years, where he supported many significant U.S. Space Program and Department of Defense missions. He has received many prestigious awards from NASA including the Early Career Achievement Medal and the NASA Ames Honor Award for excellence in the category of Administrative Professional. He was named a “NASA Information Technology Hero” in 2014 after leading a team to win the NASA IT LABS competition. Zachary holds both a BS in Business Administration and MBA from the University of Denver.

▽ ▷ Cinda Chullen, NASA

Cinda Chullen has over 32 years of experience with NASA in life support development, technical contract management, business management integration, and knowledge capture. She is the Extravehicular Activity Small Business Innovative Research Topic Manager. She is also a senior project engineer working on the advanced spacesuit portable life support system and manages NASA’s spacesuit knowledge capture program. She has authored or co-authored over 41 peer-reviewed technical papers.

Cinda holds a B.S. in Thermal and Environmental Engineering from Southern Illinois University, an MBA and MS in Environmental Science from University of Houston – Clear Lake. She is currently working on her PhD in Systems Engineering from Steven’s Institute of Technology. Cinda is married to a NASA engineer and they have four children and is guardian of her nephew. She enjoys exercising and holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

▽ ▷ Joseph Coughlan, NASA

Joseph C. Coughlan is the Associate Division Chief for the science missions in the Intelligent Systems Division at NASA Ames Research Center. Joseph has experience in line and project management. He was a supervisor for the Robust Software Engineering technical area and the project manager of Intelligent Systems project which funded computer science research in cutting edge software technologies in support of NASA’s long term mission needs.

Joseph holds a PhD from University of Montana developing Earth science models compatible with NASA remote sensing data and earned a MS in Computer Science from University of Idaho and a BA in Biology from Rockford College.

▽ ▷ Bruce G. Emerson, Science Applications International Corporation – SAIC, Huntsville, Alabama

Bruce Emerson is a Senior Manager for Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) a premier technology integrator in the technical, engineering, intelligence, and enterprise information technology markets. Mr. Emerson is currently the Senior Manager overseeing Subcontracting, Procurement and Small Business programs for several NASA Programs. Mr. Emerson is the recipient of several NASA and SAIC awards including the SAIC President’s Business Leadership Award, and several NASA Small Business Advocacy Awards. His current duties allow him to spend more than $100 million annually with Small Business firms.

Bruce has a Master of Science Degree in Business/Contract Management from the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) and a Bachelor of Science in Business with studies at the University of Alabama & Athens State University. He works closely with the community participating in many organizations including the American Red Cross, Compassion, the Downtown Rescue Mission, Christian World-Missions Group, the NASA Rover Challenge, the US Olympic Committee, Wounded-Warriors and others. He is a dedicated member of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center Prime Contractor's Council

▽ ▷ Chad R. Frost, NASA

Chad Frost is Deputy Director of Engineering at NASA Ames Research Center. For over 25 years, Mr. Frost has been at the forefront of aerospace technology. His responsibilities cover new mission concept formulation and development, spacecraft engineering efforts, advanced manufacturing, and spacecraft mission operations at Ames. He previously served as Chief of Ames’ Mission Design Division, and head of the Autonomous Systems and Robotics section, responsible for developing and deploying technologies that make aircraft safer, spacecraft more affordable, and robots smarter. Mr. Frost has worked in industry as a product design and manufacturing engineer, a spacecraft structures program manager, and as a problem-solving consultant to DoD programs. He joined the Army/NASA joint rotorcraft division in 1997, and contributed to the development of the award-winning CONDUIT control-law optimization software, the RASCAL fly-by-wire Black Hawk research helicopter, and the Autonomous Rotorcraft Project. In collaboration with industry, he developed flight control laws for a wide variety of manned and unmanned VTOL and STOL aircraft. In 2005, Mr. Frost joined NASA’s Intelligent Systems division, where he led the Intelligent Mission Management project, led NASA’s rotorcraft flight control research program, served as Co-Investigator on the Spacecraft Handling Qualities project, and performed in a variety of leadership positions in the division. Mr. Frost has served as a member of the NASA Flight Sciences Steering Committee, and was an invited speaker at the National Academy of Engineering’s 2010 U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium. He is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and has B.S. and M.S. degrees in Aeronautical Engineering from the California Polytechnic State University.

▽ ▷ Joseph Grant, NASA SBIR/STTR

Dr. Joseph Grant is the Deputy Program Executive with NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Dr. Grant has worked with NASA for the last 25 years and has held various positions in the field of Optics and Photonics research before going to NASA headquarters to manage NASA’s $200 million SBIR/STTR program.

Dr. Grant worked at several of the NASA Centers, beginning with the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama where he served as an Electronics Technician; an Electronics Engineer and finally an Optical Physicist; at Stennis Space Center (SSC) in Bay Saint Louis, Missouri where he served as a Program Risk Manager in the SSC program office; a Technical Manager in the Applied Science program office; a Technical Manager in the Innovative Partnerships Office; and currently at NASA headquarters in the Space Technology Mission directorate in Washington, D.C. He is widely published in peer-reviewed journals and technical journals and proceedings. He has been an invited speaker at home and abroad sharing his research findings at countless National and International Conferences. Dr Grant earned his PhD from Alabama A&M University in Applied Physics.

▽ ▷ Jenn Gustetic, NASA SBIR/STTR

Jenn is the Program Executive for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR/STTR) at NASA Headquarters.

Jenn worked at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy from 2014-2016 as the Assistant Director for Open Innovation where she was responsible for scaling the use of open innovation approaches like prizes, crowdsourcing, and citizen science across the Federal Government. Among other accomplishments, in this role she co-founded GSA’s citizenscience.gov program and oversaw a cumulative doubling of the use of incentive prizes government-wide (from 350 total prizes conducted from 2010-2014 to 700 total prizes from 2010-2016).

This White House role built on her previous experience as NASA’s Prizes and Challenges Program Executive where she served as NASA’s principle advocate, advisor and strategist for open innovation methods. Jenn has consulted several Federal Government agencies on open government issues such as the Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Housing and Urban Development as the Associate Director for Strategic Engagement and Communications at Phase One Consulting Group. She also served as a Federal employee at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) as the senior program analyst for $400 million in annual transportation security grant programs.

Ms. Gustetic holds a bachelors degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Florida and a master’s degree in technology policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

▽ ▷ Lynn D. Harper, NASA

Lynn D. Harper is Lead of Integrative Studies for both the Emerging Commercial Space Office (Level 2) reporting to the Commercial Partnership Program in the Science and Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters as well as the NASA Ames Research Center Space Portal, a consortium to promote commercial space development for public benefit reporting to the NASA Ames Partnerships Directorate. Her current focus is on bringing the biotech revolution to space using commercial carriers to produce life-saving and wealth-generating products and is author of the chapter in the book Beyond Earth that deals with this subject. She is also working on development of the Earth-Moon system for public benefit and using technologies developed by the space program to promote planetary sustainability.

Lynn has earned two out of three of NASA's highest honors. She received NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal for her role as initiating founder of the science of Astrobiology and her service as the first Lead for Astrobiology Advanced Concepts and Technologies. In 2015, she was awarded NASA's Exceptional Service Medal for career contributions. Lynn is also the recipient of numerous NASA Group Achievement awards, most recently in 2016 as a founding contributor to the Space Portal's recognized accomplishments to the commercial development of space for public benefit. She has been included yearly in Marquis Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the World, Who's Who in Science and Technology, and Who's Who of American Women since 1996, and is mentioned in five history books on space. She was frequently invited by reknown futurist Alvin Toffler to participate in his Future Shock Symposia and collaborated with Nobel Laureate Baruch Blumberg from 1999 until his death in the development of Astrobiology, biological discoveries on the International Space Station, and development of the International Lunar Research Park concept.

▽ ▷ Gwen Johnson, Parsons Corporation

Gwen Johnson is the Director of Small Business Programs and Small Business Liaison Officer (SBLO) for Parsons Corporation. As the SBLO, Gwen is responsible for promoting Parsons’ commitment to maximize opportunities for small businesses supporting business development initiatives and existing client engagements. Gwen has more than 28 years’ experience with small business policy and concerns. Her experience as a SBLO includes development and management of several Small Business Programs. She has supported sales, strategic planning, and account implementation while also serving as a liaison with government and industry representatives on small business issues.

Gwen holds an MPA from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, an MTS, Theological Studies, from Urshan Graduate School of Theology, and a BA in Government from Lehigh University. Gwen is a recipient of the Woman of Color in Technology All-Star Award, and is a former co-chair of the Small Business Subcommittee for the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA).

▽ ▷ Michael A. Johnson, NASA

Michael Johnson is Chief Technologist of the Engineering Directorate at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. His primary role is to identify the capabilities required to execute tomorrow’s visionary and challenging missions and measurements at Goddard and across NASA, and then lead multidisciplinary teams across the Center, industry, academia, and other governmental agencies in establishing and implementing initiatives that will expand the possible and realize these visions. He leads small satellite technology development at Goddard and is the co-initiator and co-lead for the Small Satellite Reliability Initiative, a public-private effort involving industry, academia and a breadth of governmental agencies that collaboratively seeks to broaden SmallSat mission potential by defining and implementing approaches to characterize and increase SmallSat mission, subsystem, and component confidence.

Prior to coming to Goddard, Mr. Johnson was a Staff Engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory for nearly 10 years, responsible for the design, development, and management of advanced ground- and space-based proof-of-concept systems. Michael received his BS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MS in Electrical Engineering, and Degree of Electrical Engineer from MIT.

▽ ▷ Jitendra Joshi, NASA

Dr. Jitendra Joshi currently serves as the integration lead for Advanced Exploration Systems and handles technology development in life support and habitation for several flight experiments. He is also the HEOMD lead for SBIR coordination with STMD.

Since 1998, Dr. Joshi has supported the Bioastronautics Division's Advanced Human Support Technology (AHST) Program in coordinating peer reviews, as a Senior Scientist for the Advanced Life Support (ALS) discipline and as a Deputy Program Manager for the AHST Program. He previously served as the Chief Technology Advisor for the Advanced Capabilities Division (ACD) in the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. Jitendra facilitated coordination between the Exploration Technology Development, Human Research and the Lunar Precursor and Robotic Programs. Jitendra also helped implement various life and physical sciences experiments on the space shuttle, International Space Station, as well as other free-flying satellites at NASA headquarters. Jitendra received his Ph.D. from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in Environmental Sciences, an MS from The University of Bombay in Microbiology, and a BS from Wilson College, Bombay in Microbiology and Chemistry. His Ph.D. work was in waste processing and resource recovery in the context of advanced life support for long-duration space missions.

▽ ▷ Tabisa Kalisa, Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP), NASA

Tabisa “Tabi” Kalisa currently serves as a program manager for NASA’s Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) in Washington, DC. Tabisa oversees the agency’s Woman-Owned Small Business, Historically Underutilized Business Zone concerns, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)/Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) and the Mentor-Protégé programs. She is the program manager for NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center and Ames Research Center in California, Glenn Research Center in Ohio, and Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama.

Tabisa provides small business guidance by presenting and interpreting federal and agency-wide policy to NASA centers, external government agencies, and to the industry. As the communication and social media manager, she is responsible for the development and implementation of all OSBP external communications and social media strategy, including website content development. With her oversight of collateral design and production OSBP’s outreach materials have received multiple Communicator Awards, which honors excellence in marketing and communication. Since she joined NASA OSBP in 2006, her responsibilities have included overseeing the agency’s small business prime and subcontracting goaling metrics and the OSBP budget. Tabisa has received numerous awards during her NASA career including a NASA Agency Exceptional Achievement Medal, a NASA Agency Honor Award, and a NASA Headquarters Honor Award.

▽ ▷ Parimal Kopardekar, NASA

Parimal Kopardekar (PK) currently serves as NASA's Senior Technologist for Air Transportation System where he develops concepts and technologies to increase efficiency of current operations enabling future airspace operations. He also serves as the Principal Investigator for UAS Traffic Management (UTM) to safely enable large-scale UAS operations in low altitude airspace.

He holds Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Industrial Engineering and a Bachelor’s degree in Production Engineering.

▽ ▷ LK Kubendran, NASA

Dr. LK Kubendran is the Portfolio Executive for the Commercial Partnerships Portfolio within the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA HQ. He provides focused strategic leadership for commercial engagement to three programs (Flight Opportunities, Centennial Challenges, and Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR)/ Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR)) and one activity (Regional Economic Development).

Dr. Kubendran joined NASA in 2006 and held several leadership roles at the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC): SBIR/STTR Technology Infusion Manager, Deputy Director for Safety & Mission Assurance, Acting Director for Research and Engineering, and Acting Deputy Associate Center Director for Operations. He started his career as a research scientist at Analytical Services & Materials, Inc. (AS&M) in 1986, rose to the rank of Senior Vice President in 1995, and served as the program manager for the AFRC engineering and technical services contract until 2006. Under his leadership, AS&M received the NASA G.M. Low Award for Quality and Excellence Trophy (2002) and the Small Business Administration Prime Contractor of the Year (2006). LK received his Bachelor of Technology in Aeronautical Engineering from IIT-Madras, MS and PhD in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech, and an Executive MBA from UCLA. He is an Associate Fellow of AIAA.

▽ ▷ Kate Kvaternik, REI Systems, Inc.

Kate Kvaternik is a Principal Management Analyst with REI Systems, Inc., providing support to the NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program Management Office. In over 12 years with the SBIR/STTR Program, she has facilitated all aspects, from solicitation development to proposal review and ranking to in-reach and outreach activities. Kate has supported numerous initiatives within the program including being a member of the team that developed the TecFusion Program which brought highly vetted small businesses before NASA programs and projects, as well as prime contractors and other large businesses, to create technology partnerships and foster commercialization of SBIR-funded technologies.

Prior to working with the SBIR/STTR Program, she supported NASA Langley Research Center’s Technology Transfer Office. Kate holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Chemistry from Colgate University.

▽ ▷ Antoinette McCoy, NASA

Antoinette McCoy is the License Manager for intellectual property in the Technology Transfer Office at NASA Ames Research Center. Antoinette facilitates the transfer of NASA's aeronautics and space technologies to the commercial sector, academic institutions, and other government agencies This transfer of technology creates new markets and jobs by spurring innovation to create products that enhance the quality of life for the American public. Born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, Antoinette received a BS in Business Administration from the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff. Shortly after arriving at NASA Ames Research Center, she earned a MBA degree from Golden Gate University--a benefit paid entirely by NASA.

Antoinette’s tenure at NASA Ames spans more than 26 years and includes managing the Business Operations and Technical Services (BOATS) Contract as Contracting Officer Representative (COR). She’s the former Business Lead and Relationship Manager for the NASA-Google Space Act Agreement that developed tools used in Google Earth to make NASA’s planetary image archives more accessible and useful to the general public. As the Business Operations Manager in the NASA Ames Space Portal, Antoinette performed studies of potential space partnerships and initiatives that gave horizontal insight into the current emerging commercial space market.

▽ ▷ Christopher P. McKay, NASA

Chris is a senior scientist with the NASA Ames Research Center. His research focuses on life in extreme environments and the search for life on other worlds in our Solar System. He is also actively involved in planning for future Mars missions including human exploration. Chris been involved in research in Mars-like environments on Earth, traveling to ice-covered lakes in Antarctica, permafrost in the Siberian and Canadian Arctic, many deserts including the Atacama, Namib, & Sahara Deserts to study life in these extreme environments. He was a co-investigator on the Huygens probe to Saturn’s moon Titan in 2005, the Mars Phoenix lander mission in 2008, and the Mars Science Laboratory mission, in 2012.

▽ ▷ Mark Micire, NASA

Dr. Mark Micire currently serves as a research scientist at NASA. Before joining NASA, Mark worked for DARPA as a program manager focused on robotics and autonomy for defense applications. In his previous employment with NASA prior to 2013, he served as the engineering manager for the International Space Station (ISS) SPHERES National Laboratory and Project Lead for the Intelligent Robotics Group Human Exploration and Telerobotics SmartSPHERES program. In these capacities, he supported flight payload operations and ground testing of ISS experiments, and led the manifestation of the first space-rated smartphone.

Mark holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Computer Science from the University of South Florida and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He is certified in multiple aspects of search and rescue including: technical search; technical rescue; hazardous material response; and is a nationally certified firefighter. He serves as a subject matter expert for FEMA evaluations of robotic equipment for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and works extensively with robotic technologies for search-and-rescue and disaster recovery situations. His personal interests include mobile and space robotics, multi-touch interfaces, search and rescue, human-robot interaction, and autonomy.

▽ ▷ Heather Morgan, REI Systems, Inc.

Heather Morgan is a Sr. Project Manager at REI Systems, Inc. with a long history on the NASA SBIR/STTR Program providing project management, program operations, and SBIR subject matter expertise for over 16 years. Heather and the REI team’s deep understanding of the SBIR/STTR program and business processes, combined with Electronic Handbook (EHB) domain expertise, provide NASA strong support in effectively executing the program with a focus on continuous improvement and innovation.

Previously, Heather served at REI as the Project Manager for the Denial of Federal Benefits Program with the U.S. Department of Justice, overseeing program operations and launching a new web-based system for collecting and disseminating information on offenders denied Federal benefits. Prior to REI, Heather served as a Human Resources Specialist for a small IT business, supporting benefits administration, employee relations, and recruiting. A certified Project Management Professional, Heather looks for ways to positively impact project performance and delivery, including use of Agile project management frameworks for strong collaboration, continuous delivery, and feedback-driven decision making.

▽ ▷ Cheryl Quinn, NASA

Cheryl Quinn is the Associate Director for Aeronautics at NASA Ames Research Center. She serves as the SBIR Mission Directorate Representative for the Aeronautics Mission Directorate (ARMD) and previously served as the Ames Research Center SBIR Representative for ARMD. Cheryl has served in project management positions within ARMD’s Airspace Systems Program and has held branch and division level management positions within the Aeronautics Directorate at NASA Ames.

▽ ▷ James L. Reuter, NASA

James L. Reuter began serving as the Deputy Associate Administrator for Programs within the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) in August 2015. In this capacity, Reuter provides executive leadership and management of the technology programs within STMD, with an annual investment value of $600 million. He is responsible for budget planning and allocation of resources, and serves as the final decisional authority for project content, ensuring that technology investments align with the NASA Strategic Plan and Roadmaps. He has received numerous NASA awards and honors, including a 2013 NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal, a 2008 NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, a 2002 NASA Exceptional Service Medal, a 1998 Silver Snoopy Award and a 1993 Space Station Award of Merit.

Prior to this role, James served as the Senior Executive for Technical Integration in the Center Director’s Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Additionally, Reuter served as the Exploration Systems Division (ESD) Standing Review Board Chair. He also led the Asteroid Redirect Mission Integration mission concept review and the early planning activities to develop a national rocket propulsion strategy across multiple Agency, industry and academic participants. Previously, Reuter served in many managerial roles at Marshall, in the Ares Projects Office, the Space Shuttle Propulsion Office, and the Space Shuttle External Tank Project Office. James began his NASA career in 1983 as an aerospace engineer in the Structures and Propulsion Laboratory in Marshall’s Science and Engineering Directorate. He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

▽ ▷ Jennifer C. Shieh, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

Jennifer advances technology commercialization through the Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) programs, building partnerships, and coordinating policy across the eleven participating federal agencies.

Previously, she managed the Small Business Program for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and served as a Program Director at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) SBIR Development Center, having joined NCI as an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow. She was involved in product and customer development at Syapse, a precision medicine-focused startup, and at the mobile games startup Subversus Interactive. Jennifer studied brain and cognitive sciences at MIT, then earned her PhD in neurosciences at Stanford University. She is co-author of the textbook Guide to Research Techniques in Neuroscience.

▽ ▷ Chemise Smith, SGT, Inc., Greenbelt, Maryland

Chemise is primarily responsible for the execution of SGT’s Small Business (SB) Office compliance program for Federal SB subcontracting activity, including Mentor Protégé Program, SB strategic sourcing, (SB) subcontracting plans development, and SB utilization contract performance.

Prior to joining SGT, Chemise worked at Accenture, initially as the Small Business Advocate for a multibillion dollar Department of Homeland Security (DHS) US-VISIT contract, and later promoted to SBLO, managing their Federal Practice Small Business Program, followed by CACI (formerly L-3 National Security Solutions) as the SBLO. At both organizations, Chemise managed and supported the Department of Defense (DOD) Mentor Protégé Program. Chemise holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from San Diego State University, and received a Master Certificate in Government Contracting from George Washington University.

▽ ▷ Rich Terrile, NASA

Dr. Rich Terrile is an astronomer and the director of the Center for Evolutionary Computation and Automated Design at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He uses techniques based on biological evolution and development to advance the fields of robotics and computer intelligence. He has a Ph.D. in Planetary Science from the California Institute of Technology and has developed missions to Mars and to the outer solar system. Dr. Terrile is the discoverer of four moons around Saturn, Uranus and Neptune and took the first pictures of another solar system around the nearby star Beta Pictoris. His other interests include planetary rings, planetary geology, evolutionary computation and the development of medical instrumentation for tissue identification during neurosurgery.

Dr. Terrile is a private pilot, a SCUBA and ski instructor, a rock climber and caver, and was an astronaut candidate. He has interests in fiction writing, photography, cinematography and movies, and works as a technical advisor on several major motion pictures, including work with Academy Award winning directors James Cameron and Steven Soderbergh. Dr. Terrile was featured in several science shows and has been a regular performer at the Ice House and the Comedy Store in the "Improv Inferno" improvisation group.

▽ ▷ Carlos Torrez, NASA

Carlos Torrez is the NASA Program Manager for the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Programs. He is responsible for agency-level policy and strategic oversight of these programs. Additionally, Mr. Torrez has 25 years of experience with NASA procurement and has successfully developed partnerships with other national space agencies as well as partnerships with minority firms. His leadership crosses the boundaries of 10 centers, 4 mission directorates, multiple agencies, and thousands of small businesses and is a key factor in the success of the programs.

Carlos has received over 30 awards for outstanding service to NASA. Most notable is the Exceptional Achievement Medal in which he was recognized by the business community for expanding contract opportunities to small, minority and women-owned businesses. He holds a BS in Political Science and a Masters in Business Management from Notre Dame University.

▽ ▷ William M. Toscano, REI Systems, Inc

Dr. William M. Toscano is currently a NASA contractor working in the NASA SBIR/STTR Program Management Office at NASA Research Center (ARC) at Moffett Field, CA. His contracting role is to manage and help expedite the commercialization of technologies developed by small companies funded by the NASA SBIR/STTR Program. Prior to his current role, Dr. Toscano was a NASA contractor in the NASA ARC Technology Transfer Office for ten years where he was responsible for developing partnerships and processing NASA Space Act Agreements with companies such as Google, Nissan North America, Amazon, Boeing, General Dynamics, Motorola, Lockheed Martin, and many others as well as Interagency Agreements with other Federal Agencies such as DARPA, DoD, FAA, USGS, USDA, and others. Over the last six years (2001 through 2016), Dr Toscano was responsible for the processing and execution of 166 Agreements representing a cumulative revenue of $29.1 million and $8.4 million in cost avoidance for NASA Ames.

Prior to his employment as a NASA contractor, Dr Toscano worked for Agilent Technologies, Fujitsu, Electronic Data Systems, and several small companies including three startup companies. The market/businesses spaces included engineering consulting, semiconductors and circuit boards, software (engineering, simulation, mathematical, and environments/tools), test and measurement equipment, industrial and commercial equipment (engines, compressors, heat pumps, refrigeration systems and appliances), and cryogenic process equipment. His technical and businesses roles included engineering manager, marketing vice president, sales and marketing vice president, business development vice president, director of sales, and president/general manager. Dr. Toscano has a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, and a MBA in Marketing and Finance from the Boston University. Dr Toscano has authored more than 35 technical papers and publications and he has one US patent.

▽ ▷ Darlene Wiedemann, NASA

Darlene Wiedemann began her career at NASA Ames Research Center as the SOFIA Outreach coordinator. Eventually, she transitioned to the Space Portal office where she pursued her studies on the adverse impacts of climate change on our global food system, and how NASA’s life support systems can help adapt to these impacts.

Last year, Darlene completed her Master of Arts degree in International Studies at the University of San Francisco. She wrote her thesis on food sovereignty and sustainability, with a focus on developing countries. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Santa Clara University, with an emphasis in public relations.

▽ ▷ Michael Witt, NASA

Mike Witt is NASA’s Acting Associate CIO for IT Security and Acting Senior Agency Information Security Officer (SAISO).

Before NASA, he served with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) supporting the Director of the National Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) and the Director of Network Security Deployment to enhance existing EINSTEIN 3 - Accelerated (E3A) technology and cyber detection/response operational capabilities. Mike Witt is NASA’s Acting Associate CIO for IT Security and Acting Senior Agency Information Security Officer (SAISO). He joined the agency on February 5, 2017 as the Deputy SAISO. Before NASA, he served with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) supporting the Director of the National Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Center and the Director of Network Security Deployment to enhance existing EINSTEIN 3 - Accelerated (E3A) technology and cyber detection/response operational capabilities.

Prior to DHS, he held multiple roles at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) including Director, Computer Security Incident Response Center, where he was responsible for the agency’s incident handling, analysis, and vulnerability management. While there, he created an Emerging Threats Team to provide advanced analysis, analytics, network forensics, and cyber threat intelligence capabilities. His military experience includes more than 10 years with the U.S. Army.

▽ ▷ Keith Woodman, NASA

Dr. Keith Woodman is the SBIR lead for NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. He began his career at NASA in 1988 and spent the first part of his career developing technologies for many of NASA’s aeronautic, science, and spaceflight projects. He has a passion for helping people who are developing technologies succeed, especially small companies. He led the design and integration of a hydrogen leak detection system onto the Discovery Space Shuttle and he is the co-inventor of a patented and licensed data acquisition system for vehicles and structures. Since transitioning from systems development, his career has been dedicated to technology assessment and management for many of NASA’s major programs.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Physics from Christopher Newport University; a Masters of Engineering Management from George Washington University, concentrating in technology assessment; and a Doctorate from Old Dominion University for Engineering Management, concentrating in complex systems analysis and development. In addition, since 2011, he has also served as an adjunct professor for the American Public University System’s Space Studies Department where he has taught over 70 graduate-level classes.

▽ ▷ Bruce Yost, NASA

Bruce Yost is currently the Director of the Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute (S3VI), which is jointly funded by the NASA Space Technology and Science Mission Directorates.

Previously, Bruce was the Program Manager for the Small Spacecraft Technology Program within the Space Technology Mission Directorate. He has been working on small spacecraft and related technologies for more than a decade.

▽ ▷ Steve Zornetzer, NASA

Dr. Zornetzer is the Associate Center Director for Research and Technology at NASA Ames Research Center. The breadth of his expertise ranges from basic research in cognitive, perceptual and neural sciences to applied research in integrative biology, biological information processing, molecular biology, genetic engineering and biomedical science. He plans, directs and coordinates the technology, science, development and operational activities for research and advanced technology across a broad spectrum of research and development including information technology. He also serves as advisor and consultant to senior management officials at other Government agencies in matters concerning supercomputing, optical systems, networks and intelligent systems. Most recently he has focused his efforts on climate change and built environment. Zornetzer led the design and construction of the LEED Platinum building, “Sustainability Base”, one of the highest performing buildings in the Federal Government.

Previously, Dr. Zornetzer served as the Deputy Center Director and Center Director (Acting). Prior to that he served as Director of Information Sciences and Technology at NASA Ames. He is an internationally recognized leader in neuroscience and revolutionary information technology-based applications to aerospace missions. Before joining NASA in 1997, he headed the Life Sciences Directorate at the Office of Naval Research (ONR). Dr. Zornetzer was widely recognized for his leadership and vision at ONR and received a Presidential Meritorious Rank in 1991. Dr. Zornetzer was recognized for his contributions to NASA by receiving the Presidential Meritorious Rank Award in 2001 and the Presidential Distinguished Rank Award in 2008 from President Bush. Before joining government service Dr. Zornetzer was a faculty member at the University of California, Irvine. He has over 80 journal publications and has published 3 books.

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https://sbirqa.reisys.com/events/sbir-industry-day

Venue

NASA Ames Research Center

Building 152

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Industry Day Speakers

Venue