NASA Glenn Employees Awarded for Exceptional Performances

CLEVELAND — NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale joined Center Director Woodrow Whitlow Jr. in recognizing the outstanding achievements of over 600 NASA Glenn employees at the annual Honor Awards Ceremony. Awards were given to teams and individuals for exceptional work in science, technology, engineering and administrative service. The ceremony was held at the NASA Glenn Research Center on August 7.

2008 HONOR AWARD RECIPIENTS:

Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive in the Senior Executive Service

Harry A. Cikanek, III, Cleveland Heights, for sustained superior accomplishment in management of programs of the United States government and for noteworthy achievement of quality and efficiency in the public service.

Jih-Fen Lei, Westlake, for sustained superior accomplishment in management of programs of the United States government and for noteworthy achievement of quality and efficiency in the public service.

Ramon Lugo, III, Lakewood, for sustained superior accomplishment in management of programs of the United States government and for noteworthy achievement of quality and efficiency in the public service.

Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Senior Professional

Robert C. Hendricks, North Olmsted, for sustained superior accomplishment in the conduct of programs of the United States government and for noteworthy achievement of quality and efficiency in the public service.

Outstanding Leadership Medal

Richard T. Manella, Westlake, for outstanding leadership devoted to providing stewardship to strengthen engineering excellence and technical authority processes across the center.

Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medal

Dennis J. Eichenberg, Parma Heights, for exceptional leadership and engineering accomplishment in the development of the NASA Hybrid Power Management Program for space and terrestrial power systems.

Thomas W. Goodnight, Columbia Station, for continuing innovative structural dynamics contributions, including the Crew Exploration Vehicle Encapsulated Service Module conceptual design.

George R. Harpster, North Olmsted, for developing designs, analysis, testing and the resultant commercialization of methods to reduce the risk of ice formation on the space shuttle, liquid oxygen feed line and external tank.

Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal

Robert R. Romanofsky, Hinckley, for innovative technology contributions in the research and development of novel microwave devices and systems in support of NASA’s space communications programs.

Exceptional Achievement Medal

Scott W. Benson, Strongsville, for exemplary performance in managing NASA’s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster Project.

James R. Gaier, Manchester, Ind., for advancing the understanding of lunar dust effects, mitigation, and improved simulant properties, and for advancing NASA Glenn’s capabilities for research in this area.

Joseph E. Morris, Bay Village, for exceptional leadership in achievement in the development of the approved Glenn Master Plan.

Richard K. Shaltens, Westlake, for exemplary technical, financial and political leadership of the research and development effort of the Stirling Converter for space power applications in NASA missions.

Thomas H. St.Onge, Beachwood, for exemplary contributions in building and maintaining Glenn’s flight project management infrastructure for the development of the Fluids and Combustion Facility.

Roy M. Sullivan, North Ridgeville, for outstanding contributions toward development and validation of physics-based analytical models for complex structural design of aerospace components.

Exceptional Service Medal

Penni J. Dalton, Strongsville, for sustained exceptional service in the technical oversight and management of the International Space Station batteries and Plasma Contactor Unit.

Linda Dukes-Campbell, Beachwood, for consistent exceptional service in promoting both NASA and the Glenn Research Center to the public.

Anthony A. Facca, Brunswick, for innovative and groundbreaking contributions to the design, development and management of information technology systems at the Glenn Research Center.

James M. Free, North Olmsted, for exceptional technical and managerial leadership to the development of the Orion Service Module project.

Albert L. Johns, Berea, for dedicated technical excellence and national leadership in making technological advancements in hot gas ingestion characteristics for advanced aircraft.

Grisselle Lafontaine, North Ridgeville, for outstanding service in developing and providing information technology solutions and support to the Glenn Research Center.

Margaret P. Proctor, Berea, for exceptional contributions to advancing the state-of-the-art of advanced turbine seal technologies for a variety of aerospace vehicles.

Peggy L. Raines, Cleveland Heights, for outstanding contributions to the NASA Glenn Research Center ISO9000 and AS9100 implementation and compliance efforts.

Harvey L. Schabes, University Heights, for exceptional contributions and dedication that have significantly and positively impacted major center initiatives and processes.

Xynique R. Sims, Twinsburg, for significant and sustained performance in the oversight of the NASA Glenn Research Center Awards Program.

Laurel J. Stauber, Fairview Park, for commitment to ensuring recognition of Glenn Research Center’s employees through the Inventions and Contributions Board and other means.

Adele C. Szuhai, Strongsville, for sustained, exceptional customer-focused procurement services to the Glenn Research Center projects, exemplary teamwork and inspirational mentoring.

James J. Zakrajsek, Strongsville, for sustained and outstanding contributions toward establishing leadership roles for the NASA Glenn Research Center in the areas of drive systems, seals and mechanisms for aeronautics and space.

Exceptional Public Service Medal

Iwan D. Alexander, Shaker Heights, an employee of the National Center for Space Exploration Research, for exceptional contributions to microgravity research and space exploration in multiple roles.

Matt A. Murray, Euclid, an employee of Wyle, for exemplary contributions in support of communicating NASA’s mission and goals.

Senior Executive Service Appointment

Bradley J. Baker, North Ridgeville, to the position of Director of Acquisitions, effective September 30, 2007.

Senior Scientific and Professional Corps (ST) Appointments

Julie A. Grantier, Medina, to the position of Senior Engineer, Systems Engineering and Integration, effective April 27, 2008.

James F. Soeder, Independence, to the position of Senior Engineer, Power Systems Design and Development, effective April 27, 2008.

Senior Leader

Glen M. Horvat, North Royalton, to the position of Chief Engineer Space Flight Development, effective January 6, 2008.

Forty-Year Service

• Roger A. Werner, Ocala, Fla. – retired
• James A. DiCarlo, North Olmsted
• Johnnie L. Poole, Cleveland
• William J. Young, Twinsburg
• James F. Travis, Cleveland Heights
• Mack G. Thomas, Twinsburg
• Arthur G. Birchenough, Brook Park – retired
• Fred J. Kohl, Fairview Park

Forty-Five-Year Service

• John Gyekenyesi, North Olmsted
• Albert Juhasz, North Olmsted
• Peter Sockol, University Heights
• Edwin Wintucky, Willoughby

Group Achievement Award

Thirty-one members of the Ares I-X Program Support Team, for outstanding efforts to accomplish numerous tasks supporting the manufacture of Ares I-X spaceflight test hardware.

One-hundred and eighty-eight members of the Ares I-X Upper Stage Simulator Team, for the management, design, analysis, manufacture, test and verification of the Upper Stage Simulator for the Ares I-X flight test.

One-hundred and thirteen members of the ASC Engineering Unit, for significant contributions to the development and delivery of the Advanced Free-Piston Stirling Convertor Engineering Unit under NASA Radioisotope Power Conversion.

One-hundred and eighty-one members of the FCF Development Team, for exceptional contributions to the development of the Fluids and Combustion Facility, enabling world-class research to be conducted on the International Space Station.

Six members of the HI-VAC Hall Thrusters Team, for successfully demonstrating an innovative in situ plasma discharge channel replacement technology that will extend Hall thruster lifetimes.

Ten members of the NASA Glenn Web Portal Team, for significant performance developing the creative outreach tools that started with the NASA Anatomy Flash feature and focus on NASA’s medical spinoff research/technology.

Thirty-three members of the SEMAA Group Achievement Award Team, for exceptional performance, innovations and impacts made on K-12 students and the NASA education pipeline.

Twenty-two members of the SiC High Temperature Integrated Circuit Team, for the team’s exceptional research accomplishment in demonstrating a silicon carbide integrated circuit that operates at 500 degrees Celsius for more than 2,000 hours.

Seven members of The Clean Team, for exceptional initiative and leadership in addressing complex facility and operational issues impacting employee workplace quality.