American Astronautical Society Board of Directors Nominees 2018-2020 Term David Alexander Currently a Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Rice University, primary area of research is space physics. Serves as the Director of the Rice Space Institute after appointment to this position in March 2012. Joined the faculty at Rice in 2003, from the Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center in Palo Alto, California where he was a Staff Physicist working on the development of advanced space missions for solar and space physics. Received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2004 and was appointed a Kavli Frontiers Fellow by the National Academy of Sciences in 2006. Served the solar physics community at large through the auspices of the Solar Physics Division of the American Astronomical Society, as Chair and Vice Chair. Has held a number of leadership roles with the American Geophysical Union, as an Associate Editor for JGR-Space, as a two-term member of the Publications Committee, and on numerous editor and editor-in-chief searches. Since March of 2012, has served as the Director of the Rice Space Institute (RSI) where he has fostered greater collaboration between the Rice research community, a number of NASA Centers, most notably JSC, MSFC and JPL, and the aerospace industry in Houston. Recently, this has expanded to include Earth remote sensing, bio-manufacturing, space medicine, space architecture, and spaceports. During his tenure in this role, RSI has gained international prominence as an academic center for space exploration, created a growing Professional Science Masters in Space Studies, secured a Space Act agreement with NASA JSC (recently extended to 2021), created a highly popular public lecture series and has fostered a wide range of national and international collaborations with a variety of space companies and organizations. David is currently on the advisory boards of SpaceCom and the Sasakawa International Center for Space Architecture at the University of Houston and on the editorial boards of Space Science Reviews and ROOM: The Space Journal. He serves on the Marshall Scholars Selection Committee for the Houston region, was recently appointed a GlobalScot by the Scottish Government and to the sub-committee on the Science of Space of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Steven Arnold Steven Arnold is the Deputy Executive for Civil Space at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL). He is responsible for strategic activities such as core technology development, internal research and development, external partnering programs, and program formulation and execution. He has oversight of major space programs with sponsors such as NASA, NOAA, and DoD. He also oversees the Applied Physics Laboratory s efforts for low-cost and alternative access to space, including small satellite platforms and satellite-based hosted payloads. Steven joined JHU/APL in 2010 after 15 years at Hughes and DirecTV, where he held several senior technical and management positions in the commercial satellite industry. He started his career at IBM over two decades ago. He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech and an MS in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University. Kate Becker Kate Becker has worked at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) since 2011, serving in the NOAA Program Coordination Office, the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) International and Interagency Affairs Division, the NESDIS Chief of Staff Office, and currently in the NESDIS Office of System Architecture and Advanced Planning. Kate brings knowledge of the broader space policy community to NOAA, having worked in the White House Office of Management and Budget Science and Space Branch and at the George Washington University Space Policy Institute. She specializes in advising on policy and organizational processes, senior leadership support, strategic coordination of organization-wide initiatives, and technical and science communication. Prior to working in space policy, Kate worked in space science education at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center. Kate holds bachelor's degrees in Physics and Mathematical Sciences, and master's degrees in Theology & Ethics and International Science & Technology Policy with a focus in Space Policy. She is a private pilot, a math tutor, and a member of the Space Generation Advisory Council and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics National Capital Section Council.
Dr. Robert H. Bishop Dr. Robert H. Bishop is the Dean of Engineering at the University of South Florida and is a full professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering. He also held the endowed position of Opus Dean of Engineering at Marquette University. Previously he was the Chairman of the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at The University of Texas at Austin where he held the Joe J. King Professorship and was a Distinguished Teaching Professor. Prior to UT, he was a member of the technical staff at the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory. Dr. Bishop is a specialist in the area of systems and control theory and applications. His current research interests are in the area of advanced navigation algorithm development with fast-toflight characteristics, integrated navigation and guidance for planetary precision landing, small satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles. He co-authors one of the world's leading textbooks in control theory, and has authored two other textbooks, edited two handbooks, and authored/co-authored over one hundred and thirty-five journal and conference papers. His undergraduate textbook Modern Control Systems (co-authored with R. C. Dorf) has been adopted in hundreds of universities worldwide having been revised and translated into twelve foreign languages. His book on graphical programming entitled Learning with LabVIEW was a collaborative effort between the author and National Instruments and is also used worldwide. Dr. Bishop developed the Mechatronics Handbookand the spin-off book Mechatronics: An Introduction. He received the John Leland Atwood Award by the American Society of Engineering Educators and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics that is given periodically to a leader who has made lasting and significant contributions to aerospace engineering education." Dr. Bishop was inducted into the UT Academy of Distinguished Teaching Professors. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and a Fellow of the American Astronautical Association (AAS). Laura Delgado López Laura Delgado López joined Harris Corporation s Space and Intelligence Systems Segment in July 2016. As the Environmental Solutions Strategic Account Manager, she leads stakeholder engagement with key customers and partners for the business unit, and provides advocacy support for international initiatives across Harris space portfolio. Ms. Delgado López is also the Editor in Chief of Space Policy Journal, the premier academic publication for the international space policy community. Before joining Harris, Ms. Delgado López spent five years in the non-profit sector. She was a Project Manager at the Secure World Foundation, where she led the SWF Human and
Environmental Security initiative as well as engagement with the Latin American space community. Of note are her recent positions as Earth Observations Associate at the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies and as a correspondent for SpacePolicyOnline.com. Ms. Delgado López s research has been featured in publications such as Space Policy, Astropolitics, and Space News, and has led to media appearances in major Spanish-speaking media outlets, including CNN en Español. She holds a Master of Arts in international science and technology with a focus on space policy from the George Washington University. She was a 2009 Truman Scholar and a 2009-2010 Northrop Grumman Fellow at GWU s Space Policy Institute. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Puerto Rico. Susan Irwin Ms. Irwin is President of Irwin Communications, a consulting firm specializing in the satellite communications and space sectors. She has held key positions in the satellite communications industry for more than 35 years. She started her career as a telecommunications policy analyst for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, where she facilitated some of the early commercial and public service satellite activities in the US and emerging regions. Since 1985, when she founded Irwin Communications, Ms. Irwin has provided strategic consulting services to satellite service providers, manufacturers, government agencies and investors worldwide. Since its inception in 2001, she has been Conference Chair of SATCON, annually held in New York City and now owned and operated by NAB. In 2010, she opened the US office of Euroconsult, and was President of Euroconsult USA until 2014. She continues to serve as a Principal Advisor to Euroconsult. Ms. Irwin serves on the Advisory Board of Kymeta Corporation, is co-founder and Director Emeritus of the Society of Satellite Professionals International, Director Emeritus of the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation, served as Vice President of the American Astronautical Society and on the Board of Governors of the Pacific Telecommunications Council. In 2013, Ms. Irwin was inducted into the SSPI Satellite Hall of Fame. She holds a Masters of Arts degree from San Francisco State University.
Kathleen Karika Kathleen Karika is a Sales Manager in Lockheed Martin Space System Company s Commercial Space Department. She supports the international sales and marketing efforts of Lockheed Martin s Commercial Remote Sensing Program and the A2100 telecommunications satellite, specifically focused on the Middle East. In 2012, Kathleen graduated with a Masters in International Affairs from Texas A&M University s George H. W. Bush School of Government and Public Service. Her studies focused on National Security and Space, specifically space deterrence, IMINT and SIGINT sharing, and space programs in India, China, and Russia. Her article Healing U.S-Russia Relations through Mutually Beneficial Space Cooperation was published in the Fall 2014 edition of the Heinz Journal at Carnegie Mellon University. Prior to working at Lockheed Martin, she interned at NASA Ames Emerging Commercial Space Office researching factors influencing the likelihood of success of an experiment on the International Space Station. She also interned on the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology, and at the Washington, D.C. management consulting firm Avascent performing data analysis. She studied in Budapest, Hungary for a year as she completed her undergraduate degree at Texas A&M in Applied Mathematical Sciences with minors in Statistics and Economics. She speaks Hungarian and is learning Arabic. Zigmond Leszczynski Zigmond Zig Leszczynski serves as Systems Director for Technical Assessments & Studies, in the Strategic Assessments & Studies Division at The Aerospace Corporation. He represents Aerospace in executive-level events around Washington, D.C., and before his current position, served as Systems Director for Science & Technology Programs in NASA & Civil Space Division. Prior to joining Aerospace in late 2015, Zigmond served as Deputy Executive Director of the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority (VCSFA), which owns and operates the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS). He led during a period of extraordinary growth in new capabilities, which included launching cargo to International Space Station (ISS), launching the NASA Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) to the Moon, and launching Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) missions for DoD. He coordinated with executives in Commercial Space, Virginia General Assembly, Virginia DC Congressional Delegation, and FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST), and received multiple awards, including NASA Group Achievement Award to the 2013 Wallops Launch Support Team, Robert H. Goddard Exceptional Achievement Customer Service Team to the 2013 Wallops Launch Support Team, and NASA Group Achievement Award to Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Detector Environment Explorer. In 2010, Zigmond retired from the Navy as a Commander, following 21 years of Service. He created and served in multiple senior leadership and director positions, supporting Joint Space
Operations and Information Operations by developing innovative teams, technologies, and processes. He also served as an S-3B Viking Mission Commander and Strike Lead, logging 440 aircraft carrier arrested landings/catapult launches, 2000+ hours of flight time, and receiving multiple awards, including Meritorious Service Medals, Air Medals, Navy Commendation Medals, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and the Air Force Achievement Medal. Zigmond is on the American Astronautical Society (AAS) Board of Directors, an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), serves as a member of the AIAA Space Transportation Technical Committee and Committee on Standards for Systems Engineering and Commercial Space. He is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Computational Intelligence Society, and the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. Zigmond is also a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) and Open Water Diver. He graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1989 with a BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ABET), and earned a MS in Astronautical Engineering (ABET) from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) Space Systems Engineering curriculum in 1998. His Master s thesis in Advanced Numerical Computing was sponsored by the NASA/Caltech JPL Mars Program Office, where he developed an Aerocapture Simulation (ACAPS) tool for the JPL Project Design Center. Suneel I. Sheikh Suneel Sheikh is the CEO and Chief Research Scientist of the Advanced Space Technology and Research Laboratories (ASTER Labs), Inc., as well as co-founder of the company in 2004. ASTER Labs is an aerospace research firm that focuses primarily in the area of spacecraft navigation and control as well as space operations. Sheikh created the company in part to operate as a bridge between the progressive, high-grade research at universities and the rapid development cycles of the aerospace industry. Before returning to pursue a doctoral degree, Dr. Sheikh worked in the aerospace industry for ten years. Dr. Sheikh first worked for the Martin Marietta Corporation in their Titan IV launch group, concentrating on vehicle guidance analysis. He then worked for Honeywell Inc. at their Honeywell Technology Lab, primarily on research of aerospace vehicle inertial navigation systems (INS). This research focused on designing software and hardware for prototype navigation systems, including those that integrate inertial measurement units and Global Positioning System (GPS) sensors. He designed and wrote covariance analysis software to be used in determining the performance of these systems. His GPS research included aircraft landing systems and GPS attitude determination, and he holds several patents in these areas. The final program Dr. Sheikh was involved with at Honeywell was with NASA on the Space
Integrated INS/GPS (SIGI) system, an operational navigation system onboard the International Space Station. Dr. Sheikh s Ph.D. dissertation research study was on the use of X-ray celestial sources, including pulsars, as navigation aids for spacecraft. This research was made possible by a significant scholarship he received from the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation. This X-ray navigation or XNAV, and X-ray timing, or XTIM, technology is the basis for the development of several on-going programs by DARPA and NASA on the subject. In conjunction with on-going spacecraft navigation research, Sheikh also pursues research in the development of sensors for terrestrial personal and medical navigation, which can eventually be utilized by surface exploration astronauts. Sheikh also supports the development of ASTER Labs commercial Orbitus ED, Aptus, and Sidera products, designed as an educational tool for engineering, physics, and astronomy students written in MATLAB to display satellite orbits, transfers, and attitude. As an active member of several professional aerospace societies, including American Astronautical Society (AAS), American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the Institute of Navigation (ION), and the Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN), Dr. Sheikh is a frequent paper author at conferences and serves often as a conference session chairperson. He is also a member of several astronomical societies, including the American Astronomical Society (AAS) and the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Dr. Sheikh currently serves as the Outreach Chair for the North Star Section of the ION, where he runs the ION Autonomous Snowplow Competition. He holds a Ph.D. degree from the University of Maryland in Aerospace Engineering, and a Master of Science degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University, with an emphasis on spacecraft dynamics and control. He graduated with a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics and a Bachelor of Mathematics from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Sheikh is an avid pilot and aircraft owner. Suneel and his wife and son currently reside in the St. Paul, MN area, after spending a number of years in the College Park, MD area during his Ph.D. research. Micheline Tabache Micheline Tabache has been the Head of the European Space Agency office in Washington since March 2013. She represents the Agency in the United States and Canada, and supports the implementation of the Agency s cooperation with these two States, and the identification of new areas of potential collaboration. Micheline was Administrator in the International Relations Department of the European Space
Agency for 12 years, and was responsible for the US, Africa, Mediterranean and Middle East desks. Before re-joining ESA, she was an Associate with Booz Allen &Hamilton, performing and managing technical contracts principally for the European Space Agency, but also for the European Commission or the World Bank. Prior to this, Micheline was a Product Assurance Engineer in the Microgravity Division at ESA Estec, for Spacelab and Photon instruments. Micheline is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and holds a Master of Science in electronic materials. Micheline also holds a Chemical Engineering master degree, from Ecole Nationale Superieure de Chimie de Paris.