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Advancing Aeronautical Safety: A Review of NASA's Aviation Safety-Related Research Programs (2010)

Chapter: Appendix B Committee Biographical Information

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix B Committee Biographical Information." Transportation Research Board and National Research Council. 2010. Advancing Aeronautical Safety: A Review of NASA's Aviation Safety-Related Research Programs. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12950.
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B
Committee Biographical Information

H. NORMAN ABRAMSON, Chair, is executive vice president (emeritus) of Southwest Research Institute. He is internationally known in the field of theoretical and applied mechanics. His specific area of expertise is in the dynamics of contained liquids in astronautical, nuclear, and marine systems. He began his career as an associate professor of aeronautical engineering at Texas A&M University and has served as vice president and governor of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). He is an AIAA fellow and fellow and honorary member of the ASME. He received his Ph.D. in engineering mechanics from the University of Texas at Austin. As a member of the National Academy of Engineering, he served on its council from 1984 to 1990. He has also chaired and served on many other NAE and NRC committees, including chair of the Committee on R&D Strategies to Improve Surface Transportation Security, the Transportation Research Board’s (TRB’s) Research and Technology Coordinating Committee, and TRB’s Federal Transportation R&D Strategic Planning Process. He was as a member of the U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board from 1986 to 1990. From 2000 to 2002, he chaired the Committee for a Study of Public Sector Requirements for a Small Aircraft Transportation System, which was sponsored by NASA. He was vice chair of the Committee for a Review of the National Transportation Science and Technology Strategy. He recently served on the Committee on National Institute of Aerospace Proposal Reviews and the Committee on the Role of Naval Forces in the Global War on Terror. He is currently a member of the Oversight Committee for the Strategic Highway Research Program 2.


ROBERT T. FRANCIS, Vice Chair, is senior policy advisor for Zuckert, Scoutt, and Rasenberger, LLP. He is the past vice chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). After joining the NTSB, he was the senior official at a number of transportation accident investigations, including the explosion and crash of TWA Flight 800 off Long Island, New York; the crash of ValuJet Flight 592 in the Florida Everglades; and a Learjet 35 accident in Mina, South Dakota. Mr. Francis also has chaired a number of NTSB public hearings, including the hearing on Part 145 aviation maintenance practices and oversight, the hearing on Korean Air Flight 801 that crashed in Guam, and the hearing on passive grade crossing safety in the United States. Prior to his appointment to NTSB, he served as senior representative for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in western Europe and North Africa. Representing the FAA administrator, he worked extensively on aviation safety and security issues with U.S. and foreign air carriers, transportation governmental authorities, aircraft manufacturers, and airports. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors of the Flight Safety Foundation and is actively involved as

Suggested Citation:"Appendix B Committee Biographical Information." Transportation Research Board and National Research Council. 2010. Advancing Aeronautical Safety: A Review of NASA's Aviation Safety-Related Research Programs. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12950.
×

a member of the foundation’s ICARUS Committee, a group of worldwide aviation experts who gather informally to share ideas on reducing human error in the cockpit. He has specialized in international aviation safety issues and has spoken extensively on this subject. Mr. Francis is a recipient of an Aviation Week and Space Technology 1996 Laurels Award and was recognized by both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard for meritorious service in the TWA Flight 800 investigation. He received his A.B. from Williams College.


ELLA M. ATKINS is associate professor of aeronautical engineering, University of Michigan. Her research focuses on the integration of strategic and tactical planning and optimization algorithms to enable robust, autonomous aircraft and spacecraft flight in the presence of system failures and environmental uncertainties. Before joining the faculty of the University of Michigan, she was assistant professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Maryland. She is author of more than 60 archival and conference publications and serves as an associate editor for the AIAA Journal of Aerospace Computing, Information, and Communication. She is a technical program chair for the AIAA Infotech@Aerospace conference and has served on several review boards and panels. She is chair-elect of the AIAA Intelligent Systems Technical Committee, an associate fellow of AIAA, a member of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and a private pilot. She earned her B.S., M.S, and Ph.D. in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and an M.S. and Ph.D. in computer science and engineering from the University of Michigan. She has served on the NRC’s Panel E: Intelligent and Autonomous Systems, Operations and Decision Making, Human Integrated Systems, Networking, and Communications.


DEBORAH A. BOEHM-DAVIS is university professor and chair of the psychology department at George Mason University. She worked on applied cognitive research at General Electric, NASA Ames Research Center, and Bell Laboratories prior to joining George Mason University in 1984. She is also the recipient of a Medical Devices Fellowship Program award that allowed her to serve as a senior policy advisor for human factors at the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. Her research interests include the analysis of pilot procedures and practices for automated flight decks. She has served as president of Division 21 (Applied Experimental and Engineering Psychology) of the American Psychological Association (APA) and as president and secretary-treasurer of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES). She is an associate editor for Human Factors and the International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, and she serves on the editorial board of Theoretical Issues in Ergonomic Sciences. In 2003, she received the Franklin V. Taylor Award from Division 21 of the American Psychological Association. She is a fellow of the APA, the HFES, and the International Ergonomics Association. She holds an A.B. in psychology from Rutgers the State University (Douglass College) and an M.A. and Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Boehm-Davis is currently a member of the NRC Committee on Human-Systems Integration.


JAMES BURIN is director of technical programs at the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), an independent, nonprofit organization engaged in research, education, and advocacy to improve aviation safety. As director, Mr. Burin organizes and oversees safety committees and manages safety-related conferences and research. Prior to joining the FSF, he was the director of the School of Aviation Safety, Monterey, California. He has 40 years of aviation experience and 32 years of experience in the field of aviation safety. He is a retired Navy captain, having commanded an attack squadron and carrier air wing during his 30-year military career. His work on aviation safety includes controlled flight into terrain, human factors, safety program organization, accident investigation, operations, education, and organizational and leadership influences on safety. He earned a B.A. from Dartmouth College and an M.S. in systems analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School.


COLIN G. DRURY is distinguished professor emeritus and chair of industrial engineering of the State of University of New York at Buffalo, concentrating on the application of human factors techniques to manufacturing and maintenance processes. He was manager of ergonomics at Pilkington Glass. He has published extensively on topics in industrial process control, quality control, aviation maintenance, and safety and was the North American editor of Applied Ergonomics. From 1988 to 1993, he was the founding executive director of the Center for Industrial

Suggested Citation:"Appendix B Committee Biographical Information." Transportation Research Board and National Research Council. 2010. Advancing Aeronautical Safety: A Review of NASA's Aviation Safety-Related Research Programs. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12950.
×

Effectiveness. He is a fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineers, the Ergonomics Society, the Human Factors Ergonomics Society (HFES), and the International Ergonomics Society. Dr. Drury received the Bartlett Medal of the Ergonomics Society and the Fitts Award of the Human Factors Ergonomics Society. He was also awarded the HFES’s Lauer Safety Award, the FAA’s Excellence in Aviation Research Award, and the American Association of Engineering Society’s Kenneth A. Roe Award. He received his B.Sc. in physics from the University of Sheffield and his Ph.D. in engineering production from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. He has served on a number of NRC committees including the Committee on Assessment of Security Technologies for Transportation and the Committee to Evaluate the Safety and Environmental Metrics for Potential Application at Chemical Agent Disposal Facilities.


R. JOHN HANSMAN, JR. is a professor and director of the MIT International Center for Air Transportation. In addition to teaching, Dr. Hansman conducts research in several areas related to air transportation, flight vehicle operations, and safety. His current research activities focus on information technology applied to air transportation systems, air traffic control, integrated human-automation systems, advanced vehicles, and advanced cockpit information systems. He is also an internationally recognized expert in aviation meteorological hazards, such as icing and wind shear. He received his Ph.D. in physics, meteorology, aeronautics, and astronautics from MIT. Dr. Hansman served on the NRC Committee to Identify Potential Breakthrough Technologies and Assess Long-Term R&D Goals in Aeronautics and Space Transportation Technology and the Committee on the Effects of Aircraft-Pilot Coupling on Flight Safety.


PIERRE T. KABAMBA is a professor of aerospace engineering in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan. His research interests are in the area of linear and nonlinear dynamic systems, robust control, guidance and navigation, and intelligent control. His recent research activities have aimed at the development of quasi-linear control theory and the design, scheduling, and operation of multi-spacecraft interferometric imaging systems to be used to obtain images of exo-solar planets. Moreover, he has done work in the analysis and optimization of random search algorithms. He is also doing work in simultaneous path planning and communication scheduling for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) under the constraint of radar avoidance. He is author or co-author of more than 170 publications in refereed journals and refereed conferences. He is a fellow of the IEEE. He received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Columbia University.


JAMES R. KRODEL is a fellow of the Control Systems Verification and Validation Group at Pratt and Whitney Jet Engines. Mr. Krodel has more than 30 years of experience in the aerospace software domain. He has held several technical and managerial positions in software development of embedded systems, including software for the full authority digital electronic engine control for the Pratt and Whitney PW4084 jet engine propulsion system on the Boeing 777 aircraft. Mr. Krodel is a designated engineer representative for software and also worked several years in the software quality assurance domain and is a certified lead TickIT auditor for the International Standards Organizations 9001 family of standards. He has conducted several studies relating to commercial off-the-shelf software in the avionics domain and is currently assisting in the integration of several disciplines in engine control systems. Mr. Krodel was chair of RTCA Inc.’s Special Committee (SC)190, which completed additional clarification guidance regarding DO-178B, “Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification” (also known as ED-12B). This committee work included harmonization of the document with EUROCAE Working Group 52. Currently, he chairs SC205, which is taking into consideration modifications to DO-178B. He holds a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Connecticut and has been a research affiliate lecturer on systems and software development in aerospace systems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.


RAYMOND R. LaFREY retired in 2003 as manager of the MIT Lincoln Laboratory Air Traffic Control (ATC) Mission Area. He joined Lincoln Laboratory in 1969 and began developing air traffic control technology in 1974. During 1977-1982, he led the development of the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS II) flight hardware, flight-test activities, and air-to-air coordination logic. He later led the development of a civil GPS navigation set, the Parallel Runway Monitor, and ADS-B experimental avionics and field trials. As manager of

Suggested Citation:"Appendix B Committee Biographical Information." Transportation Research Board and National Research Council. 2010. Advancing Aeronautical Safety: A Review of NASA's Aviation Safety-Related Research Programs. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12950.
×

the ATC Mission Area, he oversaw the development of airport surface technology, open architecture surveillance systems, and integrated terminal and regional weather systems. He served on a Defense Science Board for Aviation Safety, the FAA Research Engineering and Development Advisory Committee, and is a member of the FAA National Airspace System Operations subcommittee. He has chaired several major FAA studies, served on two NRC studies, received awards from the FAA and a Collier Medal for his work on ADS-B. He received a B.S.E.E. (High Honors) and an M.S.E.E. at Michigan State University.


EDMOND L. SOLIDAY is an Indiana state representative serving on the transportation, commerce, energy, and technology committees. He serves on the MIT Global Airline Industry Program Advisory Group. Previously, he was employed by United Airlines for more than 35 years as a pilot, human factors instructor, flight manager, and staff executive, serving the last 11 as vice president of safety, quality assurance, and security. He has served on numerous aviation safety-related advisory boards and commissions, and he has chaired the Commercial Aviation Safety Team, the Air Transport Association Safety Council, the Star Alliance Safety Committee, and the ATA Environmental Committee. Captain Soliday formerly served on the Executive Board of the Flight Safety Foundation. Among his awards are the Bendix Trophy, the Vanguard Trophy, and the Laura Tabor Barbour International Air Safety Award. Captain Soliday previously served on NRC’s Organizing Committee for the Workshop on Assessing the Research and Development Plan for the Next Generation Air Transportation System and the Steering Committee on Decadal Survey of Civil Aeronautics. He is a member of the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board.


CORNELIA TOWNSEND is the director of Aviation Safety at Boeing Commercial Airplanes. She is responsible for leading all commercial airplane product-safety-related activities, including accident investigations, continued airworthiness efforts, and safety assessments for new and derivative airplanes. Ms. Townsend also leads Boeing’s participation in industry global safety programs and commercial airplanes human factors core team, which is functionally responsible for human performance analysis and reducing human error in aviation operations. Previously, she was the chief project engineer responsible for ensuring the product integrity and safety of the 747 while improving the 747’s value from the customer perspective. Her career with Boeing has included assignments in aerodynamics engineering and customer engineering. Ms. Townsend has held positions as manager, 777 program management; senior manager, 747/767/777 airplane performance, safety, certification, and test and validation; 747 airplane level functional integration team leader; and 747 deputy chief project engineer. She received a B.S. in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado and a M.B.A. from Seattle University.


ERIC J. TUEGEL is a senior engineer at the Air Force Research Laboratory. He has been involved in structural mechanics research, especially in the area of fatigue and fracture, for more than 25 years, the last 8 years at the Air Force Research Laboratory. He spent 9 years at McDonnell Douglas Corporation (MDC). improving aircraft structural integrity analysis methods through the application of new concepts in fatigue and fracture. Prior to joining MDC, he worked on models for elasto-plastic material behavior and crack nucleation while an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. Currently, Dr. Tuegel is the team leader for Structural Life Forecasting Methods in the Structural Sciences Center of the Air Vehicles Directorate. Dr. Tuegel has been a member of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Committee E-08 on Fatigue and Fracture and the ASME since 1983. He chairs the ASTM Task Group on Variability, Statistic and Probabilistic Modeling in Fatigue for the committee. He received his B.S. in physics from Butler University and his M.S. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois.


RAYMOND VALEIKA is an independent consultant. He advises major companies on aviation matters. He is an internationally recognized senior airline operations executive with more than 40 years of managing the maintenance operations of large airlines. Mr. Valeika recently retired from Delta Airlines as senior vice president of technical operations (TechOps), where he directed a worldwide maintenance and engineering staff of more than 10,000 professionals, maintaining a fleet of nearly 600 aircraft. Through his leadership and focus on continuous improvement of the human processes in aviation maintenance, Delta TechOps consistently rated at the top of the industry for performance benchmarks in the areas of safety, quality, productivity, and reliability. Mr. Valeika was

Suggested Citation:"Appendix B Committee Biographical Information." Transportation Research Board and National Research Council. 2010. Advancing Aeronautical Safety: A Review of NASA's Aviation Safety-Related Research Programs. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12950.
×

honored with the Air Transport Association’s (ATA’s) Nuts & Bolts award, recognizing his leadership in the aviation industry. He has been recognized with a Humanitarian Award from the Community Mayors of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, and a Laurel from Aviation Week and Space Technology for his role in human factors training at Continental. In October 1999, Mr. Valeika received the Marvin Whitlock Award from the Society of Automotive Engineers. Most recently, the Aviation Week Group honored him with a lifetime achievement award. Previously, he held senior executive positions with Pan Am and Continental Airlines as well as Delta. He graduated from St. Louis University with a degree in aeronautical engineering. He has previously served on the Committee for the Evaluation of NASA’s Fundamental Aeronautics Research Program, the Committee on Analysis of Air Force Engine Efficiency Improvement Options for Large Non-Fighter Aircraft and the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board.


WILLIAM WHITTON is vice president of the Gulfstream Organizational Designation Authorization (ODA) Office of Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, a subsidiary of General Dynamics. He leads the business-jet manufacturer’s ODA activities, which include oversight of type certification, production certification and major repair and alterations airworthiness on behalf of the FAA. Prior to this, he served as director of aircraft system engineering where he was involved in the design, development, certification, and support of the G350, G450, G500, and G550 business jets. Prior to Gulfstream, he worked for Boeing Commercial Airplanes for 15 years, last serving as aircraft systems engineering leader on Boeing 747 programs. He has a B.S. in mathematics from the University of Puget Sound and a B.S.E.E. from Portland State University.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix B Committee Biographical Information." Transportation Research Board and National Research Council. 2010. Advancing Aeronautical Safety: A Review of NASA's Aviation Safety-Related Research Programs. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12950.
×
Page 60
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B Committee Biographical Information." Transportation Research Board and National Research Council. 2010. Advancing Aeronautical Safety: A Review of NASA's Aviation Safety-Related Research Programs. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12950.
×
Page 61
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B Committee Biographical Information." Transportation Research Board and National Research Council. 2010. Advancing Aeronautical Safety: A Review of NASA's Aviation Safety-Related Research Programs. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12950.
×
Page 62
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B Committee Biographical Information." Transportation Research Board and National Research Council. 2010. Advancing Aeronautical Safety: A Review of NASA's Aviation Safety-Related Research Programs. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12950.
×
Page 63
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B Committee Biographical Information." Transportation Research Board and National Research Council. 2010. Advancing Aeronautical Safety: A Review of NASA's Aviation Safety-Related Research Programs. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12950.
×
Page 64
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Advancing the state of aviation safety is a central mission of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Congress requested this review of NASA's aviation safety-related research programs, seeking an assessment of whether the programs have well-defined, prioritized, and appropriate research objectives; whether resources have been allocated appropriately among these objectives; whether the programs are well coordinated with the safety research programs of the Federal Aviation Administration; and whether suitable mechanisms are in place for transitioning the research results into operational technologies and procedures and certification activities in a timely manner.

Advancing Aeronautical Safety contains findings and recommendations with respect to each of the main aspects of the review sought by Congress. These findings indicate that NASA's aeronautics research enterprise has made, and continues to make, valuable contributions to aviation system safety but it is falling short and needs improvement in some key respects.

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