Dr. James (Jim) Heidmann currently serves as Manager of NASA’s Advanced Air Transport Technology Project. In this capacity, he leads NASA’s technology development for subsonic transport aircraft. Prior to this role, he served as Acting Deputy Director of NASA’s Advanced Air Vehicles Program, managed NASA’s Advanced Air Transport Technology and Transformational Tools & Technologies Projects, and also served as Chief of the Turbomachinery and Heat Transfer Branch. In addition to these management roles, Dr. Heidmann spent 20 years as an Aerospace Research Engineer, publishing over 20 papers and journal articles in the area of turbomachinery aerodynamics and heat transfer. He was elected Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) in 2007, Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) in 2015, and received the Outstanding Mechanical Engineer (OME) Award from Purdue University School of Mechanical Engineering in 2017. Dr. Heidmann received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toledo in 1986, Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University in 1988, and Doctorate in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Case Western Reserve University in 1997.
People Category: Forums
Robyn Gatens
Ms. Robyn Gatens is the director of the International Space Station (ISS) in the Human Exploration and Operations mission directorate at NASA Headquarters. She is also an agency senior expert for environmental control and life support (ECLSS) and crew health and performance systems.
As ISS director, Gatens leads strategy, policy, integration, and stakeholder engagement for the space station program at the agency level, including use of the station for research and technology demonstrations including to support NASA’s Artemis missions, and activities to secure an ongoing U.S. presence in low-Earth orbit (LEO) by enabling a successful, long-term private sector commercial LEO space economy.
In her 35 years at NASA, Gatens has led the development and management of life support and habitation systems for human spaceflight missions. She has also led agency strategic and budget planning to mature these habitation system technologies needed for future deep space exploration missions, using the ISS as a demonstration testbed.
She began her NASA career in 1985 at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. She held various leadership positions at Marshall, including manager for the Orion spacecraft crew support and thermal systems before transferring to NASA Headquarters in 2012.
Gatens is the recipient of NASA’s Outstanding Leadership and Exceptional Achievement Medals and holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Patrick Darmstadt
Mr. Darmstadt is a drive and power systems engineer and technologist at the Boeing Company. He has 10 years’ experience in dynamic systems and propulsion system design and technology development. He has helped to establish an electric propulsion design and analysis capability within Boeing’s Vertical Lift Business Unit. He is currently supporting multiple electric propulsion programs, including group 1, 3, and 5 unmanned aerial systems and manned air-vehicles, each in various stages of the design, build, and test development cycle. He is an active member of the VFS Propulsion Committee and SAE Transmission and Driveline Committee. He was lead author and principal investigator for the NASA sponsored, Hazard Analysis and Failure Modes and Effects Criticality Analysis (FMECA) of Four Concept Vehicle Propulsion Systems.
David Hall
Dr. Hall is a Research Engineer at the MIT Gas Turbine Laboratory, where he conducts research on advanced aircraft propulsion technology, including propulsion-airframe integration and electrification. Prior to his current role at MIT, he was the Propulsion Group Lead at Aurora Flight Sciences, where he led a multi-disciplinary team in advanced propulsion research and rapid development of propulsion systems for experimental prototype aircraft, including leading the Aurora team supporting Boeing’s Electrified Aircraft Propulsion (EAP) Program with NASA. In January 2021, he will be joining the Aerospace Engineering faculty at The Pennsylvania State University as an assistant professor.
As a graduate student at MIT, Hall was a member of the team that developed the D8 aircraft concept during the NASA N+3 Program. After graduating in 2015, he spent two terms teaching at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) as a Postdoctoral Fellow before returning to the MIT Gas Turbine Laboratory, where he was the technical lead for the NASA LEARN3 Program investigating the feasibility of electrified propulsion for ultra-efficient commercial aircraft.
Dr. Hall received his Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics from Duke University and his Masters and PhD in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT. He is a member of the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
Brian Brady
Dr. Brian B. Brady is a Principal Scientist at the Aerospace Corporation. Brian received his Ph.D. from Columbia University and his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania. Brian is currently investigating hybrid rocket motor testing, methane coking rates, and green propellant properties in a new propulsion research facility. He also investigates small satellite propulsion technologies. He tested flammability of launch vehicle coatings, safety of monopropellant replacements for hydrazine, and explosion generated debris risk for satellites. He is a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics where he serves on the Hybrid Rocket Technical Committee, and of the American Chemical Society where he is an ACS Fellow and a councilor for the Southern California Local Section.
Mary F. Wadel
Mary F. Wadel serves as the deputy director of Aeronautics at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s John H. Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. In this capacity, she assists in overseeing the center’s investments in research and development projects under the agency’s Advanced Air Vehicles, Integrated Aviation Systems, Airspace Operations and Safety, and Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Programs.
Immediately prior to her appointment, Wadel was the Formulation Co-lead for NASA’s proposed Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration Project, which will advance electrified aircraft propulsion technologies for commercial use. She will continue in this role concurrently until project formulation is complete.
Wadel began her NASA career in 1988 performing experimental research in rocket propulsion. She transitioned to working in aeronautics in 1999 as the project manager for aircraft icing. Since then, she has gone on to hold several project management positions, including stints with the Advanced Air Transport Technology Project, Cryogenic Fluid Management Project and Technology Investments in the Aeronautics Test Program. Wadel also spent eight years as the chief of NASA Glenn’s Aircraft Icing Branch.
The Ewa Beach, Hawaii native is the recipient of several individual and group awards, including the NASA Exceptional Service Medal and The Robert J. Collier Trophy as part of the Commercial Aviation Safety Team. She holds a bachelor’s in aerospace engineering from the University of Cincinnati and master’s in aerospace and mechanical engineering from Case Western Reserve University. Wadel and her family reside in Medina, Ohio.
Skyler Shuford
Skyler Shuford is the founder and Chief Operating Officer of Hermeus Corporation with primary effort devoted to hypersonic aircraft R&D, system analysis and test, company growth and strategy, internal process development, corporate communications and brand, and certification planning. Prior to Hermeus, Skyler was the Director of Avionics and Software at Generation Orbit, where he was responsible for design, analysis, manufacture, and test of the in-house developed flight and facility electronic systems and software and was the technical lead for the GN&C analysis, algorithms, and hardware for the X-60A, an Air Force X-Plane for hypersonic flight research. Skyler worked across the aerospace sector with time spent at SpaceX, Aerospace Corporation, Northrop Grumman, and Aerojet. Skyler holds a Master of Science degree with a minor in Computational Science from Penn State and a Bachelor of Science degree from Cal Poly, both in Aerospace Engineering.
Jonathan Cirtain
Dr. Jonathan W. Cirtain is vice president and chief technology officer of BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT). In this role, he is responsible for the identification and development of new technologies for the company, integrating expertise and resources across the enterprise. He joined BWXT as director of Commercial Technologies in 2017, most recently serving as president of Advanced Technology Programs.
Dr. Cirtain co-founded Astraea, Inc. – a small business created to design and develop a platform for machine learning and data science analytics utilizing Earth-observing satellite and in situ data sources. He served as the organization’s chief scientist and technologist.
Prior to his entrepreneurship, Dr. Cirtain spent nine years with NASA, beginning
his career as an astrophysicist and holding positions of increased responsibility at the Marshall Space Flight Center. He concluded his tenure with the agency as the manager of the Science Research Office, overseeing a staff of nearly 170 scientists and contractors in applied science and technology development.
With a passion for design and innovation, Dr. Cirtain has contributed to and
led teams in the development of leading science and technology application including, x-ray imaging telescopes, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) imaging telescopes, UV spectropolarimeters and EUV spectroscopic imagers for stellar astrophysics experiments. He also developed plasma confinement systems for lab research,
a solid rocket motor system for suborbital vehicles and graphics processing unit technology for video systems.
During his time with NASA in 2010, Dr. Cirtain received the most prestigious honor given by the U.S. government to scientists and engineers in the onset of their independent research careers – the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.
Among his various honors and appointments, Dr. Cirtain has served on advisory committees for NASA, the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy, National Academy for Science and Engineering, Royal Academy of Science, European Space Agency and numerous universities.
Dr. Cirtain earned his Ph.D. in physics from Montana State. A graduate of the University of Memphis, he also holds bachelor’s degrees in physics and mathematics.
David Hamill
As an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist, David Hamill has over 20 years of public and private sector experience in Human Resources, Strategic Workforce Planning, Talent Acquisition, and Personnel Selection. He has worked at the Department of Transportation, Marriott International, Transportation Security Administration, and now is the Director of Strategic Workforce Planning at the Federal Aviation Administration. Hamill graduated from Colorado State University and the University of Maryland in Baltimore.
Karl Hutter
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In 2015, Karl Hutter became the President and Chief Executive Officer of Click Bond, Inc. Prior to becoming CEO, from 2013-2015, Karl served as the Treasurer, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Financial Officer of the company. From 2008 – 2013, Karl served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing, where he focused on building Click Bond’s reputation as a solutions partner, enabling Click Bond’s technology on the F-35 program and numerous other key platforms across the commercial and defense aerospace sector.
Prior to leading the sales department, Karl spearheaded the company’s business development and applications engineering efforts across the Asia Pacific region, creating a strong foundation for global growth, particularly in Japan, China, and Australia. Karl holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science and in Entrepreneurial Management and Operations management from the Wharton School.
Karl is a certified Airline Transport Pilot and is an active advocate for the aerospace industry. He serves on the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) Board of Governors Executive Committee and Civil Aviation Leadership Council, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Board of Directors, the Aerospace Locknut Manufacturers Association (ALMA) Board of Directors, and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) Board of Directors . He is and the immediate past-Chairman of the Carson City Nevada Airport Authority and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Cardigan Mountain School.