People Category: Speaker Types

Daniel Lockney

View Official Bio
Daniel Lockney is the Technology Transfer Program Executive at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, responsible for Agency-level management of NASA intellectual property and the transfer of NASA technology to promote the commercialization and public availability of Federally-owned inventions to benefit the national economy and the U.S. public. Lockney oversees policy, strategy, resources, and direction for the Agency’s technology commercialization efforts.

NASA has had a long history of finding new, innovative uses for its space and aeronautics technologies, and Lockney is the Agency’s leading authority on these technologies and their practical, terrestrial applications.

Lockney studied American Literature at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and creative writing at Johns Hopkins University. He started his NASA career as a contractor in 2004, converting to civil service in 2010. He lives in University Park, Maryland, with his wife and two space pups, Astro and Cosmo

Sandra Cauffman

View Official Bio
Mrs. Cauffman currently serves as the Acting Division Director of the Earth Science Division, in the Science Mission Directorate at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters. She provides executive leadership, strategic direction, and overall management for the entire agency’s Earth Science portfolio, from technology development, applied science, research, mission implementation and operation.

Prior to joining NASA HQ, Mrs. Cauffman worked at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) for 25 years serving on a variety of roles. She served as the Deputy Systems Program Director for the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-R Series, a multi-billion dollar operational geostationary weather satellite program developed in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Before returning to the GOES program for the third time in her career, Mrs. Cauffman was the Deputy Project Manager for the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) Mission, a NASA mission to the red planet, which launched on November 18, 2013 and arrived at Mars on September 21, 2014. MAVEN is providing a comprehensive picture of the present state of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere of Mars and the processes controlling them to determine how loss of volatiles to outer space in the present epoch varies with changing solar conditions.

She served as the Project Manager (PM) for the Gravity and Extreme Magnetism Small Explorer (SMEX) (GEMS). In June 2009, GEMS was one of two missions selected for implementation competing on the 2008 SMEX Announcement of Opportunity (AO). GEMS was an Astrophysics mission using X-Ray polarimetry to probe the structure and effects of the formidable magnetic field around black holes, magnetars, dead stars. Previously, Mrs. Cauffman was the Assistant Director for Flight Projects Directorate since August 2004. As assistant Director, Mrs. Cauffman helped maintain technical and administrative oversight for the Directorate.

Mrs. Cauffman served as the Deputy Project Manager for the GOES-R Series Program. Before becoming the GOES-R Deputy Project Manager, Mrs. Cauffman served as the Instrument Systems Manager for GOES-R, overseeing the research, development and implementation of multi-million dollar instruments directed toward exploration of the earth’s environment, weather prediction, charged particle detection, advanced data collection and search and rescue techniques.

Before joining GOES (again), Mrs. Cauffman served as the Project Formulation Office (PFO) Office Chief, where she was responsible for planning, implementing, and coordinating all activities related to the development of feasible mission concepts, requirements generation and formulation of new projects to be implemented such us Global Precipitation Mission (GPM), Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM), Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO), Constellation X, and Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA).

Mrs. Cauffman worked on GOES as an Instrument Manager supporting the design, development, fabrication, test and launch and on-orbit checkout of the GOES-I/M and N/P SXI and SEM instruments. Mrs. Cauffman joined NASA in 1991, when she started as the Ground Systems Manager for the Satellite Servicing Project, where she supported missions such as Hubble Space Telescope (HST) First Servicing Mission, Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), and Explorers Platform (EP)/Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE). Before her NASA life, Mrs. Cauffman worked for Engineering and Economics Research (EER).

Mrs. Cauffman has been awarded the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal and the NASA Exceptional Leadership Medal. She is also a four times recipient of the NASA Acquisition Improvement Award. She is a Senior Fellow on the Council for Excellence in Government. She received a B.S. in Physics, a B.S in Electrical Engineering and a M.S. in Electrical Engineering, all from George Mason University. Mrs. Cauffman was born in Costa Rica and is fluent in Spanish.

Peter Shannon

Peter is an investor focused on advanced aerial mobility and its application toward positive impact for transportation across the economy.

Peter is active in the aviation community around regulatory and technology issues critical to enabling high-scale adoption of aerial mobility systems.  Peter helped create a national vision and roadmap for Urban Air Mobility as a member of the Committee on Urban Air Mobility Research and Technology through the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine.  Peter is also an appointee to NASA’s Aeronautics Research and Technology Roundtable.  Peter is involved in the FAA’s Unmanned Aerial System Integration Pilot Program and sits on committees developing standards for unmanned air traffic management, vehicle certification, and urban air mobility.

Earlier, Peter was at Firelake Capital and Atlas Venture, investing in transportation and sustainability technologies.

Peter’s entrepreneurial experience began while an undergraduate, when he co-founded Eye Response, Inc., a company that pioneered computer eye-tracking systems.

Peter holds an MBA, with High Honors, from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BS in Systems Engineering, with distinction, from the University of Virginia.  Peter started flying when he was 19 and actively maintains a Private Pilot Certificate with Instrument Rating.

Atherton Carty

Atherton is a technical executive within the Lockheed Martin Advanced Development Programs (ADP) organization, also known as ‘The Skunk Works’. He is responsible for leading the Enterprise Technology Roadmaps portfolio within the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, chartered with providing foundational Air Vehicle, Mission Systems and Survivability technologies as well as groundbreaking Revolutionary Technologies and Emerging Concepts. This broad and diverse portfolio is focused on providing enabling technology in support of both current and future programs to serve key customers’ needs.

In his current role, Atherton guides the strategic direction of the Technology Roadmaps portfolio and actively interfaces across both enterprise and industry to collaboratively identify, develop, mature and transition innovative technologies toward solutions. Robust partnerships with customers and stakeholders culminate in the definition and implementation of technology roadmaps and transition plans to enable innovative system solutions. Atherton is privileged to lead multiple innovative teams that routinely undertake groundbreaking technical challenges as evidenced by a recent 2018 Robert J. Collier Trophy.

Called upon by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Atherton served on multiple study committees in substantive appointed roles. He is an AIAA Associate Fellow and received the Lockheed Martin NOVA and AeroStar awards for his technical achievements. He holds a Master’s degree in mechanical engineering from George Washington University’s Joint Institute for the Advancement or Flight Sciences (JIAFS) at the NASA Langley Research Center and a Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Syracuse University. Atherton, his wife, and two sons reside in Southern California.

Paul McDuffee

Paul is a Business Development Executive responsible for advancing development and integration of autonomous systems for Boeing Horizon X. He serves as principal advisor to Horizon X on matters relating to regulation and policy for UAS operations and as advocate for UAS national airspace integration. Paul’s involvement in UAS development is extensive. Prior to joining Boeing, he held the position of Vice President of Government Relations for Insitu, Inc. responsible for driving much of the company efforts transitioning into to commercial and civil market opportunities. Prior to joining Insitu in 2006, he transitioned from a 30 year career in academia as a full professor, Chief Pilot/Instructor, and Vice President of Aviation Training at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.

He served two terms as a member of the AUVSI board of directors and Advocacy Committee. Paul was a charter member of the FAA’s small Unmanned Aircraft System Aviation Rulemaking Committee and past member of the FAA UAS Aviation Rulemaking Committee and the UAS Remote ID and Tracking Rulemaking Committee. Paul served two terms as chair of the Aeronautical Industries Association UAS Committee.  He served as co-chair of RTCA Special Committee 228 chartered by FAA to establish performance standards for UAS command and control and detect and avoid solutions for over 7 years. Paul was awarded the RTCA 2017 Achievement Award and Outstanding Leader Award. Paul is a former member of the Unmanned Aircraft Safety Team steering committee and was a member of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine UAS Risk Assessment and Urban Air Mobility Study Groups.

Paul is an active pilot and aircraft owner holding Airline Transport Pilot and Flight Instructor Certificates, with jet type ratings, has logged over 9000 flight hours and holds both a Bachelors and Master’s degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Jeanine Boyle

View Official Bio
Jeanine Boyle is the Vice President of Human Resources for Aurora Flight Sciences based in Manassas, Virginia. Joining Aurora in August 2018, She is responsible for the Human Resources strategy and execution. She focuses on providing strategic business partnering and developing compelling and innovative strategies to attract, retain and develop the best talent in aerospace.

Prior to Aurora, Boyle spent eight years with J&J. She held several roles

of increasing responsibility in the Pharmaceutical sector. In her last role, she was the Vice President of HR for US Pharmaceuticals with responsibility for 13,000 employees and $25B in revenue. Prior to J&J, she was Director, Human Resources at Siemens Healthcare where she led HR strategy across Siemens Health Services and led large scale organizational changes to support critical organizational effectiveness efforts. Prior to this, Boyle spent 10 years with Pfizer/ Wyeth Pharmaceuticals in both generalist and specialist roles. This role included two international

assignments to Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom.

Boyle earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Villanova University and her MBA from St. Joseph’s University, including an international study in Russia and Eastern Europe.

Rebecca Cointin

View Official Bio

Ms. Rebecca Cointin is the Deputy Director for the United States Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Environment and Energy. In that capacity, she works with the Executive Director of the office to lead staff under three primary divisions (noise, emissions, and policy/operations). In addition, she also directs, with the support of the chief scientific and technical advisor, technology development programs and is responsible for the policy, regulatory, modeling and analysis, and scientific/technical aspects of aviation environmental and energy issues. Prior to becoming the Deputy Director of the office in July 2019, she was the Noise Division Manager in the office.

Ms. Cointin oversees operations and research, engineering and development activities to advance the characterization of aircraft noise and emissions, computer-modeling techniques and methodologies to better estimate the environmental and health impacts of aviation related impacts and to assess measures to reduce those impacts. Among the variety of mitigation options explored, the office has an extensive development program that pursues aircraft and engine technologies and alternative fuels to improve performance and reduce environmental impacts. In addition, the program develops environmental certification requirements and explores new entrants such as supersonic aircraft and UAS from an environmental perspective.

Ms. Cointin also serves as the Noise Technical Working Group Co-Rapporteur to the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (ICAO-CAEP). She has over ten years of experience working with this Committee and its working groups in order to develop noise certification standards and recommended practices for commercial transport aircraft and addressing noise and emissions issues linked to airports and operations.

Ms. Cointin has seventeen years of experience in policy and regulatory aircraft noise and operations issues both with domestic and foreign authorities. Prior to joining the FAA, Ms. Cointin worked for multiple aviation-consulting firms. Ms. Cointin received her Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematics from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and her Masters of Science degree in Applied Mathematics from University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Om Sharma

Dr. Sharma received his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi in India and his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Birmingham University in Birmingham UK.

He joined Pratt & Whitney, East Hartford Connecticut in 1977 in Turbine Technology Group. In 1992 he was transferred to the Fans and Compressor Group as Chief of Aerodynamics. In 1998 he joined United Technologies Research Center as the Director of Modeling Simulation Analysis and Computational (MASC) initiative to enhance product development efforts in various divisions of the United Technology Corporation. He went back to Pratt & Whitney in 2000 to set up Center of Excellence in Aerodynamics to support the development of advanced commercial and military engines. Since 2007, he has been at the United Technologies Research Center as the Senior Technical Fellow in Aerodynamics and Gas Turbines.

He has made significant contributions to enhance the design processes used in axial flow turbines by utilizing a combination of physical and numerical experiments. He pioneered the use 3-D airfoils, clocking of airfoil rows, clocking of combustor generated hot-streaks to turbine first vanes to enhance the performance, and durability as well as structural integrity of turbines. He led the introduction of CFD based multi-stage codes to improve the performance and operability in fans and compressors including active stall avoidance demonstration in an operational gas turbine engine. In addition to providing assistance in solving tough technical problems, his current focus is on providing leadership in developing new design concepts to improve gas turbine engines by utilizing advanced high fidelity numerical simulations and controlled experiments.

Honors & awards:
-2019 R. Tom Sawyer Award “for contributions at the forefront of turbomachinery technology development in advanced engines for military and commercial applications through career efforts that have championed and harnessed the best available physics based analysis methods to pioneer step changes in turbomachinery capability”,
– International Gas Turbine Institute Scholar Award (2011),
– International Gas Turbine Institute Aircraft Engine Technology Award (2007),
– Distinguished Alumni Award from Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, India (1999), presented by the Board of Governors of Indian Institute of Technology New Delhi in recognition of outstanding technical achievements in developing high performance propulsion systems for aircrafts and rockets,
– United Technologies Corporation’s George Mead Medal (1995) presented to Dr. Sharma and a co-worker for outstanding technical achievement in developing and demonstrating compressor stability management and control system in gas turbine engines,
– Pratt & Whitney Special Award (1989) presented for outstanding contribution to the advancement of Science and Technology in developing low pressure turbine airfoil design criteria that allowed 1% improvement in Low Pressure Turbine efficiencies operating at altitude cruise conditions.

Micah Howard

Micah Howard is a Principal Member of Technical Staff in the Aerosciences Department at Sandia National Laboratories, where he has focused on computational science and engineering for aerodynamics and aerothermodynamics. He completed his PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder and joined Sandia in 2010. He is leading the SPARC project at Sandia, which is a part of the U.S. Exascale Computing Project and the DOE/NNSA Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) program. The SPARC project is focused on research, development and delivery of a credible, Exascale-capable hypersonic reentry aerothermodynamics modeling and simulation code that is designed to provide both performance on and portability across next-generation HPC platforms. Additionally, he has provided technical leadership and subject matter expertise for aerodynamic and thermal protection system design and analysis for multiple U.S. hypersonics projects. He serves on several national level engagements on the topics of hypersonic CFD and ablation modeling and is an active member of AIAA.

Stephen Wells

Steve is currently the Director of Flight Sciences for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Prior to leading Flight Sciences, Steve served on two Commercial Derivative Aircraft programs. Steve joined the KC-46 team as Deputy Chief Project Engineer, Validation & Verification in April of 2014, and assumed the role of KC-46 Chief Project Engineer in July. In this capacity, he led the recovery of the program through first flight, FAA certification, military certification, and delivery of the first KC-46 to the United States Air Force in January of 2019. After the first delivery, he served as Chief Project Engineer for the P-8 program through January, 2020.

In November of 2013, Steve was named the 787 Regional Fleet Director. In this role he serves as an extension of the 787 Fleet Chief to provide dedicated executive communication and focus for the customers in his region. He is responsible to lead fleet reliability improvement efforts and to support new customer introductions. He is responsible for supporting customers in for Africa, the Middle East, and India.

In July of 2012, Steve assumed the role of 767 Chief Project Engineer. In this position, he was responsible for design approval, certification strategy, product integrity, and safety for the 767 commercial models. In addition to these assignment, he worked closely with the KC-46 program to maintain alignment with the commercial models.

Steve’s previous assignment was Senior Manager for Configuration Aerodynamics. Named to this position in June of 2010, he had functional and process responsibility for aerodynamic lines development, lift and drag prediction, aerodynamic database development, and aerodynamics support for manufacturing and in-service operations.

Prior to this, Steve worked in Boeing Test & Evaluation (BT&E) in the Flight Test organization. He joined the flight test team in 2008 as Supervisor for the Performance Aerodynamics Analysis group, and was promoted to 787 Deputy Test Program Manager in June 2010.

Before moving to Flight Test, Steve served as the 787 Configuration Aerodynamics Supervisor joining the High Lift Configurations group in March of 2005 and later leading the combined High Lift and High Speed Configuration Aerodynamics groups through 787 derivative studies.

In 2002, Steve became High Lift Lead Engineer in the Enabling Research and Technology organization. Here he led teams in the development of automated Navier-Stokes computational fluid dynamics techniques for high lift and led investigations for the advancement of high-lift, cryogenic, flight-Reynolds-number test techniques.

Steve joined the Boeing Company in 1994 hiring into the 767 aerodynamics group to work on the 767-300ERY program. After gaining experience on the 747-MD and 767-400 programs, Steve served as the high lift aerodynamics focal on the 777-200LR/300ER program. In addition to these duties, he led a cross functional team that developed the Tail Strike Protection control law used on the 777-200LR/300ER models and included in the 787 control laws.

Steve started his career in 1992 when he joined the Aerodynamics Technology group at McDonnell Douglas in Long Beach California.

Steve holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the University of Illinois and a MBA from the University of Washington.

Born in New York, raised in Illinois and New Hampshire, Steve currently lives in Snohomish, Washington with his wife and daughter. In his all too scarce spare time, he enjoys mountain climbing and woodworking.