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NASAÂ’s Mission: *To understand and protect our home planet *To explore the Universe and search for life *To inspire the next generation of explorers as only NASA can For further detail of the NASA mission, go to: http://www .nasa.go v/bios/vision.htmlDiaz Leaves Goddard...........Pg 1 Transformation Dialogues.. Pg 2 Aura Successfully LaunchedPg 3 Aura Inspires ......................Pg 4 Goddard Celebrates!........... Pg 5 Swift Shipped to KSC ..........Pg 6 NASA Academy Family Visits Pg 7 Outreach at MD Science CtrPg 8 Safety Alerts ...................... Pg 9 Employee Spotlight...........Pg 10 SISTER Program ...............Pg 13 Upgrading NASCOM ..........Pg 14 Goddard in th e News........Pg 15 GEWA Activities................Pg 16 Community Day Scenes....Pg 17 In Memory Of ...................Pg 18 Science Camp for Blind.....Pg 19 Announcements ...............Pg 20 Events ..............................Pg 21Continued on page 8Aug 2004 Issue 8 Vol 1Diaz Leaves Goddard for Headquarters Mr. Alphonso V. Diaz has served as NASAÂ’s Goddard Space Flight Center Director since January 1998. Diaz was responsible for an organization comprised of more than 3,300 civil service employees, approximately 7,000 contractor employees and numerous private sector contractors. In addition, DiazÂ’s recent responsibility includes serving as head of the team analyzing the findings of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB).
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Page 2One NASA News Byte: Transformation Dialogues Begin By Heidi ThibodeauFrom left: Mary Kicza, Al Diaz and Julian Earls conduct Transformation dialogue in Goddard’s building 21 Library Selected Goddard employees were present to participate in transformation dialogue. On July 27, 2004 the Agency held its first “Transformation Dialogue” broadcast, featuring Mary Kicza, Al Diaz and Julian Earls. The show was designed to be an open dialogue between Agency leadership and the NASA Family to discuss the Clarity Team Report and the Agency’s new organizational structure. After a brief introduction and summary of the Clarity Team Report, the three leaders answered questions from three different sources: € Live audience at the Goddard Space Flight Center Building 21, Library € Questions sent to the transformation@nasa.gov email address before the show € Questions that were brought up in the On Line Dialogue Forums at www .insidenasa.nasa.gov These vehicles will remain in use throughout the upcoming Transformation Dialogues scheduled in August and September. To continue the conversation, we encourage your active participation in the On Line Dialogue Forums. In the forums, you can join in the on-going conversations about the Aldridge Report, the Agency’s new organization structure, the Clarity Team Report, the Presidents Exploration Vision. .or start a new topic. The comments posted in the Forums are being read and used by the Agency’s leadership as guidance for the on-going transformation efforts. To join the online conversation, follow the “On Line Dialogue Forum” link on the Inside NASA website: www .insidenasa.nasa.gov Thanks to everyone who tuned in to view the broadcast, and special thanks to those who submitted email questions for the show! Your continued participation is critical to the success of our ongoing series. Upcoming Transformation Dialogue broadcast topics include: Organizational Transformation, Alternate Organizational Models, Competency Management, Role of Competition, and Sustaining the Vision Long Term.Photos by: NASA/Headquarters
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Page 3 After two attempts, Aura successfully launched at 3:01 a.m. PDT on Thursday, July 15 and it was well worth the wait. Had it launched on the first two attempts, there wouldn’t have been much to see. The marine layer that significantly reduces visibility most of the time off the California coast cooperated and waited until after launch to settle in. The rocket could be seen with the naked eye as far as 150 miles away after launch. Aura is orbiting above the Earth and is on schedule to reach its final orbit in mid-August. “Many people have worked very hard to reach this point and the entire team is very excited,” said Aura Project Manager, Rick Pickering. When Aura finally did launch in the early morning hours, the view was absolutely spectacular. Launch viewers were treated to the fierce glow in the star-filled night sky and the rumbling vibrations of lift off of the Delta rocket. It is true that good things come of those who wait. Unfortunately though, with each delay, more and more of the team and guests had to return back to their jobs and homes. The Aura guest operations started off with about 500 guests on the 1st attempt and over 150 returned the 2nd night and nobody knows for sure how many were able to stick it out for the third and final attempt. The weary team shared success stories of their personal experiences during launch, some heard howling coyotes, some shed tears of pride, and one person even returned with the skin from a rattlesnake with the rattle still attached, while others were too exhausted to share stories. This launch culminates more than 10 of years of work for some. Aura was conceived in 1991 and the spacecraft contract was awarded to TRW, now NGST, in 1995. The full Aura team has spent the last 7 years together. The latest Earth-observing satellite, Aura will help us understand and protect the air we breathe. Aura will help answer thre e key scientific questions: Is the Earth’s protective ozone layer recovering? What are the processes controlling air quality? How is the Earth’s climate changing? Aura also will help scientists understand how the composition of the atmosphere affects and responds to Earth’s changing climat e. The results from this mission will help scientists better understand the processes that connect local and global air quality. Each of Aura’s four instruments is designed to survey different aspects of Earth’s atmosphere. Aura will survey the atmosphere from the troposphere, where mankind lives, through the stratosphere, where the ozone layer resides and protects life on Earth.Aura is a great example of teamwork, including international partners. Aura’s four instruments are: the High Resolution Dynami cs Limb Sounder (HIRDLS); the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS); the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI); and the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES). HIRDLS was built by the United Kingdom and the United States. OMI was built by the Netherlands and Finland in collaboration with NASA. JPL constructed TES and MLS. Goddard managed the Aura project. With this launch, the first series of NASA’s Earth Observing System satellites is complete. The other satellites are Terra, whi ch monitors land, and Aqua, which observes Earth’s water cycle.Aura will be a member of the “A-Train”, a constellation of six-Earth observing satellites flying in formation by 2007. Each sa tellite has an independent science mission, however these complementary satellite observations will enable scientists to obtain more information than they could by using the observations of a singe mission. Aura Successfully Launched By Lynn Chandler Aura launches on a Delta II rocket at 3:01 am PDT.Photo Credit: NASA/KSC
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Page 4Aura Inspires the Next Aura Inspires the Next Aura Inspires the Next Aura Inspires the Next Aura Inspires the Next Generation of Explorers Generation of Explorers Generation of Explorers Generation of Explorers Generation of Explorers By Lynn Chandler and Rob Gutro Artist concept of Aura spacecraft in orbit Just as Aura the spacecraft performs an important scientific role for NASA, the Aura mission also plays an important role in meeting another agency goal, that of inspiring the next generation of explorers.NASA takes to heart its responsibility to keep the public informed about how their tax dollars are being spent and to further the public’s understanding of the way NASA is benefitting their lives everyday through missions like Aura. To do that, the Aura program carried out an extensive education and outreach effort to promote the satellite’s vital purpose to a variety of publics – from educators to the media to the public.Scientists, engineers, education specialists and public affairs officers from Goddard, Headquarters, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Kennedy Space Center all played important parts in creating the plan and developing the important messages that would help convey the purpose of the mission to the public. Aura’s international partners, and the industry partners which built some of the instruments, as well as the the launch vehicle and spacecraft, also played vital roles in this effort.In total there were more than 30 people that participated in weekly telecons to coordinate the outreach plan and the products used to communicate with the various publics. Among the products and activities produced were fact sheets with basic information; an Aura Science Writer’s Guide for reporters; brochures, posters, and pop-up banner stands; articles in the Chem Matters magazine; articles on the Earth Observatory web site; lithographs; press releases; and a press kit that included technical information on the satellite, its scientists, mission and purpose. In addition, the team produced web casts, television interviews, videos and animations, a science writer’s workshop, a museum presentation at the Maryland Science Center and a live airing for the public of the Aura launch at the Goddard Visitor Center. Outreach to media began with a press conference at the Spring American Geophysical Union/Joint Assembly Meeting in Montreal by the Aura team. Immediately following the press conference, the team took part in a Workshop for Science Writer’ s, where the basic science behind the Aura mission was explained and outlined simply by the mission scientists. Just prior to launch, Goddard and JPL NASA-TV partnered on 40 live television interviews. This resulted in more than 30 stories on CNN outlets, coverage on dozens of local TV stations from Chicago to Denver to Dallas, on MSNBC and many others. It’s estimated the interviews were seen by an estimated audience of 20 million viewers.On the print media side, Aura stories were picked up by wire services, including United Press International, Associated Press and Reuters, resulting in not only national, but also world wide coverage. In fact, the international component of the Aura mission resulted in a significant number of stories in papers in Austria, Australia, Canada, China, France, India, Italy, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, all of Scandinavia, South Africa, the U.K.Even radio got in the act with stories about Aura being carried on NPR, CNN radio and the Voice of America. The web has become an increasingly important component of NASA’s outreach efforts. For Aura, Goddard and Kennedy Space Center partnered on and facilitated a number of live webcasts. Goddard hosted a webcast earlier this year focused on the talent behind Aura and the spacecraft. Kennedy’s webcast two days before liftoff focused on the mission. These webcasts were also part of a space camp help by Northop Grumman.While media and the public comprise an important audience for the outreach efforts, NASA also hosted over 500 special guests at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Not forgetting the need for internal communications, the team also created products for NASA employees. NASA Headquarters created a spectacular Aura exhibit complete with magic globe and touch screen, which was displayed in Headquarters lobby and now is on display at Goddard’s Visitor Center.Aura’s mission is to improve understanding of how pollutants spread globally, to determine whether the stratospheric ozone layer, which blocks harmful ultraviolet radiation, is recovering from depletion by manmade chemicals, and how Earth’s climate is the changing as its atmosphere is altered.Now that this important satellite is in orbit, the Aura outreach is shifting it attention to promoting the important scientific results from Aura. First results are expected before the end of the year so watch for news about NASA’s latest Earth Observing sate llites coming soon to a web site, museum or media outlet near you. For more information on Aura, go to: http://aura.gsfc.nasa.gov/ Photo by: NASA/GSFC
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Page 5Goddard Celebrates Diversity! By Sharon Wong and Trusilla Steele Angela Conley sang National Anthem on both outdoor events for Celebrate Goddard. Plays for Living gave a performance depicting diversity issues in the workplace.Photo by: Chris Gunn/293 Photo by: Pat Izzo/293 John Deily of AETD gets dunked while Dennis Andrucyk looks on; preparing himself for getting dunked.Photo by: Chris Gunn/293Continued on page 18 This years Celebrate Goddard activities were held from July 27 to 29th and included two days of outdoor activities as an effort to be more inclusive and extend the opportunity for contractors GEWA Clubs and advisory committees to convey how their diverse accomplishments contribute to the success of Goddard. On July 27th, the first day of outdoor activities on the grassy area between buildings 3 and 1 featuredGEWA clubs and contractors. Representatives diligently prepared their booths, although it was cloudy and had rained the night before. However the rain ceased, just in time for Goddard employee, Angela Conley to give her melodious performance of the Star Spangled Banner. Sharon Wong, Special Assistant for Diversity opened the day’s program and welcomed everyone on behalf of the Center. She encouraged everyone to peruse the exhibits, visit the food and craft vendors, and enjoy the entertainment planned for the day. Also Gerald Tiqui, co-chair of the Celebrate Goddard Committee encouraged everyone to visit each exhibit to gain more information on their services and contributions to Goddard. In addition, he acknowledged the Goddard Diversity Action Team for their coordination of the event. Eventually the Sun prevailed over the clouds, which encouraged more employees to come out to enjoy the musical tunes provided by fellow employee and DJ, Carl Wittman as they mingled and visited contractors and GEWA Club informational booths. The next day of celebrating Goddard’s accomplishments through diversity focused on just that with a drama performance by Plays for Living This New York based organization presented a play entitled ‘People Like Us’ on Wednesday, July 28 in the building 3 Goett auditorium. The play ‘People Like Us’ explored the challenging and highly charged issues that confront today’s multicultural, assorted skilled and diverse work groups. The ethnically diverse cast gave vivid depictions of sensitive subjects that could be relate to all on inclusion/ exclusion, respect, opportunity, corporate loyalty, and the need to conform to a work place culture or environment. After the 30-minute play an interactive, facilitated discussion occurred for attendees to express the thoughts and feelings of each character around their treatment at work. The last day of Celebrating Goddard’s accomplishments through diversity included another day of outdoor activities on Thursday, July 29 and featured Goddard directorates and advisory committees. he day began with opening remarks from Acting Director, Bill Townsend and outgoing Director Al Diaz who was making his last address to Center employees. Soggy muddy conditions didn’t stop attendees from enjoying entertainment from fellow employees. Hidden talents were revealed from Jolyn Nace of Code 210 as she sung be-bop blues, Chuck Powers of Code 541 played traditional bagpipes and the hottest act on the stage came from Gerald Tiqui’s, Code 120 Fire Knife Dance performance. AETD sponsored a dunking booth, and first-time exhibits included the IV&V facility, the New Employee Welcoming Board (NEWB), and the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) Program. Additional crafts and food vendors were invited to accommodate the expected crowds.
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Page 6 NASA’s Swift satellite, which will pinpoint the location of distant yet fleeting explosions that appear to signal the birth of black holes, arrived at Kennedy Space Center on July 29 in preparation for an October launch. Such enigmatic flashes, called gamma-ray bursts, are the most powerful explosions known in the Universe, emitting more than one hundred billion times the energy than the Sun does in an entire year. Yet they last only a few milliseconds to a few minutes, never to appear in the same spot again. The Swift satellite is named for the nimble bird, because it can swiftly turn and point its instruments to catch a burst “on the fly” to study both the burst and its afterglow. The afterglow phenomenon follows the initial gamma-ray flash in most bursts; and it can linger in X-ray light, optical light and radio waves for hours to weeks, providing great detail. “Gamma-ray bursts have ranked among the biggest mysteries in astronomy since their discovery over 35 years ago,” said Dr. Neil Gehrels, Swift Lead Scientist from Goddard. “Swift is just the right tool needed to solve this mystery. One of Swift’s instruments will detect the burst, while, within a minute, two higher-resolution telescopes will be swung around for an in-depth look. Meanwhile, Swift will ‘e-mail’ scientists and telescopes around the world to observe the burst in real-time.”The Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) instrument, built by NASA Goddard, will detect and locate about two gamma-ray bursts per week, relaying a 1to 4-arc-minute position to the ground within about 20 seconds. This position will then be used to “swiftly” repoint the satellite to bring the burst area into the narrower fields of view to study the afterglow with the X-ray Telescope (XRT) and the UltraViolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT).These two longer-wavelength (lower-energy) instruments will determine an arc-second position of a burst and the spectrum of its afterglow at visible to x-ray wavelengths For most of the bursts detected with Swift this data, together with observations conducted with ground-basedSwift Shipped to Kennedy Space Center Swift Shipped to Kennedy Space Center Swift Shipped to Kennedy Space Center Swift Shipped to Kennedy Space Center Swift Shipped to Kennedy Space Center By Nancy Nealtelescopes, will enable measurement of the redshift, or distance, to the burst source. The afterglow provides crucial information about the dynamics of the burst, but scientists need precise information about the burst in order to locate the afterglow.Swift notifies the community — which includes museums and the general public, along with scientists at world-class observatories — via the Goddard-maintained Gamma-ray Burst Coordinates Network (GCN). A network of dedicated ground-based robotic telescopes distributed around the world await Swift-GCN alerts.Continuous burst information flows through the Swift Mission Operations Center, located at Penn State. Penn State, a key U.S. collaborator, built the XRT with University of Leicester (UK) and the Astronomical Observatory of Brera (Italy) and the UVOT with Mullard Space Science Lab (UK). In addition to providing new clues to the nature of the burst mechanism, Swift’s detection of gamma-ray bursts could provide a bonanza of cosmological data.“Some bursts likely originate from the farthest reaches, and hence earliest epoch, of the Universe,” said Swift Mission Director John Nousek, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State. “They act like beacons shining through everything along their paths, including the gas between and within galaxies along the line of sight.”Theorists have suggested that some bursts may originate from the first generation of stars, and Swift’s unprecedented sensitivity will provide the first opportunity to test this hypothesis. With NASA’s High-Energy Transient Explorer (HETE-2), now in operation, scientists have determined that at least some bursts involve the explosions of massive stars. Swift will fine-tune this knowledge — that is, answer such questions as how massive, how far, what kind of host galaxies, and why are some bursts so different from others? While the link between some fraction of bursts with the death of massive stars appears firm, others may signal the merger of neutron stars or black holes orbiting each other in exotic binary star systems. Swift will determine whether there are different classes of gamma-ray bursts associated with a particular origin scenario. Swift may be fast enough to identify afterglows from short bursts, if they exist. Afterglows have only been seen for bursts lasting longer than two seconds. “We may be seeing only half the story so far,” said Gehrels.The Swift team expects to detect and analyze more than 100 bursts a year. When not catching gamma-ray bursts, Swift will conduct an all-sky survey at high-energy “hard” X-ray wavelengths, which will be 20 times more sensitive than previous measurements. Scientists expect that Swift’s enhanced sensitivity relative to earlier surveys will uncover more than 400 new supermassive black holes.Swift, a medium-class explorer mission, is managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and was built in collaboration with national laboratories, universities, and international partners, including the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Penn State University, Sonoma State University, Italy, and the United Kingdom.More information on Swift is available at: http://swif t.gsfc.nasa.gov Dr. Neil Gehrels, Swift Principal Investigator, and Joe Dezio, Swift Project Manager, stand beside the truck that delivered Swift to the Kennedy Space CenterPhoto by: Pat Izzo/293
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Page 7 “In my 23 years at NASA, these last four years have been the most rewarding and I am honored to have your children in this academy,” said David Rosage, program manager for Goddard’s NASA Academy. He made those remarks as part of a welcoming to family members visiting the 2004 academy class on July 17, for Family Day.The day of activities aboard Goddard provided an opportunity for the student’s family members to gain a better understanding of NASA, Goddard and the unique and challenging work they are involved in. Founded in 1993, the goal of the academy is to provide an opportunity for some of the Nation’s best and brightest students to interact with some of the world’s premier space scientists and engineers that make up the NASA family.According to Rosage, NASA’s goal is to introduce potential leaders to the space industry and introduce the industry to potential leaders. “We want to have a direct influence in the development of future leaders of the space program,” said Rosage.Following a welcome and introductions, the families were boarded on buses and given a tour of several unique locations of Goddard. The groups were even able to see employees in the ‘Clean Room’ of the 7/10/15/29 building complex. Following the guided tour, everyone gathered at the Recreation Center for a picnic style lunch as well as an opportunity to mingle with family members, Goddard employees and friends. “I stand before you, a product of NASA’s development program,” explained Al Diaz to the crowd of students and family members. He talked about working for NASA as a student while completing his studies. “I have been with NASA now for more than 40 years,” added Diaz. The Center Director spoke of the dream of the late Dr.Gerald Soffen, who envisioned a capability to directly influence the recognition and cultivation of potential leaders for space exploration. According to Rosage, Soffen believed NASA Academy could become, “the linkage between what is learned in school and what is needed on the job,” for our future leaders. “Parents, you should be proud of this delightful group of respectful children,” Angela Diaz, wife of Al Diaz, told the family members that had gathered. She spoke of three themes, the time spent at Goddard, the many different talents the students bring to Goddard, and the treasured experiences of Goddard for the students as well as their family. She challenged theAcademy of Future Space Leaders Invite Academy of Future Space Leaders Invite Academy of Future Space Leaders Invite Academy of Future Space Leaders Invite Academy of Future Space Leaders Invite Family to Goddard Family to Goddard Family to Goddard Family to Goddard Family to Goddard By Dewayne Washingtonstudents to engage others in math, science and technology. “It will benefit our country as well as NASA,” she said. Goddard’s NASA Academy is a challenging 10-week resident summer program for students who demonstrate an inexhaustible interest in aerospace engineering, astronomy and physics. These interns have already demonstrated a considerable interest in pursuing a career in aerospace engineering. Most have, or are working toward, a degree in engineering, physics or aeronautics. In Soffen’s vision, the academy was intended to exceed in purpose and content all the other regular internships by familiarizing its participants with as many facets of NASA as possible. The focused effort would allow students to not only work assignments at a NASA Center, but to experience the excitement of the NASA culture and learn the power of intellectual teamwork. The program also gives the future leaders a view into how NASA, the university community, and the private sector function, set their priorities, and contribute to the success of the aerospace program. Many wonder if Soffen ever envisioned his successful academy spreading throughout NASA. NASA Academy Programs were started at the Marshall Space Flight Center (1994), the Ames Research Center (1997), and the Dryden Flight Research Center (1997). The academy has also become an international haven. In 1996, a German engineer was selected, in 1999 an Italian student, for the 2003 session and again in 2004 a French student was chosen.Photo by: Chris Gunn/293Continued page on 9 At the controls of another successful rocket launch was the Center Director, Al Diaz.Photo by: Chris Gunn/293
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Page 8 Rob Gutro of NASA’s Earth Science News Team chatted with visitors at the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor about the upcoming launch of the Aura satellite. The talk lasted two hours and occurred on Saturday, July 10.Over a 2-hour period, Gutro talked to and fielded dozens of questions from nearly 100 interested people about their fascination with the Aura satellite and its mission to study the air we breathe. Visitors stopped by to talk with Gutro in the new TerraLink Earth science update center at the Science Center.Gutro explained to visitors that Aura’s advanced instruments will study upper and lower atmospheric ozone, air quality, and climate change. Audience members appeared very interested in the mission. Among others, the talk was attended by teachers and employees from the Department of Defense and National Security Agency. Gutro also handed out many ‘freebies,’ including NASA fact sheets, a one-pager about Aura’s purpose, NASA luggage tags and Earth “stress balls.” The event was made possible by Katie Stofer, a former producer for NASA-TV who is now the manager of TerraLink at the Maryland Science Center. During Gutro’s chat session, Stofer played an Aura mission video, produced by NASA-TV, on the screens behind him in TerraLink. Further, she hadNASA Glows Over the Aura Satellite at the Maryland Science Center By Rob Gutro electronic signs that advertised Gutro’s appearance. The trip was very successful and worthwhile and there were lots of questions about climate change, weather and pollution from adults and children alike.Science Center Seeks NASA Scientist for Guest Appearances“TerraLink is a great forum for scientists to talk about Earth Science, and I recommend getting NASA scientists to get up there and volunteer!” Gutro said. Part media center, part discovery room, and part newsroom, TerraLink brings you the “latest and greatest” in Earth Systems Science. The Science Center also has a space science and aeronautics equivalent, SpaceLink, currently covering missions such as CassiniHuygens, Messenger, and the Mars rovers. For any scientist interested in volunteering for an hour or two at the Maryland Science Center on their area of expertise, especially as relates to “current science”, please email Katie Stofer at kstofer@marylandsciencecenter .org or call her at 410-545-5976. “The purpose of these exhibits is to get people interested in current science news and research,” Stofer said, “and visitors love being able to talk to scientists.” As a side benefit, you’ll get to see the rest of the museum! For more information about the Maryland Science Center, TerraLink and SpaceLink, please visit: http:// www .marylandsciencecenter .org/ Rob Gutro, Goddard Earth Science News Team, speaks to visitors of the Maryland Science Center about the AURA satellite. Diaz Departs Goddard (cont’d from page 1) Diaz served as Goddard’s Deputy Director, beginning in 1996 and began his career at NASA’s Langley Research Center in 1964, where he worked in a variety of technical management positions, principally on the Viking Program as the lead for GAS Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer. This scientific instrument was the first to analyze the surface material on Mars in 1976. In 1979, Diaz began his work at NASA Headquarters, where he served in a variety of leadership positions, including program manager on the International Solar-Polar Mission (now known as the Ulysses Mission) and Galileo. Diaz has been awarded three Presidential rank awards, two as Meritorious Executive and one for Distinguished Service. He was also awarded a NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal in 1994 for his work on the Hubble Space Telescope First Servicing Mission and an Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal for his work on Viking. He has a Master of Science in management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).In addition, he was also awarded a Doctor of Science Honoris Causa from Capitol College earlier this year.
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Page 9S afety A lertsThe Center receives information from the Government-Industry Data Exchange Program (GIDEP) concerning product recalls. In an effort to keep employees informed of recalls that may affect you at work and at home, Code 300 will provide alerts or recalls that have been issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) along with web site links for retrieving further information on the recalls or alerts.New Federal Web Site for Agency Recalls: http://www .recalls.gov CPSC, NETGEAR Inc. Announce Recall of Wall Plug Ethernet Bridges http://www .cp sc.gov/cp scpub/prerel/prhtml04/04178.html CPSC, Fluke Corp. Announce Recall of Electrical Testing Components In May, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall in voluntary cooperation with the Fluke Corporation, of Everett, Wash. for Modular Test Leads used for Electrical Testing Multimeters. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. The leads, which are used to connect probes to handheld digital multimeters when testing for the presence and amount of voltage present in electrical circuitry, can result in incorrect multimeter readings. This poses a serious shock or electrocution hazard if the consumer touches live wires that the meter has read as having no electrical current. Fluke has received 29 reports of the leads for Fluke multimeters operating improperly, though no injuries have been reported. For additional information see: http://www .cp sc.gov/cp scpub/ prerel/prhtml04/04131.html CPSC, Verizon Wireless Announce Recall of Counterfeit Cell Phone Batteries. http://www .cp sc.gov/cp scpub/prerel/prhtml04/04559.htmlCPSC, Dell Inc. Announce Recall of Power Adapters for Notebook Computers. http://www .cp sc.gov/cp scpub/prerel/prhtml04/04560.htmlNASA Academy (cont’d from page 6)Probably the most significant connection made at the academy occurs after graduation. “They become part of a close-knit alumni association that allows continued interaction within a network of aerospace professionals and newly developed friendships,” said Rosage. “Another key to our success is our alumni.”With the charge to select future leaders, you can understand why such a program is highly selective. Out of the more than 700 applications received for 2004, only 19 students were selected. They represent 41 states, Puerto Rico and France. The average academy student is usually from one of the most prestigious colleges in the country, as a rising junior, senior, or a first or second year graduate student. Contributions made by graduates of the academy have been stunning. NASA Academy graduates have been involved in some of the biggest space exploration programs in recent years. One academy graduate became a flight director for the1996 Mars rover mission and another academy graduate was on the team for the flight of Space Ship One, the first commercial vehicle to reach outer space earlier this year.“I now see how one man can change the course of history through Dr. Soffen,” said Stephen Steiner, 2004 Academy student. “As we move forward graduates we will truly become leaders of space exploration. What’s really awesome about being in the academy is the focus on making positive change. I want to thank the parents for making it possible for these space explorers of tomorrow.”For more information about NASA Academy at Goddard check out the web site at www .academy .gsfc.nasa.gov Photo by: Chris Gunn/293Danielle Adams, 2004 academy participant, explains her project poster that was on display.
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Page 10 Dr. Norden E. Huang, a Goddard Senior Fellow, has just been elected to be an Academician in the Mathematics and Physical Sciences Division of the Academia Sinica (AS), the highest honor accorded to a scientist by the Republic of China in the academic community. Dr. Huang is the first NASA scientist to be so honored.“I am very honored to be elected,” stated Huang. “Being recognized by my peers in China is the high point in my career so far.” Huang was raised in China and knows the prestige and honor of being elected an academician of the AS. “Since the Academia Sinica encompasses all of the academic disciplines from the sciences to literature, it is the aspiration of all academics in China,” added Huang.Currently headed by Dr. Y. T. Lee, a Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, Academia Sinica is the most prominent academic institution in the Republic of China (ROC).While affiliated directly with the Presidential Office of ROC, Academia Sinica enjoys total independence and autonomy in formulating its own research objectives and in electing its own members. Academia Sinica consists of three parts: the Convocation, the Council and a research arm that includes 33 research institutes in various research areas, from molecular chemistry to archeology and history.The Convocation is made up of the academicians, who are elected from ethnic Chinese scientists worldwide in the biennial Convocation. Founded in 1928, there are a total of 219 members now; more than two-thirds of the members reside outside the Republic of China, including six Nobel Laureates and one Fields Prize winner. This year, only eight new members were elected in the Division of Mathematics and Physical Sciences, seven of whom were from overseas including professors from Harvard, Columbia, UC Berkeley, UCLA and a senior research scientist from NIH, and most of them are members of the National Academies. The title of academician is an honorary lifetime appointment, although without remuneration.NASA Career and Accomplishments Huang, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute of Data Analysis (Code 971), has enjoyed himself immensely during his 30 years at Goddard Space Flight Center. During this time, he has used his extensive mathematical skills and his training in fluid dynamics to study ocean surface waves as affected by wind and currents. These parameters are critical for satellite remote sensing of the oceans, and they are also critical in making better global weather and climate forecasts. Through such studies, Huang realized the shortcomings of the traditional data analysis methods, and developed a very different, but highly effective, technique to analyze nonlinear and nonstationary time series, a mathematical method designated by the Patent Office as the Hilbert-Huang Transformation (HHT) Method, a name initiated by Professor Theodore Wu of Caltech as an alternative for FastFourier Transform (FFT). This method has won him many prestigious awards and worldwide recognition among his peers. The HHT Method, the first truly adaptive data analysis tool, can be applied in a variety of fields to study things such as basic nonlinear mechanics, climate cycles, solar neutrinos variations, earthquake engineering, geophysical exploration, submarine design, structural damage detection, satellite data analysis, nonlinear wave evolution, turbulence flow, blood pressure variations and heart arrhythmia. This Method is also used to analyze sea surface temperature data collected by NASA satellites and instruments, and images from some of its Earth orbiting spacecraft. It has proven successful in connecting environmental changes to El Nino phenomena.The HHT Method has proven its versatility and value to many other research institutions. For example, it was transferred to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Forensic Tape Lab Division to be used for speaker identification in concert with the war on terrorism. It is believed that the HHT can be used to produce a voiceprint with rich details that could be equivalent to a fingerprint.The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Highway Administration, Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, is dedicated to finding innovative solutions to the problems facing the national highway infrastructure. Researchers there are exploring processes within the transportation infrastructureEmployee Spotlight Employee Spotlight Employee Spotlight Employee Spotlight Employee Spotlight Continued on page 11 Dr. Norden HuangDr. Huang Elected as Academician of the Academia Sinica By Cynthia O’CarrollPhoto by: NASA/GSFC
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Page 11problems that are predominately nonstationary and/or nonlinear, such as bridge integrity under traffic and earthquakes, pavement surface roughness, and highway sign vibrations. As a result, the DOT has entered into an agreement with Goddard to use the Method on highway problems. It is expected that this joint collaboration will help to improve highway serviceability and bridge safety in the United States.A Space Act Agreement has also allowed the transfer of the HHT Method to the Margret and H. A. Rey Institute for Nonlinear Dynamics in Physiology and Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center of the Harvard Medical School, where Huang is a guest investigator. This center engages in researching innovative methods to improve health care. Many cardiovascular and neurological disorders produce nonstationary and/or nonlinear signals and the Method is believed to be an excellent tool to analyze this type of data. It is being used to enhance diagnosis and monitoring of heart arrhythmia. In addition, new research has just commenced to investigate the precursors of epileptic seizures and the muscle control of Parkinson’s disease patients.In mid-July 2004, the International Desk at NASA Headquarters informed Huang that an international research agreement between NASA and the National Central University (NCU) of Taiwan was finally approved. Drs. Huang and Chao-Han Liu, the President of NCU, initiated the agreement three years ago. Under this agreement, Huang will transfer the HHT method to the students and faculty members to conduct research on earthquakes, taking advantage of the most advanced and dense strong earthquake sensor-net in the world located in Taiwan. Awards and Honors for the HTT Method The self-effacing, reserved and witty, Huang never seems to know what all the hoopla is about when he receives awards for his accomplishments, but he is very grateful that the HHT Method has proven to be so useful in so many areas of engineering and scientific research. Huang has received many other awards and honors for his work with the HHT Method, including NASA’s Government Invention of the Year Award for 2003. He also received the 2003 James Kerley Award for his outstanding efforts in supporting the commercialization and transfer process of his method to industry and his continuing efforts to support the spin-off applications. He was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 2000 for his pioneering work in nonstationary and nonlinear time series analysis. In 1999, the invention also won him NASA’s Exceptional Space Act Award, for which he was cited “as having invented one of the most important applied mathematical methods in NASA’s history.” Huang, together with another NASA scientist, Dr. Steve Long, received the 1999 Government Technology Leadership Award sponsored by Government Executive Magazine for their work with the HHT Method. Early Struggles Huang overcame many difficult times as a child and grew stronger in spite of them. He learned early from his family to work hard and that nothing in life comes easy. Huang was born in Hubei, China on Dec. 13, 1937, the day of the Rape of Nanjing, when Japanese soldiers massacred 300,000 innocent unarmed civilians in that city. As a child, he and his family moved many times, forced by the wars between China and Japan and the Civil Wars in China that followed. As a result, he attended eight elementary schools scattered all over China and eventually arrived in Taiwan in 1948 where he finished elementary school. All seven of his siblings moved with the family to Taiwan, except one sister that was 18 years old and in boarding school in Beijing. The Communist Chinese took over Beijing near the end of 1948 and it would be 35 years before Huang would see his sister again. His father was a graduate of Beijing University majoring in law and he was a government employee. His mother was trained as a teacher, but spent most of her time bringing up their eight children. Both of them have passed away. Academic Accomplishments Huang received a post-doctoral fellowship in the Oceanography Department of the University of Washington from 1967 to 1969. At North Carolina State University, he served both as an assistant professor and a tenured associate professor in oceanography from 1969 to 1975. Huang received his graduate degree in 1967 from Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in Baltimore, Md. His field of study at JHU was determined by fate. The ship bringing him to the United States from Taiwan developed engine problems shortly after leaving the harbor. As a result, he arrived late at the University, after all of the research positions related to structural or solid mechanics were taken. The only slot left was as a research assistant in the Gravito-Hydrodynamics Laboratory. So he switched to fluid mechanics and eventually studied ocean waves for his doctoral thesis. Huang received his undergraduate degree in 1960 from National Taiwan University majoring in structural theory. Throughout the years, he has published more than 100-refereed papers. His Hilbert-Huang Transformation Method was published in a 93-page paper in the Proceedings of the Royal Society of London in 1998. Subsequently, he published two more papers in the Royal Society Proceedings expanding the foundation of HHT, with more under preparation. Other Interests Huang has many varied interests outside of work. He is quite passionate about his search for the origin and evolution of the Chinese writing system and he has devoted a considerable amount of his free time in the past 15 years to the study of Chinese etymology. For that, he taught himself to read the oracle bone carvings, the oldest Chinese writing, in use from 1384 BC to 1112 BC, and the bronze carvings in use from 11 to 5 century BC. He has also used a mathematical model toContinued on page 12Dr. Huang (cont’d from page 10)
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Page 12estimate the date of origin of the Chinese writing system. Huang also enjoyed teaching in the local Chinese School in Potomac for two years in the middle 1980s, and giving public lectures on the evolution of Chinese characters.In addition to studying the Chinese writing system, he has a wide range of hobbies and one of them is building furniture, especially practical items for his home. He has built all of the beds, bookcases and desks in their home by hand. When his daughter, I-Hua, was sharing a tiny dormitory room at Harvard University she appealed to her Father to help her solve her storage needs. Huang built her an elevated bed with a storage closet for hanging things and a bookcase underneath of the bed. Her customized space was the envy of the others in the dormitory!Huang also enjoys hiking, traveling and reading. He and his college classmates and their wives frequently hike in the Great Falls National Park. For traveling, he likes to visit historical sites and areas of natural beauty. In the United States, he likes the scenery of the western states, but the historical sites of the eastern states. He and Mrs. Huang are planning to go to China for three weeks this fall to see Huangshan and some historical sites in Shangdong, the birthplace of Confucius. Huang enjoys reading nonfiction books, especially biographies of scientists and the history of sciences. Among those he has recently read are John Gribben’s ‘The Scientists, A history of science told through the lives of its greatest inventors,’ and Brian Greene’s ‘The Fabric of the Cosmos.’ Major Career Influences In terms of his career, Huang has found three persons to be the most influential in his life: The first one is Mr. Chi-Ping Sing, the Principal of the high school he attended in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Mr. Sing was a dedicated educator and a man of principle. He refused transfers and even promotions during his tenure as the principal of the Hsinchu High School, and held it as his only lifetime position. He emphasized balance between selflearning and instruction, and mental as well as physical toughness. Most of all, he emphasized a solid foundation as a base for future development. Huang considers his thesis advisor at Johns Hopkins, Professor Owen M. Phillips, to be the second most influential person in his career. His clear vision on physical processes always gave a different point of view on any problem. Professor Phillips had the unique ability to distill the physical essence of a complicated problem succinctly, a talent to be admired but difficult to emulate. And finally, Huang listed Professor Theodore T. Y. Wu, Professor of Engineering Sciences at California Institute of Technology, for his skillful and awesome mixture of mathematical and physical insight, which clarifies and reveals the critical issues of complicated problems. Professor Wu personifies the modern model of an engineer-scientist. Both professors Phillips and Wu were among the first to recognize the potential of HHT and gave Huang the guidance and encouragement to nurture its development. Huang said, “I would not have realized the value of HHT so early, and probably would not have had the foresight to concentrate and work so intensively on its development and its various applications without their encouragement.” Family Life Huang has been happily married for 38 years now to Beeshyn, a computer scientist, recently retired from the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, and they have lived in Bethesda, Md. for the last 21 years. Their two daughters are married and beginning families of their own. The older daughter, Wynn, is a lawyer practicing corporate law at a firm in Boston and her husband, Matthias Wagner, is the CEO of a budding high-tech company, Aegis Semiconductor, Inc., near Boston. The younger daughter, I-Hua, is a radiologist in residence training at the University of Cincinnati Medical School; her husband, Christopher Duncan, is a fellow specializing in Gastroenterology also at the University of Cincinnati. Huang has just become a grandfather of a baby girl, Indi, from Wynn and Matthias. With Mrs. Huang retired, they are planning many trips to see their granddaughter, and overseas trips to see the world.Dr. Huang (cont’d from page 11) Dr. Huang (right) poses wife (left) and Goddard Center Director, Al Diazafter receiving Inventor of the Year Award in 2003.Photo by: NASA/GSFC
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Page 13“I signed up for this program because I like math and science and one day I want to work for NASA. So I thought this would be a good program. I am now considering failing the eighth grade so that I can do this program again next year,” said Pooja Vinayak with a smile. “Just kidding,” she added. The 13 year old made those comments during the closing program for the 2004 Goddard Summer Institute in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Research Program (SISTER). Vinayak is one of 22 highly motivated 12 and 13 year old female middle school students selected to participate in a week of fun, excitement and inspiration. The SISTER program afforded each student the unique opportunity to gain insight into NASA mission experiences and activities. This program is one in which the Equal Opportunity Program Office (EOPO) coordinates in an effort to inspire a talented group of young ladies with an interest in science, mathematics, engineering and technology.Monday, June 28, began five days of activities that included remote airplane operations, building and launching rockets, presentations, demonstrations, field trips and personal time with a mentor. Created 26 years ago, this program provides an opportunity for participants to be exposed and explore nontraditional career fields with Goddard women engineers,SISTER Program Celebrates 26 Years of Inspiration By Dewayne Washingtonmathematicians, scientists, technicians and researchers. The program is a joint effort of the Equal Opportunity Program Office (EOPO) and the Education Office at Goddard. Each student was paired with a mentor for a week that included one-on-one interaction with their NASA mentors. “We want to give the girls a week of fun, inspiration and a feeling that someone cares about their future,” said Terri Patterson, coordinator for SISTER 2004. SISTER participants are competitively selected from a pool of applicants. Selection to the program is also recognition of their superior aptitude in math, science and technology. Anyone in the country can apply but most participants are residents from surrounding areas, usually because each student must bear transportation and other costs associated with participation in the program.The objectives of the program include introducing young women to a technical working environment; acquainting students with Goddard missions; providing an awareness of educational programs and internships available during high school, undergraduate and graduate study; providing observations and experiences with real hands-on projects researched and developed by women at Goddard; affording each participant role models; and enlightening participants in the technological advances at work today and tomorrow.Throughout the week the young ladies had the opportunity to interact with women scientists, engineers, technicians, researchers, mathematicians and a special video conference with astronaut Stephanie Wilson. Women entrepreneurs from corporate America visited the group presenting their multicultural challenges and positive experiences. The young ladies were also given opportunities for hands-on involvement that included building and launching rockets, oral and written communication, and building upon their interpersonal and human relations skills.“I have always loved science,” says Vinayak. “I am especially interested in space, so a program at a NASA Center was even more appealing.” Vinayak gave the program high praise and admitted that she now has a better idea about the types of science careers possibly available to her. SISTER is another great example of Goddard’s continuing efforts to forge a path to enlighten and inspire future journeymen and women. Participants of the 2004 SISTERS program watch a unique technique to make icecream Pooja Vinayak displays a picture of astronaut Stephanie Wilson during her presentation.Photos by: Chris Gunn/293
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Page 14 NASA Communications (Nascom) is the global communications network that supports all missions and projects of NASA. Users of the Nascom network are very diverse and geographically distributed worldwide. Many NASA missions carry instruments from both national and foreign users for which Nascom provides a variety of communication services. The main categories of transport systems services include video, voice, and data transmissions. The Nascom Voice Switching System (VSS)/Voice Distribution System (VDS) are specialized systems that provide all NASA Centers with mission critical voice conference services for specific launch and simulation activities, mission-critical engineering, and operational voice support. These systems are capable of switching, conferencing, and monitoring 2,000 line circuits to support the establishment of up to 300 simultaneous multi-line conferences. The VSS/VDS is outdated and in need of an advancement. The 13-year-old system contains components that are no longer upgradeable due to platform obsolescence, and replacement parts cannot be easily purchased. NASA Communications Branch, Code 291, along with M arshalll Space Flight Center is co-leading the initiative to select a new voice system for all NASA centers. The new project, named Mission Operations Voice Enhancement (MOVE), will, as a minimum, provide similar features as the current system as well as offer enhanced service, adhere to industry standards, and provide excellent support for current and future NASA missions. The MOVE project will be able to support the existing voice service provided to customers, as well as designed for expansion to support future missions. MOVE will adhere to voice standards in order to be as compatible as possible with industry standards and mission voice systems from other sites. MOVE will configure the voice system between multiple buildings and centers in addition to providing redundant connections for critical end instruments. The current scheduled installation date, based on a 2005 budget allocation and a competitive bid process, is calendar year 2006. Every attempt will be made to facilitate ease of maintenance and operation, as well as minimize the movement of equipment and re-cabling. Due to the vital nature and mission critical importance of Nascom communication, coordinating schedules and status with the user community is critical to the success of the MOVE project. Updates about the MOVE replacement are communicated to users in monthly status via e-mail distribution and the MOVE website ( http s://move.nasa.gov/ ). Participation in Mission Communications Working Group meetings will foster communication with other NASA centers. A GSFC Operations Concept conference will be held late this summer. Also, yearly user forums are held at GSFC by NASA Communications Branch to provide users with a personal way to ask questions and provide feedback. MOVE testing will include design inspection, analysis of performance, testing of limits using simulation, and demonstration of capabilities through operation. The transition to MOVE places at least one new end instrument in each user location during parallel operation, to allow users to utilize the training received and incorporate the MOVE into mission tests. Each cutover will be scheduled individually. Keyset funding is the responsibility of each project and is identified in the MOVE PMP (Project Management Plan) for Fiscal Years 2005 (FY05) and extends through FY09. GSFC projects requiring keysets should budget now for FY-06 when the MOVE switch will become operational. With the enhancements of the MOVE project, Nascom will provide more efficient voice conferencing tools. MOVE will utilize current technologies and meet industry standards, as well as employ backup services and temperature related alarm protection. All NASA centers will continue to rely on GoddardÂ’s Nascom for dependable communications with each other and external organizations.Upgrading NASCOM Upgrading NASCOM Upgrading NASCOM Upgrading NASCOM Upgrading NASCOMA A A A A New Era in V New Era in V New Era in V New Era in V New Era in V oice Communications oice Communications oice Communications oice Communications oice CommunicationsBy Tara Holby Voice Switching System (VSS)
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Page 15 Photo Credit: NASA/GSFC, MODIS Rapid Response Team During its daytime overpass of the southeast coast of Brazil on March 26, 2004, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite captured this surprising sight: a tropical cyclone.NASA Goddard scientist Jeff Halverson is writing short feature articles for Weatherwise magazine, that provide easy-to-understand explanations of meteorological hot topics and recent weather events. Below is a sampling of published articles. Be sure to ch eck back often to review his latest topics. (You can find recent copies of Weatherwise in the Goddard Library).Jeff Halverson: Weatherwise WordsA South Atlantic Rogue (July/August 2004)Halverson focuses on a fierce storm that struck Brazil in late March 2004 and sparked an on-going debate over the cyclone’s characteristics. Was it an extremely rare South Atlantic hurricane? The experts discuss the possibilities and clarify the myths. It’s a truly mystifying read.Storm Chasing from Space (July/ August 2004)Severe storms captivate storm chasers each spring in the nation’s heartland. Now, new technology including a fleet of satellites are providing a unique vantage point and giving weather enthusiasts more information about when and where to head for the best action!Nor’easters by the Numbers (July/ August 2004)Tornadoes and hurricanes are ranked according to their strength and soon, snowstorms will be too! Here, Halverson breaks down the Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale (NESIS). NESIS was developed by Paul Kocin and Louis Uccellini, to quantify the relative severity of nor’easters, intense storms that batter the northeastern U.S. each winter with heavy snows, winds, and coastal flooding.The following NASA Earth science research stories made the news in July: Web Feature: When the Sun’s Too Strong, Plankton Make Clouds Little plankton may be able to change the weather, and longer term climate, in ways that serve them better. News coverage included the Innovations Report in Germany, Science-A-GoGo, and SpaceDaily. This web feature can be found at: http:// www .nasa.gov/vision/earth/environment/0702_planktoncloud.html.NASA Goes to the “SORCE” of Earth Sun-BlockersScientists using measurements from NASA’s Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) satellite have discovered that Venus and sunspots have something in common: they both block some of the sun’s energy going to Earth. This release was picked up by Astrobiology Today, FloridaToday, SpaceToday, SpaceDaily, U.S.Politics Today, and many others. The release can be found at: http:// www .gsfc.nasa.gov/top story/2004/ 0730sunblockers.html NASA Plays Key Role in Largest Environmental Experiment in History: The LBA Researchers from around the globe participating in the world’s largest environmental science experiment, the Large-Scale Biosphere Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA), will, fittingly, convene in Brazil this week. The release has received worldwide coverage including by such as ABC Network News, CNN, Dallas Morning News, Reuters News Service, and India’s Sun News Network and many others. On July 27th, a NASA press release was issued on this topic and can be found at: http://www .gsfc.nasa.gov/top story/2004/ 0727lba.htmlIntercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment –North America (INTEX-NA): NASA Helps Track Global Air Quality NASA and other agencies will measure the movements of pollution around the globe this summer. NASA is participating with U.S. and international agencies as part of a combined air quality and climate study. The press release generated a lot of media coverage, especially through partnering efforts between Ames, Dryden, Goddard, Langley, NOAA, and the University of New Hampshire. The story has been covered by hundreds of newspapers, TV and radio stations around the country and the world. It has also appeared on ABC Network News, Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, MSNBC, Newsday, Philadelphia Inquirer, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Washington Post, United Press International, Yahoo News and many more. To read the press release from 6/28/04, please visit: http:// www .gsfc.nasa.gov/top story/2004/0621intex.html
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Page 16 Attention BowlersDig out that bowling bag from the back of the closet. The GSFC Wednesday Night MenÂ’s Tenpin Bowling League begins the 2004-2005 season on Wednesday, 9/1/2004 at 5:30pm at the Fort George G. Meade Lanes in Odenton, MD. Last year, the league bowled with ten (10) 5-man teams. The cost is $15 per night with a cash prizes at the end of the year. The season is from 9/04 to 4/05. This year the league has openings for full teams as well as individuals to round out the existing teams. For more information, please contact: Ken Dearth at 301-286-3003 or email him at kdearth@pop500.gsfc.nasa.govGEWA Jazz and Java PartyGEWA will host a Jazz and Java Party on Wednesday, September 8th, 2004 at the Barney and Bea Recreation Center. It will feature the Octoberworld Jazz band. There will be finger food, different coffee blends, and an open bar. Dancing is optional. The cost is $6/person. Come and relax while listening to Jazz from 5-9pm. This is something new from the Special Events Committee. Tickets are available at the GEWA store. GEWA Special Events for 2004 TBA Free Lunchtime Concerts with Guest Chefs and Special Sales throughout the year September 30 EOY Shrimp Feast TBD Any suggestions send to kdearth@pop500.gsfc.nasa.gov? October 1 GEWA Appreciation Dinner November 9 14th Annual Fall Crafts Fair December 9 Toy Wrap for ChildrenÂ’s Holiday Party December 11 ChildrenÂ’s Holiday Party December 13 Toy Liquidation Sale Please go to http://gewa.gsfc.nasa.gov/S pecEvent s/ for more information. Goddard Bible Club The Goddard Bible Club meets on Tuesdays at noon in building 21, room 242. We have both speakers and videos, details may be found in Dateline. You are welcome to eat your lunch during the meeting. If you have questions, please call Bill 67756. GEWA Art of Living Club Offers Guided Meditation Come and feel more peaceful and less stressed; be more focused and energetic no training required! Our mental and emotional state affects those around us, and by culturing a state of mental stillness we bring that peacefulness into our environment, one mind at a time. There are some things that effort cannot accomplish. Meditation is the delicate art of doing nothing letting go of everything and being who you are. It gives your mind such a wonderful rest. Come get a charge, and help make Goddard a better place to work. We meet in Bldg. 23, Rm S300. On Monday we meet at 12:15 pm, and on Wednesday we meet at 12:00 noon. Please call Bill Hayden at 6-4267 or Chris Smythe-Macaulay at 6-2490 if you have any questions. For new folks, we will be there 5 minutes early for a quick orientation.
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Page 17 Scenes from GoddardÂ’s Community Day Photos by Pat Izzo and Chris Gunn/293
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Page 18DWAYNE WOMACK : Tragically, Dwayne Womack, one of the employees in Building 33, lost his life on July 29, 2004. Mr. Womack was shot and killed along with his cousin, Vincent Brian Young, in Suitland, Maryland. The police are still investigating the crime. Mr. Womack was an independent entrepreneur and he ran the convenience store in the basement of Building 33 for the past three years under the Maryland Business Enterprise Program for the Blind, which provides business opportunities for the visually impaired. Everyone that visited the store found Mr. Womack to be bright, friendly, motivated and funny. He took time to get to know his frequent customers and tried to order requested items for the store whenever possible. His co-worker, Ms. Maggie Malvin, knew Mr. Womack well and considered him to be as close as a member of her own family. “He was like a grandson to me and I will really miss him, “ stated Ms. Malvin. Mr. Womack was a student at Prince George Community College and was planning to transfer to the University of Maryland at College Park in September to pursue a degree in Information technology. He grew up in Camp Springs, Md., and most recently was living in Suitland, Md.In Memory of Our T In Memory of Our T In Memory of Our T In Memory of Our T In Memory of Our T reasured Colleague reasured Colleague reasured Colleague reasured Colleague reasured Colleague“Dwayne inspired me to work harder, to think smarter, to be a better person,” noted Susan Castleberry of Goddard’s Career Development & Employee Worklfe Office. “His energy and warm personality touched all those that came into contact with him. When I think of the positive measure of a man, I will always have Dwayne Womack in mind.” He was very close to his family and spent much of his free time with his cousins and his 10-year old son, Malake. Mr. Womack’s first cousin, Melba Taylor said, “ He was always a sweetheart to everyone and always tried to do the right thing. Dwayne was a natural business man and was able to see all angles of an issue and make the right choice.” Funeral services will be held on Saturday, August 7, and for more information please call 301-322-2300. In lieu of flowers, the family is accepting monetary contributions on behalf of Dwayne’s son, Maleke: The Maleke Glee Trust Fund c/o Mr. & Mrs. Irving Womack 5110 Taft Road Camp Springs, MD 20748-5448 Cards and other expressions of sympathy can also be sent to the Womack family at the above address. Your continued thoughts and prayers are deeply appreciated by Mr. Womack’s family. Celebrate Goddard (cont’d from page 5) After enjoying the outdoor activities, it was time to be enlightened by the guest speaker. Dr. Samuel Betances encouraged everyone to respect differences. His engaging, humorous presentation had the audience at the edge of their seats and he emphasized four points when making choices about respecting diversity — celebrate, tolerate, discriminate or obliterate. Dr. Betances focused on celebrating differences; difference is what makes the world and being inclusive, allowing everyone to be a contributor to creating a workplace environment in which everyone feels respected and empowered, will bring rewards worth celebrating. The renowned Karaoke event followed with a standing-room only crowd — Codes 110, 150, 200, 300, 400, 500, and a combined 600/900 group competed to demonstrate their diversity story. The event was opened by the Office of the Director, featuring the Deputy Director, Chief Information Officer, Special Assistants, and the support staff singing a diversity ditty to the tune of “Farmer in the Dell”. Code 150 (Chief Financial Office) won the competition, followed closely by Code 110 (Office of Human Resources). Code 200 came in third. In between Karaoke acts, the Goddard Trivia Bee was conducted and the winner was John Dalton, Deputy Director of Code 600, who successfully defended his title. All in all, it was a fun day with directorates already talking about their entry for next year’s Karaoke competition.2004 Karaoke for Diversity winners, Code 150By Cynthia O’CarrollPhoto by: Pat Izzo/293
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Page 19 Dr. Elissa Levine, NASA soil science expert, shows Rachel Becker of Frederick, Md., how to use a soil temperature thermometer Allen Lunsford, tells student about the astronaut glove he is trying on. Students “blaze a trail” through the high grass alongside Goddard’s lake on their way to investigate the ecosystem in the forest. NFB mentor (back right), Caroline Rounds, teaching several students in Goddard’s forest. Charlie Davis, vegetation expert, shows student some local species from Goddard’s ecosystem.“Circle of Life” NFB/NASA Science Camp for Blind StudentsPhotos by: Chris Gunn/293
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Page 20 Employee Supervisory Feedback SurveyHave you ever wanted to provide feedback to your supervisor(s) about their management style? Now is your chance as civil servants to give feedback to help supervisors become more aware of the impact of their management practices. Visit the Goddard Supervisor Evaluation at http://supvysurvey .gsfc.nasa.gov until Aug. 9 .New Travel Manager Website Launched August 2, 2004IFMP and the Travel Manager team would like to announce the unveiling of the new Travel Manager Website on August 2, 2004. The redesigned site will have all the functions of the previous site, with a few new categories designed to help with the many different travel needs. The site will still offer users the ability to find account code labels using the crosswalk, offer guidance through the Frequently Asked Question, provide user guides, as well as provide contact information for the Travel Manager team and IFM Help Desk. A new section was added for access to the GSFC portal page, which will link all IFMP modules and Websites. Should you have any questions navigating the new site or anything else related to the Travel Manager system, contact the help desk at (301) 286-4IFM (Option 3) or 6-4IFM (Option 3) or email at cfhelpdesk@listserv.gsfc.nasa.gov.GCDC OpeningsThe Goddard Child Development Center has immediate openings for 3 and 4 year old children. You can be a civil servant or contractor to enroll your child. To enroll, you must first become a member of the GCDC club. Visit us in building 90, call X6-8588, or visit our internal web page at http://childcare.gsfc.nasa.gov for membership information. All member profiles and dues checks can be sent through interoffice mail to Code 200.9. GCDC has MD State Department of Education certification and National Association for the Education of Young Children accreditation along with the required Child Care Administration license. All Lead Teachers have a BA degree and all Assistant and Associate Teachers have Senior Staff certification along with the CDA or 90 hour training course.2005 NASA Honor Awards Call for NominationsNominations are now being accepted for the 2005 NASA Honor Awards Call. A Centerwide announcement is forthcoming. Nominations are due NLT Friday, August 20, 2004.Goddard Referral ServiceLooking for information on issues such as adult care, child care, legal or financial assistance, health & wellness, or education, but donÂ’t know where to start? Let GoddardÂ’s Referral Service do the work for you! This service includes a website as well as Specialists available 24 hours a day/7 days a week whenever the need arises. Check it out at: www .worklife4you.com and enter the following information: Agency Code: GSFC; password: last name + last 4 digits of SSN. DonÂ’t worry the site is very secure & youÂ’re information remains confidential. Please contact Khrista White at X6-9059, khrist a.n.white@nasa.gov or http:// ohr .gsfc.nasa.gov/family/home.htm for assistance.Register for the NASA Aeronautics and Space DatabaseThe NASA Aeronautics and Space Database is the Scientific and Technical Information (STI) Programs new repository for documents relevant to NASAs mission. From your own workstation, you have free access to over 3.5 million metadata records that include citations and abstracts of NASA journal articles, technical reports, conference papers and proceedings, preprints, theses, and other forms of STI. Content ranges from the early NACA publications to todays latest research. Innovative features include full-text images in PDF format, custom display formats, saved search capability, and on-line document and video purchase. Register for free at www .sti.nasa.gov .Dateline NewsletterThe Dateline Newsletter is a daily bulletin that highlights current GSFC events and announcements. The newsletter is e-mailed daily to subscribers only. To subscribe to Dateline send an email message to Majordomo@listserv.gsfc.nasa.gov in the text area type subscribe dateline_daily_copy and within a few days you should start receiving dateline. To submit announcements direct e-mails to dateline@listserv.gsfc.nasa.gov For more information, contact Tara Holby at x6-8955.
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Page 21 T emporary Duty T ravel W orkshopThis course will be taught by Nancy Murphy of GSA and will help you to understand temporary duty travel allowances and responsibilities concerning:Travel authorizations Rental cars Per Diem allowances Prompt payment of vouchers within 30 days Travel charge card & more When/Where: Thursday, August 5, 2004 from 8:30 3:30 in the Building 8 Auditorium Space is limited to 50 participants, so enroll early at http:// cfo.gsfc.nasa.gov/training/rtcsched.htm If you have questions, please contact Dianne Severn at x6-4121. Can W e T alk?Come address your concerns with the new Center Director, Ed Weiler and Deputy Director, Bill Townsend at the next Can We Talk Session on Thursday, August 12. To sign up, visit the Goddard Internal home page at http://internal.gsfc.nasa.gov/ canwet alk.cfm or call the Office of Public Affairs at x6-8955. Property Management Branch Auction SaleThe Property Manageent Branch will an auction saling such items as Misc. ADP Equipment; Misc.Testing & Electronic Equipment; Mainframe Systems; and other misc. items. When/Where: Thurs., August 26 in Bldg. 16W Excess Warehouse at 10 a.m. Inspection: Thurs. August 26 from 8 a.m to 9:45 a.m. Earth Science T echnology ConferenceNASAÂ’s Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) is presenting the fourth annual Earth Science Technology Conference in Palo Alto, Calif., June 22-24. The conference will showcase a wide array of technology research related to NASA Earth science Continued on page 19 Upcoming T rainingIDP Workshops In the IDP Workshop for Supervisors and the IDP Workshop for Employees, many questions have come up around the IDP process. Under OHRÂ’s career development page, there is a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that have come from both supervisors and employees. These questions have been answered by OHR staff and legal counsel. Please take time to review these FAQs at http://ohr .gsfc.nasa.gov/DevGuide/id p.htm Questions? Please contact Tracey White. To view all of the upcoming training courses, visit: http://ohr .gsfc.nasa.gov/ DevGuide/Calendar/home.htm Resume W riting T raining ClassesAll the classes scheduled for Greenbelt will be held in building 1 room 006. Sept 151:00 2:30 p.m. Classes will also be offered at WFF in the MEC room 208. The dates and times are as follows: August 199:00 10:30 a.m. If you need any additional information, please contact Sherri Tepper 6-5170. No training form required. One-On-One Career Coaching...Whether you are contemplating a career change, in need of assistance with resume writing, interviewing techniques, or trying to develop an Individual Development Plan (IDP), a career coach can help. To schedule a confidential one-on-one appointment, contact Tracey White at x6-7823. This service is provided to civil servants only.efforts. Attendees will encounter new developments in information systems, computing, instruments, and component technologies and learn about the vision and future needs for Earth science technology. To register, examine abstracts and presenters, and preview the venue and schedule, log onto the conference homepage at http:/ /esto.nasa.gov/conferences/estc2004/
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Page 22 Expendable Launch V ehicle Payload Safety and Mission Sucess ConferenceWhat: The Office of System Safety and Reliability, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 302, is pleased to announce the NASA Expendable Launch Vehicle (ELV) Payload Safety and Mission Success Conference. The conference will emphasize the safety and mission success aspects of ELV Payloads. It will also highlight the exciting future of ELV Payload programs and provide a forum for current, past and future ELV Payload customers and suppliers to interact with other members of the ELV Payload community in structured and casual settings. When/Where: November 16-18, 2004 in in Santa Barbara, California. Additional conference details are available at the following web address: http://www .tisconferences.com/elv/ Think BIG!: The NASA GSFC/WFF Chapter of Blacks in Government (BIG) welcomes new members and visitors to join us for our monthly General Meeting. Meetings are held the third Wednesday of each month from 11:30 a.m. – 1p.m. Individuals who are interested in attending our Membership. Meetings should contact Larry Phillips, Chapter President at (6-6035 or 6-4401) or Anetra Tucker (6-9708) to have his/her name added onto the mailing list. For more information, please contact the following BIG Members:Joyce Brooks, BIG GSFC/WFF 1 st Vice President, at GSFC, 6-5912Regina Waters, BIG GSFC/WFF 2 nd Vice President, at Wallops Flight Facility, 7-1337 Willis Jenkins, BIG GSFC/WFF Executive Vice President, at NASA Headquarters, (202) 358-1285 W omen’ s Networking LuncheonsThe Women’s Advisory Committee (WAC) would like to invite all Goddard women (civil servant and contractor) to WAC Women’s Networking Luncheons. The luncheons provide an opportunity to meet and greet new people, as well as, share ideas and experiences. More importantly, the luncheons offer Goddard women an opportunity to relax and enjoy regular social time with other women. The biweekly luncheons will take place the second and fourth Tuesday of every month, beginning at 11:30 a.m. The luncheon on the second Tuesday of the month will be an on site event in the Bldg. 1 cafeteria, while the luncheon on the fourth Tuesday of the month will be an off site event, location changes every month. For updated information about luncheon locations, visit the WAC web site at http://wac.gsfc.nasa.gov/ and click on upcoming events. There is no commitment involved at all, participants can come when they can and stay as long as they want. Second Annual NASA Project Management ConferenceProject team members interested in learning new concepts during a full 2-days of high-quality, high-intensity professional interaction. Teach, learn, and network about Project Management. This conference includes: • Major keynote speakers daily • Highly informative speaker sessions • Thought-provoking case studies • Engaging panel discussions • Innovative project management tool demonstrations Conference Registration will open in early fall When/Where: March 22-23, 2005 at the University of Maryland University College Inn and Conference Center College Park, MD Conference website (pmchallenge.gsfc.nasa.gov) still has the presentations from the 2004 Conference. Check back soon for the new 2005 website. Cont act Conference Chairpersons: Dorothy J. Tiffany NASA GSFC 301-386-5917 Walt Majerowicz, PMP – CSC 301-2865622To add names to our mailing list: Sandy Adorney 301-286-3413
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