Glenn Employees Earn Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers

Two NASA Glenn Research Center employees were among 19 agency researchers recognized as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). 

Lyndsey McMillon-Brown was recognized for leadership in photovoltaic research, development, and demonstrations. She was the principal investigator for a Science Technology Mission Directorate-funded Early Career Initiative where she led the development of perovskite photovoltaics, which can be manufactured in space. The team achieved sun-to-electricity power conversion efficiencies of 18%. They tested the durability of the solar cells by flying them in low Earth orbit for 10 months on the Materials International Space Station Experiment platform.   

Timothy M. Smith was recognized for achievements in materials science research, specifically in high-temperature alloy innovation. Building upon his dissertation work, he designed a new high-temperature superalloy with radically improved high-temperature durability. Additionally, he helped develop a new manufacturing process that could produce new metal alloys strengthened by nano oxide particles. This led to the development of a revolutionary high- temperature alloy (GRX-810) designed specifically for additive manufacturing.  

The PECASE Award is the highest honor given by the U.S. government to scientists and engineers who are beginning their research careers.  

NASA Glenn Employee Named AIAA Fellow

Brett A. Bednarcyk, a materials research engineer at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, has been named an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Fellow. His work is focused on multiscale modeling and integrated computational materials engineering of composite materials and structures. He has co-authored two textbooks on these subjects. 

AIAA Fellows are recognized for their notable and valuable contributions to the arts, sciences, or technology of aeronautics and astronautics.  

Glenn’s Dr. Heather Oravec Named Outstanding Civil Engineer  

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Cleveland Chapter has named Dr. Heather Oravec, a mechanical engineering research associate professor supporting NASA Glenn Research Center’s Engineering and Research Support (GEARS) contract team, the 2024 Outstanding Civil Engineer of the Year. Oravec is a research leader in the areas of terramechanics and off-road tire development for planetary rovers and works in NASA Glenn’s Simulated Lunar Operations (SLOPE) Lab. 

This award honors a civil engineer who has made significant contributions to the field and to the community, furthering the recognition of civil engineers through work and influence. 

An experiment studying how solid materials catch fire and burn in the Moon’s gravity was launched on Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital flight this month. 

Developed by NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland together with Voyager Technologies, the Lunar-g Combustion Investigation (LUCI) will help researchers determine if conditions on the Moon – with reduced gravity – might be a more hazardous environment for fire safety. 

On this flight, LUCI tested flammability of cotton-fiberglass fabric and plastic rods, and once launched, the payload capsule rotated at a speed to simulate lunar gravity. NASA Glenn researchers will analyze data post-flight.

LUCI’s findings will help NASA and its partners design safe spacecraft and spacesuits for future Moon and Mars missions. 

For more information on LUCI and the mission, visit. 

NASA observed its annual Day of Remembrance on Jan. 23, honoring the members of the NASA family who lost their lives in the pursuit of exploration and discovery for the benefit of humanity. The annual event acknowledges the crews of Apollo 1 and the space shuttles Challenger and Columbia. 

NASA Acting Administrator Janet Petro and astronaut Kayla Barron participated in an observance at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. Wreaths were laid in memory of the men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. 

Several agency centers also held observances for NASA Day of Remembrance. NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland hosted an observance on Jan. 28 with remarks from Center Director Dr. Jimmy Kenyon and a keynote address from the acting director of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Kelvin Manning.  

Kenyon reflected on the loss of the astronauts and the impact on their families. A large part of honoring their legacy, he said, is committing to a culture of safety awareness and practices. Learning what went wrong is vital to safely moving forward into the future. He then introduced a video recognizing the fallen heroes.  

Manning, who worked with the families of the Apollo I astronauts to learn their stories and honor their legacy through an exhibit at NASA Kennedy, shared insights into the causes of the tragedy. He talked about the lessons learned through the investigation that resulted in increased measures for astronaut safety. 

Kenyon then carried a memorial wreath to the front of the stage. NASA Glenn’s Amanda Shalkhauser played Taps, which was followed by a moment of silence.