EAB Bylaws

Vanessa Aponte Williams

Vanessa Aponte Williams

Member 2019 - 2027
Unique Experiences Lead - Orbital Reef Blue Origin Dr. Vanessa Aponte Williams is the Unique Experiences Lead for Blue Origin’s Orbital Reef commercial space station. In this role, Vanessa is a liaison between the needs of commercial customers, such as private astronauts, and the design teams that enable their missions. Prior to Blue Origin, Vanessa led Human Landing System Ascent Element Mission Operations, ensuring end-to-end mission operations integration between design...
Susan Avery

Susan K. Avery

President Emerita, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution • Member 2023 - 2027
Susan K. Avery is president emerita of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and professor emeritus at the University of Colorado, Boulder (UCB) serving in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering as well as in the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES). She served as a faculty affiliate in the Center for Science and Technology Policy Research at UCB and as a Distinguished Visiting Faculty at the University...
Ron Blackwelder

Ron F. Blackwelder

EAB Chair Emeritus - still active with the Board • Member 2005 - 2018
Professor (retired) Dept of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering University of Southern California Ron graduated from the University of Colorado with a B.S. in Aerospace Sciences in 1964, spent a year at the Technische Hochschule in Munich and completed his Ph.D. at the Johns Hopkins University in Fluid Mechanics. His career spanned 42 years at USC where he conducted experimental research on aerodynamics, flight mechanics and the dynamics of transition and...
Gregg Burgess

Gregg Burgess

EAB Chair • Member 2014 - 2026
Vice President, Space Systems General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems Group Mr. Burgess is vice president of Space Systems at General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) in Centenniel Colorado. Mr. Burgess is responsible for the operational execution and growth of an expanding portfolio of miniature, small and medium satellite system solutions, and space technologies across GA-EMS facilities located in Colorado, Alabama, Virginia and California. Space Systems and operates space capabilities for NASA, NOAA,...
Michael Drews

Michael Drews

Chief Engineer Vice President, Lockheed Martin Space • Member 2022 - 2026
Michael Drews is the Chief Engineer Vice President for LM Space, where he leads the technical excellence and innovation strategies for over 10,000 engineers across five Spacecraft and Missile mission areas. He’s an executive leader with over 30 years of system development experience on Classified, DoD and NASA programs. He’s helped engineer multiple next generation systems that pushed boundaries in national aerospace capabilities. Before joining LM in 2000, he began...
Bonnie Dunbar

Bonnie Dunbar

Member 2021 - 2025
John and Bea Slattery Chair, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX Dr. Dunbar is a retired NASA astronaut, engineer and educator, currently with Texas A&M Engineering as a Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) John and Bea Slattery Chair in the Department of Aerospace Engineering. Dunbar, who is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, came to Texas A&M from the University of Houston where...
Karl Edquist

Karl Edquist

Senior Aerospace Engineer, NASA’s Langley Research Center • Member 2023 - 2027
Mr. Karl Edquist works in the Engineering Directorate at NASA’s Langley Research Center, where he has been employed since 2000. He specializes in aerodynamic and aerothermodynamic analysis of planetary entry vehicles for NASA planetary science missions and as a Principal Investigator for technology development projects. He was Aerothermal Lead for NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory and Mars 2020 missions, and Principal Investigator for Propulsive Descent testing in the Langley Unitary Plan...
Christopher Ellerhorst

Christopher Ellerhorst

Vice President, Kuiper Program, United Launch Alliance • Member 2022-2026
Chris Ellerhorst is the vice president of the Kuiper Program at United Launch Alliance (ULA). In this role, he leads a team responsible for integrating finance, technical and operations activities associated with Amazon's Project Kuiper launches. Ellerhorst previously served as the director, Strategy, Business Development and Sales where he led the capture of more than $10.5B in new business orders. Additionally, he led ULA’s Strategic Advisory Group of senior industry...
Jack Elston

Jack Elston

Member 2018 - 2026
Founder and CEO Black Swift Technologies LLC Jack received two MS degrees and his PhD from the University of Colorado Boulder, and continues to work in the Boulder area as CEO and co-founder of Black Swift Technologies, recognized for delivering reliable, robust, and highly accurate Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) capable of flying scientific payloads in demanding atmospheric environments (high-altitude, corrosive particulates, and strong turbulence). Black Swift's purpose-built scientific aerial platforms...
Greg R. Enders

Greg R. Enders

EAB Chair Emeritus - still active with the Board • Member 2004 - 2018
Director (retired) EAB Chair 2012-2014 Systems Engineering and Mission Operations Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company Greg graduated from Colorado State University with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering in 1970 (yes, he had a class in vacuum tubes and knows how to use a slide rule). Upon graduation, he joined the U.S. Navy and spent the following 8 years in Naval Intelligence. His first real engineering job was with Lockheed Martin,...

Richard Herring

EAB Chair Emeritus - still active with the Board • Member 1998 - 2012
CEO (retired) Spectral Solutions, Inc. 2002-Present, Executive Director, Engineers Without Borders 2002-2006; 2010-2012, Chair, External Advisory Board, Aerospace Engineering Sciences, CU-Boulder 1998-2001, CEO/COO, Spectral Solutions, Inc. 1997-1998, Executive Consultant, Videant International, Inc. 1995-1997, CEO, EarthWatch, Inc. (retired) 1991-1995, Vice President, Ball Aerospace (retired) 1987-1991, Chief Operating Officer, Ball Aerospace
Steven D. Jolly

Steven D. Jolly

EAB Chair Emeritus - Still active with the Board • Member 2012 - 2020
Chief Engineer, Business Innovation, Transformation and Enterprise Excellence (BITEE) Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company Dr. Jolly has served Project Orion off and on as an independent advisor and tiger team lead for entry, descent and landing. He was Program Manager for the Mars Science Lab Aeroshell and a member of the Independent Assessment Panel for the MSL Landing Site Selection (June, 2011), and has served as a member of EDL...
Lauren Kessler

Lauren Kessler

Member 2017 - 2025
Principal Staff, Lincoln Laboratory Engineering Division, MIT Lauren J. Kessler is Principal Staff in the Lincoln Laboratory Engineering Division. Her focus is on initiatives in verifying and validating complex and autonomous systems, advancing systems engineering and software engineering practices, and furthering mission-specific interdivisional partnerships in autonomy, unmanned systems, and human-embedded systems. Prior to joining the Laboratory in 2021, Ms. Kessler was a member of the technical staff at Draper Laboratory,...
Ray Kolibaba

Raymond L. Kolibaba

EAB Chair Emeritus - still active with the Board • Member 2003 - 2013
Systems Development Operations Mission Systems Sector, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Northrop Grumman Corp 2008 – 2010, Chair, External Advisory Board, Aerospace Engineering Sciences, UCB Mr. Kolibaba has over 30 years of experience in general management, business development, program management and systems engineering for information technology systems. He is a proven leader who can achieve staff support to change culture and establish different approaches, including technology insertion reuse and COTS integration.
Ivett Leyva

Ivett A. Leyva

Department Head, Aerospace Engineering, Texas A&M University • Member 2023 - 2027
Ivett A. Leyva became the head of the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University in September 2021. Previously, she worked at the Air Force for 15 years. She was the program officer for Hypersonic Aerodynamics at the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, AFRL and prior to that she was a researcher at the AFRL Rocket Lab working on liquid rocket instabilities. Her technical expertise is in hypersonic...
Vickey Moler

Vickey Moler

Director of Systems Engineering and Integration, Sierra Space • Member 2022 - 2026
Vickey Moler is the Director of Systems Engineering and Integration for Sierra Space's Destinations sector, and the acting Lead of Systems Engineering in Sierra's Central Engineering organization. She is responsible for establishing the infrastructure, education, data governance, and processes required to make Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) a successful standard approach for the Destinations, Transportation, and Applications sectors of Sierra Space. Prior to Sierra Space, Vickey led Digital Transformation strategic implementation...
Erica Rodgers

Erica Rodgers

Member 2019 - 2027
Federal Aerospace Engineer with a Focus on Government-Wide Collaboration Dr. Erica Rodgers leads Science and Technology Partnerships within NASA’s Office of the Chief Technologist. Rodgers establishes government-wide collaboration frameworks in technology areas where interagency teamwork is beneficial. She leads coordination and facilitation of partner dialog, collection of data, and data analysis. Resulting recommendations are used to advise and advocate on matters concerning agency-wide technology policy. Rodgers previously served as an...
Aaron Rosengren

Aaron Rosengren

Assistant Professor, University of California San Diego • Member 2021 - 2025
Dr. Rosengren received his PhD in Aerospace Engineering Sciences from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 2014. He served as a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow for the European Union Asteroid and Space Debris Network, Stardust, from 2014 to 2016, at the Institute of Applied Physics Nello Carrara of the Italian National Research Council. In 2017, Dr. Rosengren worked at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece in the Department of...
John Shaw

John Shaw

Deputy Commander, U.S. Space Command • Member 2022 - 2026
Lt. Gen. John E. Shaw is currently the Deputy Commander, U.S. Space Command. He is a Massachusetts native, and he entered the Air Force in 1990 as a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy with a degree in astronautical engineering and a minor in Russian language. Lt Gen Shaw has served in a variety of air and space operations and staff positions, from Silicon Valley to U.S. Air...
Steve Smith

Steve Smith

Member 2018 - 2026
Vice President and General Manager Systems Engineering Solutions Ball Aerospace As Vice President and General Manager of the Systems Engineering Solutions strategic business unit, Steve is responsible for all aspects of Systems Engineering Solutions nationwide operations and contract performance. Steve joined Ball in 2011 serving in a number of roles before assuming his current responsibilities. Steve retired as a Colonel from the United States Air Force in 2011 after serving...
Bill Sullivan

Bill Sullivan

Member 2021 - 2025
Retired, RTX William “Bill” Sullivan was vice president of Space Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance for Raytheon Intelligence and Space, a Raytheon Technologies business. He assumed the position in 2021 and was responsible for a $1.7B ground portfolio across multiple customers and domains. Previously, Sullivan was vice president of the Global Positioning System Next-Generation Operational Control System program from 2015 through 2020. Sullivan led the GPS OCX program and was responsible...
Jen Uchida

Jennifer Uchida

Senior Test Program Manager for Product Development, The Boeing Company • Member 2018 - 2026
Jen Uchida graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2005 with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in aerospace engineering sciences. Following graduation, she accepted a position with the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) as a civilian flight test engineer for the Marine Corps in Patuxent River, MD. There she supported the experimental flight testing of the V-22 Osprey, deploying several new and lifesaving capabilities to the fleet and logging...
Todd Wantuch

Todd Wantuch

Fellow, Northrop Grumman • Member 2021 - 2025
Todd graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1994. Since graduating he has spent the majority of the last 2+ decades with Orbital Sciences Corporation (now Northrop Grumman) pioneering disruptive approaches across a diverse portfolio of space projects from upstart commercial to launch vehicles to major US Government space programs. He initially worked on the ORBCOMM “little LEO” commercial constellation serving as...