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Karen Taminger
NASA Langley Research Center
2023 BIG Idea Challenge Co-Chair
Karen Taminger started her career at NASA Langley Research Center as a co-op student in 1986 and full-time as a Materials Research Engineer since 1989. She develops advanced metals and processing methods and leads multidisciplinary teams. She served as the technical lead for structural efficiency in the Advanced Air Transport Technology project for the past 16 years and recently led LaRC’s fabrication of the backplate for the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit spacesuits. Since 2000, she has led LaRC’s metal additive manufacturing efforts through a variety of center innovation, aeronautics, for space and in-space programs, inventing and maturing the Electron Beam Freeform Fabrication (EBF3) technology along the way. She spent 3 hours in zero-gravity (in 15-second increments!) while parabolic flight testing EBF3 for compatibility with the space environment. Karen earned the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal in 2007, the NASA Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal in 2014, and her team received Langley’s Whitcomb-Holloway Technology Transfer Award in 2008 and runner-up for NASA Patent of the Year in 2016. Karen earned her BS in 1989 and MS in 1999 both in Materials Engineering from Virginia Tech.
Karen Taminger
NASA LaRC
2023 Co-Chair
Kevin Kempton
NASA Langley Research Center
2023 BIG Idea Challenge Co-Chair
Kevin Kempton currently works with the Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation (CoECI) team and provides technical support for many crowdsourcing projects. He also supports the Game Changing Development Program as a Program Element Manager supporting technology development projects. While supporting CoECI and GCD, Kevin recently led several concept studies such as the Mars Ice Home habitat, the Advanced Lightweight Lunar Gantry for Operations (ALLGO), and the Lunar Torch mobile lunar heliostat. Mr. Kempton was also the PI for a NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Program study called PHLOTE (Phobos L1 Operational Tether Experiment).
Previously, Mr. Kempton was the project manager for the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) Sensor Development at Langley where he planned and supported the integration and flight test campaigns that led up to the successful flight test of the ALHAT system on the Morpheus vehicle at KSC. Before ALHAT, Mr. Kempton was the Lead Systems Engineer for the CLARREO Climate Mission Development. He also served as the Lead Systems Engineer and Verification Manager for the Ares I-X Demonstration Flight Test and was awarded the NASA Exceptional Achievement Award as well as the Space Flight Awareness Award for leadership and innovations in systems engineering.
Kevin Kempton
NASA LaRC
2023 Co-Chair
Alexander Blanchard
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Alexander Blanchard received a B.S. in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Southern Maine, Portland, ME, and an M.S. in Materials Chemistry from Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL. Mr. Blanchard began his career at NASA as an intern studying the buoyancy effects on the propagation of inorganic precipitation reactions in microgravity. Before taking on his current role in 2020 as a materials engineer at Marshall Space Flight Center (NASA), he was a lecturer at University of Alabama Huntsville. He resides in Huntsville, AL with his wife and four cats.
Alexander Blanchard
NASA MSFC
Dr. Cheryl Bowman
NASA Glenn Research Center
Dr. Cheryl Bowman has worked at NASA Glenn Research Center for over 30 years conducting component-focused, structural materials research. She is currently the Acting Branch Chief for the High Temperature and Smart Alloys Branch with an emphasis on directing additively manufacturing-focused alloy development. Cheryl started her career working on Aeronautics focused turbine engine components then spent ten years as a materials development lead for fission power conversion within the Space Technology Mission Directorate. She recently coordinated vehicle system, electric-drive system, and materials development research for NASA’s Electrified Aircraft Propulsion portfolio. She received a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Case Western Reserve University, a M.S. in Metallurgical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and a dual B.S. degree in Metallurgical Engineering and Engineering Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University.
Dr. Cheryl Bowman
NASA GRC
Robert Carter
NASA Glenn Research Center
Robert Carter is Deputy Chief of the Materials and Structures Division at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). The Division’s 10 branches, and workforce of approximately 250 civil servants and contractors, field a wide range of research and engineering efforts in materials, structures, and mechanisms for extreme aerospace environments. This work spans all technology levels from fundamental atomistic modeling for discovery of new materials, to full-scale structural testing and qualification of flight hardware. He previously served as Chief of GRC’s High Temperature and Smart Alloys Branch, where he oversaw a diverse research and development portfolio and championed revitalization of GRC’s alloy processing capabilities, with special emphasis on establishing a core competency in production of custom alloy feedstocks for additive manufacturing.
Mr. Carter began his career at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center where he was the Element Discipline Lead Engineer for Production of the Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage, was Team Lead for Welding and Manufacturing, and was one of the early pioneers in the research and development of Friction Stir Welding for space flight hardware. He holds a Master’s degree in Materials Engineering from Auburn University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Welding Engineering from The Ohio State University.
Robert Carter
NASA GRC
Dr. Bill Frazier
Pilgrim Consulting
Dr. Bill Frazier received his BS, MS, and Ph.D. degrees in Materials Engineering from Drexel University. He is a graduated the Naval Aviation Executive Institute's Senior Executive Management Development Program, and the Defense Systems Management College's Advanced Program Management Curriculum.
Dr. Frazier founded Pilgrim Consulting LLC following a successful 39 year long career within the Department of the Navy. Upon retiring, he held the positions of “The Navy Senior Scientist for Materials Engineering,” and “The Chief Scientist for the Air Vehicle Department” at the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).
Dr. Frazier is a recognized expert in (i) materials qualification and certification, (ii) manufacturing and processing, (iii) additive manufacturing (AM), and (iv) strategic planning. He was the technical architect of NAVAIR’s strategic efforts to deploy additive manufacturing technology in order to enhance operational readiness and reduce sustainment cost. Dr. Frazier led the technical effort culminating in the certification and flying the Navy’s first flight critical AM component, viz., the V22 Osprey engine nacelle link.
Dr. Bill Frazier
Pilgrim Consulting
Timothy Gabb
NASA Glenn Research Center
Timothy P. Gabb is a research metallurgist employed at NASA Glenn Research Center, Mail Stop 49-3, 21000 Brookpark Rd., Cleveland, Ohio 44135 from 1983 through the present. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1981 and a Master of Science degree in 1983, both in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana State University. He received a Ph.D. in Materials Science from Case Western Reserve University in 1988. His research interests have principally concerned processing-microstructure-mechanical property relationships for nickel-base alloys used at high temperatures.
Timothy Gabb
NASA GRC
Mick Maher
Maher & Associates
Mr. Michael 'Mick' Maher founded Maher & Associates LLC in September 2016 after 5 years as a program manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). His company is focused on the development and transition of advanced material and manufacturing technologies that include additive manufacturing, thermoforming of composites, rapid material development, qualification and certification. Additionally, Mr. Maher currently serves on several corporate and technical advisory boards including the National Academies’ National Materials and Manufacturing Board and is CTO for the non-profit, Applied Science and Technology Organization of America (ASTRO).
While at DARPA, he managed a portfolio of programs specializing in advanced materials and manufacturing. His programs have enabled rapid qualification of new manufacturing technologies and developed revolutionary new composite technologies, novel lightweight multifunctional and specialty material systems.
Mr. Maher came to DARPA from the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) where he was Chief of the Composite and Hybrid Materials Branch and Materials Applications Branch. While at ARL, Mr.
Maher oversaw the research and development programs in the areas of armor material, coatings, composite technologies, and failure analysis.
Prior to his work at ARL, Mr. Maher served in various technology and management positions over a 20-year span at companies such as Martin Marietta, AAI, and DuPont.
Mr. Maher has received significant awards in his career such as becoming a SAMPE Fellow, receiving the Secretary of Defense Award for Excellence and the 100 Greatest Army Inventions.
Mick Maher
Maher & Associates
Dr. Kevin Slattery
The Barnes Global Advisors
Dr. Kevin Slattery, D. Sc., is a Principal ADDvisor® at The Barnes Global Advisors. His primary expertise is in Metallic Additive and Metals Manufacturing, focusing on test program development, process and product verification, qualification, and certification. He is a 2020 Ambassador for America Makes, and a member of the 2020 Materials Challenge Silver Medal team in the USAF Rapid Sustainment Office Additive Manufacturing Olympics. He was previously the Chief Scientist for Additive Manufacturing (AM) and Metals in Boeing Research and Technology, leading a multi-skilled team to deliver the technology throughout the company. He was a Division Chief Engineer in Boeing’s Military Sustainment group from 2012 to 2015. Prior to that, he led the implementation of the first metal AM structural aircraft components, along with another six first-in-the-industry technology implementations. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Metallurgical Engineering from Missouri S&T, and a D.Sc. in Material Science from Washington University. He currently holds 39 US patents, with 13 applications pending.
Dr. Kevin Slattery
The Barnes Global Advisors