Awards

TEAM ADNET is delighted to congratulate these outstanding and dedicated employees who exemplify our commitment to SESDA II success.

Many NASA awards are open to all NASA civil servant employees and employees of NASA contractors. Please help your outstanding colleagues receive the recognition that they deserve! Links to Award Nomination Information may be found in the right column of this page.

SESDA II Science Outreach Team Receive 2009 NASA Public Service Group Achievement Award
June 9, 2009
The Science Outreach Team has been awarded the 2009 NASA Public Service Group Achievement Award. This team award is given to a group of non-government personnel for outstanding accomplishments while participating in a significant program or project that has contributed substantially to the NASA mission. Robert Strain, Goddard’s Center Director, presented the award to the group at the 2009 Agency Honor Awards Ceremony held on June 3rd. The SMD/EOS team was cited for its “outstanding contributions to outreach, promoting NASA’s science and technical accomplishments, and its positive impact on society.”

SESDA II Education and Public Outreach Team Receive 2008 Robert H. Goddard Award
September 3, 2008

Congratulations to Emilie Drobnes and the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Family Science Night (FSN) team on being one of the winners of the 2008 Robert H. Goddard Award. The award is in recognition for the success of the FSN outreach program in providing innovative products, science, technology, and services to the public, educational institutions, and others who are potential beneficiaries of the expansion of knowledge resulting from NASA/GSFC’s mission.

The awards ceremony was held on September 8, 2008 in the building 8 auditorium. Learn more about the outstanding work performed by the FSN team.

SESDA II Staffer Wins Exceptional Public Service Medal
September 3, 2008

Sandra Alston was nominated for and won an Exceptional Public Service Medal at the NASA Honors Awards. She won the award “For your dedication and hard work in supporting AETD as Property Custodian.”

The nomination also cited her support as a System Administrator during the transition to the NOMAD system, and ensuring the security of the branch IT systems.

Cassini CIRS SESDA II Staff Receive CREW Award
June 17, 2008

Five SESDA II staff have received a CREW (Customer Recognition for Exemplary Work) Group Award for their hard work with the Cassini mission at Saturn. Their citation reads “For customer recognition of their exceptional support and major contributions to four years of flawless operation of the Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) on board the highly successful Cassini mission to Saturn. They have significantly improved the operation of CIRS and greatly enhanced its scientific return.”

SESDA II Staff Part of TIMED Group Achievement Award
June 17, 2008

Patricia Twigg was recognized for her work with the TIMED (Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics) mission. The certificate read “The National Aeronautics and Space Administration presents the Group Achievement Award to TIMED Team for outstanding accomplishments in enhancing our understanding of the Earth’s upper atmosphere and changes induced by the sun and other influences.”

System Administration Group Wins CREW Award
June 17, 2008

SESDA II staff providing system administration support to Code 690 were recently recognized with a CREW (Customer Recognition for Exemplary Work) Group Award. Their citation read in part “…contributed significantly to the continued success of GSFC’s Solar System Exploration Division (SSED) by not only providing exceptional system administration and IT security support for Apple desktops and Unix servers but also by going above and beyond their required duties to facilitate the timely implementation of agency and Center mandates.”

SESDA II Staff Member Awarded ISTD Contractor Excellence Award
May 28, 2008

Evan Kunes of SESDA received the ISTD (Instrument Systems and Technology Division) Contractor Excellece Award for the highest level of dedication to quality and service in supporting cryogenic technology development efforts at GSFC for Code 552.

ADNET Systems Receives 2008 Goddard Contractor Excellence Award

ADNET Systems, Inc. has been selected as the recipient of the 2008 Goddard Contractor Excellence Award. The highly competitive honor is not awarded every year, and is determined by a variety of factors: technical, schedule, and cost performance; education and outreach; diversity; health and safety initiatives; and others.

The evaluation committee examined performance in all of these factors for all applicants’ GSFC contracts over the past three years. In ADNET’s case, a primary source of such data was TEAM ADNET’s outstanding work on SESDA II. It is our stellar performance in all areas of this major contract that drove our selection. TEAM ADNET’s staff has pulled together in a way that has made GSFC sit up and take notice!

SESDA II Staff Recognized for Best Published Article

Congratulations to William Thompson (SESDA II) and Eric De Jong (JPL). Their joint paper on NASA’s STEREO MIssion won the 2007 Lou Smaus Award for Best Stereo World article on Modern Stereoscopy from the National Stereoscopic Association.

Link to the National Stereoscopic Association Awards Honor Roll.

SESDA II Staff Member Awarded Exceptional Achievement Individual Award

Maurice Henderson of SESDA II is one of the 2007 Goddard award honorees for individual exceptional achievement for his efforts in conceiving and implementing the Science on a Sphere (SOS) exhibit at Goddard. He was instrumental in getting SOS to Goddard by bringing its potential to the attention of Goddard management and by developing a plan for a new Visitor Center Auditorium to house it. Maurice’s award cites him for being an advocate, for many museums with SOS systems, to incorporate Goddard science content into their presentations. Millions of visitors to these museums each year see NASA, NOAA and other science data provided by SOS shows.

Goddard Exceptional Achievement Team Award for Our Changing Planet Production Team

This fall, the Goddard Exceptional Achievement Team Award will be given to the production team in charge of design and visualization for a new book, “Our Changing Planet: The View from Space”.

The team includes SESDA II staff Sally Bensusen (production manager/designer/illustrator), Debbi McLean (designer/illustrator), Winnie Humberson (designer/illustrator), and visualizers Marit Jentoft-Nilsen and Mark Malanoski.

The book is one of the most comprehensive and truly understandable collections of eye-popping NASA satellite imagery, as well as the current science behind it, and what it all means in terms of global climate change. It is published by Cambridge University Press and is scheduled to hit bookstores and Amazon at the end of November.

Astrophysics Science Division Peer Awards
June 22, 2007

Mr. Ed Sabol received his award for building, implementing, maintaining and continually improving the RPS/AKBAR system.

Ed has implemented a streamlined, flexible, easy-to-use proposal submission and management system. The proposal ingest system has been expanded this year to include GALEX and GLAST, on short schedules and with changing requirements; Ed was creative, calm under pressure, and quick in handling these programs. The proposal review system has resulted in efficient and professional running of proposal reviews by all missions using it to date RXTE, Suzaku, Swift, Integral, XMM/Newton. Ed works to understand the projects’ desires, and then implements exactly what is needed even anticipating needs before they are realized by the projects. His complete and thorough documentation is marvelous. His work makes life easier for those of us running projects and those of us submitting proposals.

Mr. Paul Cursey significant fabrication, assembly, and design contributions to numerous instrumentation and payload systems.

Paul has distinguished himself through his practical design insights and ability to fabricate components for precision astronomical instrumentation systems. Through his flexible and can-do approach he is able to constructively engage designers and hardware end users, thus allowing alternatives to be quickly discovered and implemented. His attention to detail and superior craftsmanship are valued by his peers and a vital resource to the laboratorys experimental and hardware efforts.

Mr. Paul Mirel received his award for contributions to long-wavelength instrument development and excellence in student mentorship.

Paul has distinguished himself through his outstanding design, fabrication, integration, and flight support of the balloon-borne ARCADE instrument. In addition, in his ongoing student mentorship role, he has successfully used science as a vehicle to inspire and has thereby introduced numerous individuals to the world of practical astrophysical instrumentation and experimental design. To those in need in assistance, Paul is always prepared and happy to lend a helping hand.

Ms. Urmila Prasad received her award for support of the astrophysical research community through the LAMBDA data center.

Urmila is the backbone of the Legacy Archive for Microwave Background Data Analysis (LAMBDA) data center. Through her efficient, novel and tireless support of this unique aspect of NASAs mission to the science community, Urmila has enabled researchers to publish thousands of papers based on the centers Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) related holdings. Perhaps more importantly she is recognized as a true pleasure to work with.

Award
January 22, 2007
On January 22, 2007, Lisa Kane-Hager received an award in recognition of significant contributions which ensured a successful Constellation Systems Requirement Review. The award was presented by Chris Hardcastle from Johnson Space Center.

Constellation project Web site

Pecora Award

On April 27, 2006, several current members of TEAM ADNET received the TOMS Group Achievement Award (a Pecora Award). Sponsored jointly by the Department of the Interior and NASA, this award is presented annually to recognize outstanding contributions of individuals or groups who study the Earth with remote sensing. The award was established in 1974 in memory of Dr. William T. Pecora, former Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, and Under Secretary, Department of the Interior. Pecora was a motivating force behind the establishment of a program for civil remote sensing of the Earth from space. His early vision and support helped establish what we know today as the Landsat satellite program.

Peer Awards

On September 6, 2006, Dr. Evelina Felicite-Maurice (pictured with Mr. Rick Obenschain) received a Mentor Peer Award from Code 400, the Flight Programs & Projects Directorate (FPPD), “Peer Award for Mentor, Dr. Evelina Félicité-Maurice for your contribution to the professional development of educators at the STP/LWS Program institutes, workshops, internships and conferences.” The FPPD Peer Awards promote and recognize innovation, teamwork, respect, diligence and efforts to improve.

Code 614 for Outstanding Support Service Award

On July 19, 2006, four SESDA II employees received awards from Code 614 for Outstanding Support Service. GSFC Code 614 includes the Hydrospheric and Biospheric Sciences Laboratory. One of the four awards recognized an employee for the procurement and installation of the Science on a Sphere display in the Goddard Visitor Center.

Maurice Henderson (pictured at left) displayed exemplary leadership and superb accomplishments in bringing the Science on a Sphere (SOS) display system to the Goddard Visitor Center. Maurice promoted the concept to key individuals including Dr. Weiler, led the negotiations with NOAA to procure the system worked with Goddard administration to implement the contract, and secured the necessary space and approvals. Within a week of becoming operational, the system had been shown to numerous officials including the Center Director. This is an outstanding achievement of high impact to Goddard.

Jordan Borak co-authored a paper that provides an innovative technique for deriving the first global time series of land surface roughness parameters from satellite imagery. Non-static maps of roughness which vary seasonally with vegetation growth and senescence will improve the understanding and simulation of land-atmosphere interactions. They will benefit weather and climate prediction models, which require these parameters as inputs. The technique is one of many unexpected but important applications of data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor, aboard NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites, and is directly relevant to NASA’s Earth-Sun science goals.

Jeff Miller (pictured at left) provides software engineering support for Dr. Thorsten Markus in his studies of snow and sea ice using passive microwave data from AQUA/AMSR. The award, “Outstanding Support Service Contractor,” was for his work combining AMSR data with a variety of other data sets (MODIS, TOVS, RGPS, AVHRR), as well as general technical support for the branch.

The award to Jeffrey Jones is titled” “Hydrospheric and Biospheric Sciences Laboratory Year 2006 Peer Award for Outstanding Support Services Contractor”. Jeff has done an excellent job over the past year in developing and improving two of the operational algorithms for the TRMM Precipitation Radar. Jeff has also played a major role in developing a radar model that uses data generated from cloud resolving models, and made a great contribution in the GPM radar algorithm development and testing.