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Archived News
12/29/2006
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Draper’s Inertial Stellar Compass Fully Operational in First Space Flight
 Cambridge, Mass., Dec. 29, 2006 -- Draper Laboratory’s Inertial Stellar Compass (ISC) is now fully operational on board the TacSat-2 spacecraft, representing the first use of a MEMS gyro in a complete spacecraft attitude determination system. TacSat-2 was launched on December 16 from Wallops Flight Facility. Following basic spacecraft commissioning activities, the ISC was first turned on December 27 and two days of preliminary functional tests show the instrument to be working perfectly.
The ISC combines a star camera and MEMS gyros with a microprocessor to provide a full 3-axis attitude determination system in a low power (3.6 W) and low-mass (2.9 kg) package, less than one-half the power and mass of conventional systems. Developed at Draper Laboratory and utilizing Draper’s own MEMS Tuning Fork Gyro package, this flight validation represents a major leap forward in navigation sensors and MEMS technology for space applications.
The fully autonomous, self-initializing instrument has operated flawlessly since being powered up on Dec. 27. Requiring no more than power and an occasional clock update from the host spacecraft, the ISC initializes upon startup, acquires and identifies stars from its own star catalog, and uses its “lost in space” algorithms to determine the direction in which it is pointing. If all continues to go well aboard the TacSat-2 spacecraft, a series of dedicated tests are planned for the coming weeks that will acquire extensive data to verify ISC performance under a wide variety of conditions.
The ISC development was funded by NASA’s New Millennium Program (NMP), which is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA. The TacSat-2 spacecraft was developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and is operated out of the AFRL command center at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, NM.
The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. is a non-profit engineering research and development laboratory dedicated to providing technological solutions in areas including guidance, navigation, and control; highly reliable embedded software; autonomous systems; miniature, low-power electronics; and biomedical engineering. Draper serves the national interest through applied research, engineering development, and technology transfer.
For more information about Draper and the Inertial Stellar Compass, visit http://www.draper.com/features/isc.html
For more information about NASA’s New Millennium Program, visit http://nmp.nasa.gov |
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12/18/2006
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Draper Laboratory Contributes Software to Joint Forces Air Drop System
Draper Laboratory played a key role in the development of the U.S. Army and Air Force Joint Precision Air Drop System (JPADS). This guided parachute supply delivery system, designed to reduce the risk to troops during resupply missions, made its combat debut in Afghanistan on Aug. 31. Draper was responsible for the now fielded mission planning system software and also demonstrated the flight of an advanced guidance software package for use on a precision airdrop systems being considered for early field use.
Under the leadership of the U.S. Army’s Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (Natick), as a joint project of the Army and Air Force, JPADS has been in development for nearly a decade. It features autonomous GPS-guided steering systems that direct parafoils and their payloads to specified drop zones approximately the size of a soccer field. The laptop computer-based mission planning software is used on cargo aircraft to incorporate the latest data regarding wind and other meteorological information along with airdrop system dynamics and drop zone locations to determine the timing and locations of airdrop system deployments. This enables supplies like ammunition, fuel, food, and water to be delivered precisely in all weather conditions from high altitudes.
JPADS provides greater safety for both ground troops and aircrew. The high altitude delivery keeps cargo aircraft out of range of enemy fire. The mission planning software and guidance system enables accommodation of short delivery windows with precise payload delivery, reducing the amount of time necessary for ground troops to retrieve supplies, thus minimizing risk.
Draper President and CEO Jim Shields stated that “the Draper Laboratory staff are proud that their mission planning software is making a major contribution to the operational use of the U.S Army and Air Force precision airdrop systems. Now that JPADS is being used in combat zones, Draper's guidance and planning software extends to safer, more accurate delivery of supplies to troops on the ground. This capability, in collaboration with the other JPADS program participants, is making our military personnel in harm's way safer today.”
Development of the system continues. Eventually there will be four different sizes of JPADS: extra light, light, medium and heavy. The ultimate goal of the heavy system is to be able to deliver 60,000 pounds of cargo— more than the weight of the Army’s Stryker combat vehicle.
The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. is a non-profit engineering research and development laboratory dedicated to providing technological solutions in areas including guidance, navigation, and control; highly reliable embedded software; autonomous systems; miniature, low-power electronics; and biomedical engineering. As a bridge between academic research and real-world applications of technology, Draper serves the national interest through applied research, engineering development, and technology transfer.
This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Army under Contract No. W9124R-06-C-0110. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of Draper Laboratory, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Army. |
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11/02/2006
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President Jim Shields Named 2006 All-Star by Mass High Tech
President Jim Shields joined 11 other leaders in Massachusetts being honored by Mass High Tech with a 2006 All-Star Award on Oct. 25. The weekly newspaper covers the technology market and selected Shields for his contributions to the defense sector. |
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10/11/2006
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Draper Laboratory Selects Two New Vice Presidents
Cambridge, Massachusetts Oct. 10, 2006 Draper Laboratory has announced the promotions of two members of management to the position of Vice President.
Darryl Sargent will be the new Vice President for Programs. He succeeds James Shields who recently was elected Draper’s new President and CEO. Sargent’s previous position was as director of the Space Systems Programs Office. He joined Draper 27 years ago after receiving a master’s degree in physics from MIT, and he has held various management positions within Draper’s space programs. According to Shields, “Darryl will set the direction for, lead the marketing of, and oversee the execution of all Draper’s sponsored research for sponsors outside of the strategic guidance programs area.”
John Stillwell has been promoted to the new position of Vice President for Strategic Systems. He most recently served as principal director of the Strategic Systems Program Office. Stillwell joined Draper as Principal Director of Programs in1998 when he retired from the Navy after 34 years of service, but he first became associated with the Laboratory when he worked as a Draper Fellow in the 1970’s while earning his master’s degree in physics from the Naval Postgraduate School. He spent much of his Navy career associated with the Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs (SSP) office, including serving as Technical Director of SSP from 1994-1998. “John is being promoted in recognition of his outstanding accomplishments and will continue to provide leadership for Draper’s strategic systems programs,” said Shields.
Draper Laboratory is a non-profit engineering research and development laboratory dedicated to serving the national interest in applied research, engineering development, advanced technical education, and technology transfer. Areas of technology development include guidance, navigation, and control; highly reliable embedded software; autonomous systems; miniature, low-power electronics; and biomedical engineering. |
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10/10/2006
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Draper Honored by City of Cambridge for Youth Employment
Draper Laboratory was honored by the City of Cambridge for “dedication and support of Cambridge Youth Employment” with The Warren P. MacEachern Outstanding Employer of the Year Award on Sept. 28, 2006. The award was presented by Just-A-Start TeenWork and the City of Cambridge’s Office of Workforce Development. The plaque was presented by Vice Mayor Timothy J. Toomey, Jr.
Draper has supported Just-A-Start’s youth employment initiatives, including its TeenWork program, for many years through grants from the Laboratory’s Contributions Program and by providing jobs for youth. The Laboratory employed two teenagers this summer through TeenWork, which trains high school students for the workplace and helps to find appropriate job placements for them. Tsion Girum worked for Dr. Angela Zapata as an office clerk, and Elizabeth Sullivan was employed in Corporate Communications & Community Relations. |
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10/10/2006
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Draper Laboratory Announces Election of New President and CEO: James Shields
Cambridge, Massachusetts—Oct. 5, 2006— James D. Shields today was elected president and chief executive officer of The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. Shields became president and CEO following election by the Board of Directors. He succeeds Vincent Vitto, who retired from the position after nine years of service.
Dr. John Kreick, chairman of the Board of Directors, said, “As president of Draper Laboratory, Jim Shields will lead the Laboratory to continued success. His technical knowledge, his experience as Draper’s vice president for programs, and his service to national government advisory boards are valuable assets. Jim is a worthy successor to Vince Vitto, who gave the Laboratory strong, dedicated leadership.”
Looking ahead, Shields said, “The Laboratory will continue to focus on solving problems of national importance. We will do this in new and emerging fields, such as biomedical engineering and energy, as well as in our traditional domains of national security and space exploration. I look forward to working with Draper’s outstanding staff on these new challenges.”
Prior to his election as president, Shields was Draper’s vice president for programs, responsible for development of new work and execution of contracted projects. He joined Draper in that position in 2001 from TASC (now part of Northrop Grumman Information Technology). His 28-year career at TASC culminated as vice president for strategic development. Shields has served on a number of study panels for the Defense Science Board and Air Force Scientific Advisory Board. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Draper Laboratory is a non-profit engineering research and development laboratory dedicated to serving the national interest in applied research, engineering development, advanced technical education, and technology transfer. Areas of technology development include guidance, navigation, and control; highly reliable embedded software; autonomous systems; miniature, low-power electronics; and biomedical engineering. |
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10/04/2006
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Employee Recognized by AIAA as 2007 Associate Fellow
Michael Ricard (GCB2) has been elected one of the 2007 Associate Fellows of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). A maximum of 1 Senior Member per 150 voting members may be upgraded to Associate Fellow annually. The 2007 Associate Fellows will be honored Jan. 8, 2007, at the AIAA Associate Fellows Dinner, which will be held in conjunction with the 45th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit.
Ricard is a member of the New England AIAA chapter. Four New England members were upgraded this year. |
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09/29/2006
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2006 Draper Career Fair
Draper Laboratory will hold a career fair in conjunction with its annual Technology Exposition on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2006, from 4 to 7 p.m. in its Hill Building, One Hampshire Street, Cambridge. This event will be advertised to job seekers through an ad in The Boston Sunday Globe, Oct. 1.
Job seekers who attend the career fair will be able to view the Tech Expo exhibits and speak to technical staff and hiring managers about working at Draper Lab. The Lab has in excess of 80 current job openings in virtually all technical disciplines related to guidance, navigation and control, with experience level requirements ranging from entry level through seasoned technical leaders. Descriptions of each open position are available on the Draper public web site at http://www.draper.com/careers/opportunities.html
Career Fair attendees must show picture identification to gain admittance. Parking in the Technology Square Garage (across the street by Draper's 555 Technology Square building) will be validated for job fair attendees at the Hill Building reception area. Refreshments will be served, and a door prize drawing will be held for an Apple iPod.
For more information about the career fair, contact Human Resources, 617-258-2885. |
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09/14/2006
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Draper Laboratory to Develop Ultra-Miniature Nano Air Vehicle (NAV) for Urban Military Operations
Cambridge, Massachusetts—Sept. 14, 2006—The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., was awarded an 18-month $2.3 million contract to design a new miniature class of UAV for Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO). The vehicle is intended to operate in challenging urban environments, flying both indoors and outdoors while avoiding detection by virtue of its small size and quiet operation. Its purpose is to precisely deliver sensors for monitoring military activities in restricted access locations.
DARPA’s requirements specify that the vehicle weigh less than eight grams, fit within a sphere no larger than three inches in diameter, and carry a two-gram payload. Within that very small package reside a propulsion subsystem, guidance and navigation subsystem, communications subsystem, video subsystem, and power supply. DARPA’s ambitious performance goals call for 20 minutes of continuous operation to execute a mission profile that includes a 2-kilometer ingress/egress flight, a 60-second hovering maneuver, and precision flight at low speed for several minutes. Outdoor sprint speeds should reach five meters per second (m/s), while indoor flight should be controllable below 0.5 m/s. The vehicle is intended to fly semi-autonomously outdoors and to fly under direct operator control via radio link during indoor operation.
Draper’s team includes the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Daedalus Flight Systems (DFS); MIT will provide high energy miniature battery technology, and DFS will perform aircraft design. Draper Laboratory is the system integrator and will lead the design of the avionics, propulsion, and guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) subsystems. The aircraft is a dual-blade coaxial rotorcraft design with centrally located battery and avionics. Draper’s GN&C algorithms and ultra-dense packaging will provide flight control from a three gram electronics package. MIT’s two gram Lithium-ion batteries will deliver unmatched energy and power density.
Draper’s contract is one of several expected awards under the Nano Air Vehicle (NAV) Program. The NAV program will support the development of parallel technical approaches to meet DARPA’s ambitious performance requirements. The current effort represents the first of a two-phase program that seeks to develop and demonstrate an end-to-end system for hummingbird-scale UAVs that execute ISR missions in denied battlespace. The Phase 1 preliminary design effort will be followed by a down-select to a Phase 2 build and validation phase.
Draper Laboratory is a non-profit, research and development laboratory dedicated to serving the national interest through applied research, engineering development, advanced technical education, and technology transfer. Areas of technology development include guidance, navigation, and control; highly reliable embedded software; autonomous systems; miniature, low-power electronics; and biomedical engineering. Located in Rockville, Md., Daedalus Flight Systems is an aerospace engineering R&D company focused on ultra-miniature UAV development. MIT’s Materials Science Department is a world leader in battery chemistry and process development. |
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09/11/2006
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Adam Rzepniewski and Greg Andrews win the Best Paper Award
Adam Rzepniewski and Greg Andrews won the best paper award Aug. 31, 2006, from Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Unmanned Systems North America 2006 conference, held in Orlando, Florida. Entitled "Legged Robot Motion with Explicit Stability Constraints: Theory and Application,” the paper was presented by Andrews in the Command and Control V session on Aug. 31. He was presented with the award earlier that day at the awards luncheon.
The conference featured more than 70 papers. Another paper written and presented by Draper employees was “Risk-aware Mixed-initiative Dynamic Replanning (RMDR) Program Update.” It was presented by Margaret Nervegna, who cowrote it with Michael Ricard, at the Command & Control IV session.
The papers will be published as part of conference proceedings. |
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07/12/2006
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Draper Laboratory Announces Selection of New President and CEO
Cambridge, Massachusetts—July 12, 2006—The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., announced today that James D. Shields has been selected as its next president and chief executive officer. Shields will become president and CEO following election by the Board of Directors on Oct. 5, when Vincent Vitto, Draper’s current president and CEO, will retire after 9 years of strong, dedicated service.
Dr. John Kreick, chairman of the Board of Directors, said, “The selection of Jim Shields as the next president of Draper Laboratory ensures decisive leadership informed by technical knowledge and fine judgment. Draper is well positioned to continue its impressive record of engineering solutions to problems of national significance.”
Shields currently is Draper’s vice president for programs, responsible for development of new work and execution of contracted projects. He joined Draper in that position in 2001 from TASC (now part of Northrop Grumman Information Technology). His 28-year career at TASC culminated as vice president for strategic development. Shields has served on a number of study panels for the Defense Science Board and Air Force Scientific Advisory Board. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Draper Laboratory is a non-profit engineering research and development laboratory dedicated to serving the national interest in applied research, engineering development, advanced technical education, and technology transfer. Areas of technology development include guidance, navigation, and control; highly reliable embedded software; autonomous systems; miniature, low-power electronics; and biomedical engineering. |
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05/10/2006
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United Way of Massachusetts Bay Honors Draper Lab with Extra Mile Award
Draper Laboratory was honored by United Way of Massachusetts Bay (UWMB) with the 2005 Extra Mile Award at UWMB’s Awards Celebration and Annual Meeting, held April 27, 2006. The Extra Mile Award recognizes support to United Way and the community at large. The award text reads, “For raising $135,000 for victims of Hurricane Katrina and one month later raising a record amount of $195,000 on behalf of United Way and the communities we serve.”
“Year in and year out, I have been impressed by the generosity of Draper employees in responding to United Way campaigns,” Draper Laboratory President Vince Vitto said. “In 2005, the compassion of Draper’s employees was highlighted by their contributions to funds to help the victims of the tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. After giving generously to those funds, they gave even more to the United Way later that year than they had the year before. I am very proud to be associated with people who are so willing to share their resources with others in need.”
Draper Laboratory employees donated approximately $185,000 to the United Way campaign run by the Laboratory in October 2005; additionally, the Laboratory donated $10,000 to UWMB’s Math, Science and Technology Initiative. Draper’s 2004 campaign for UWMB had raised approximately $175,000 in donations from employees.
Between the 2004 and 2005 United Way campaigns, employees donated more than $65,000 for Hurricane Katrina relief in September 2005 and more than $45,000 for tsunami relief in the preceding January. Those donations were matched by the corporation for total donations of $131,700.95 and $91,294 respectively.
Donations by employees to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina were allocated to the American Red Cross and America’s Second Harvest. Monies donated by employees to help tsunami victims were allocated to the tsunami relief funds of U.S. Fund for UNICEF and Save the Children. |
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04/12/2006
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Employee Becomes AIAA Vice President Elect for Public Policy
Laboratory Technical Staff Phil Hattis has been elected vice president elect, public policy, by the national membership of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). The post is part of the AIAA's board of directors. Hattis's year as vice president elect begins April 26, 2006, during which the vice president continues to serve and orients the vice president elect to the responsibilities of the office. After that transition year, Hattis will serve three years as vice president.
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03/03/2006
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Draper Employee Honored as 1 of 10 Women to Watch in New England
Cambridge, Massachusetts—March 3, 2006—Linda Robeck Fuhrman, space science program manager at Draper Laboratory, was honored by Mass High Tech at its 2006 Women to Watch program on March 2 in Boston. Fuhrman was recognized as an outstanding technology executive for her demonstrated leadership ability, both professional and civic. The event honors the 10 women in New England chosen by the award’s selection committee.
The award’s criteria include five or more years of technical or managerial experience in technology- or science-related business; an engineering or science degree; leadership, including business results, team building, sound decision-making skills, and an active role in the community or as a mentor; and creative thinking and development of new business or commercialization of technology.
Fuhrman has more than 16 years of experience developing and managing technology for NASA’s space flight systems at Draper Laboratory and previously at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. She has been directing Draper’s efforts in robotic space science and exploration, including programs for Mars Sample Return, Lunar Sample Return, a Mars airplane, and technology development for precision landing on Mars. She has managed the development of the avionics suite for a rocket-powered airplane that will conduct regional scale surveys of Mars. She also has led the development of the System of Systems architecture for NASA’s series of human and robotic explorations of the Moon that will culminate in the Human Lunar Exploration of the Moon in 2018. Recently she led a NASA technology program to enable anytime-anywhere landing on the Moon.
Fuhrman holds a master’s degree from Stanford University and a bachelor’s degree from MIT, both in aeronautics and astronautics. She is the author of several technical publications.
Fuhrman has been honored with many awards, including six NASA Group Achievement Awards; JPL NOVA award (1997); the Hero of Public Service (Partnership for Trust in Government, 1999); the iVillage.com “Eighteen Women Who Will Rule the World” (2000); and Honorary Young Astronaut (1998). She also was designated an Honorary Fellow of the Institute for Advancement of Engineering (2000) and holds memberships in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Society of Women Engineers, and Association of Women in Science.
Draper President Vincent Vitto commended Fuhrman’s accomplishments: “Linda’s intelligence, industry, and leadership in the development of space technology, as well as her keen interest in advancing public understanding of space sciences, have made her an excellent role model for all engineers, especially for younger women colleagues. Her selection by Mass High Tech as one of 10 outstanding women in Massachusetts is a truly deserved recognition.”
Darryl Sargent, Director of Space Systems at Draper Laboratory, who nominated Fuhrman for this award, said, “Linda was Draper’s lead for several winning proposals to NASA, resulting in the capture of significant new business. She also has an outstanding record in organizing and mobilizing diverse teams to handle complex projects and has demonstrated creative approaches to solving technical problems.”
Sargent also cited her community involvement: “Linda has been incredibly active in engineering and science educational outreach.”
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Recently she has given numerous public lectures and participated in outreach at the Museum of Science, Boston; MIT Museum; SAE Guidance & Control committee meeting; the AIAA Boston chapter; Experimental Aircraft Association Boston chapter; the International Lunar Exploration Working Group annual meeting; and for audiences from the New England Air Museum and several student groups from the Cambridge Public Schools. Previously, she was featured on the “Young Astronauts” 1997 and 1998 and had a number of guest appearances in 2003 on “Howe About Science.” Both are accredited, cable-subscription, science programs for grades 4-5.
Fuhrman is the third Draper recipient of the Mass High Tech Women to Watch award, joining Dr. Amy Duwel, Principal Member Technical Staff in the MEMS and Micro Optics Division, who was honored with the award in 2004, and Heidi Perry, Division Leader of Mission Systems, who was honored in 2005.
Draper Laboratory is a non-profit, research and development laboratory dedicated to serving the national interest in applied research, engineering development, advanced technical education, and technology transfer. Areas of technology development include guidance, navigation, and control; highly reliable embedded software; autonomous systems; miniature, low-power electronics; and biomedical engineering. For more information, see www.draper.com.
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03/03/2006
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Photo credit: National Academy of Engineering
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2006 Draper Prize Presented to Charge-Coupled Device Inventors during National Engineers Week
Winners of the 2006 Charles Stark Draper Prize, Dr. Willard S. Boyle (left) and Dr. George E. Smith, were honored "for the invention of the Charge-Coupled Device (CCD), a light-sensitive component at the heart of digital cameras and other widely used imaging technologies," at a dinner held Feb. 21, 2006, during National Engineers Week. Boyle and Smith were presented with gold medals and citations, and the two will share the prize money of $500,000. The Draper Prize, endowed by The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., is administered by the National Academy of Engineering. The Prize is awarded for outstanding achievement, particularly innovation and reduction to practice, in engineering and technology contributing to the advancement of the welfare and freedom of humanity. The Prize honors the memory of Draper Laboratory's founder, Dr. Charles Stark Draper, who pioneered inertial navigation. It is intended to increase public understanding of the contributions of engineering and technology.
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02/24/2006
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Draper Laboratory Employees Honored by AIAA New England Section
Space Science Business Area Manager Linda Fuhrman and Autonomous Mission Control software engineer Lauren Kessler were honored at the awards banquet of the New England Section of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, held Feb. 16, 2006. Fuhrman was named Engineer of the Year for 2005, and Kessler was cited as Software Engineer of the Year for 2005. Space Systems Director Darryl Sargent was honored as a new Associate Fellow, and additionally he was presented with an anniversary pin. Tactical Systems Associate Director Frank Serna received a certificate for 25 years of membership.
Citations for the awards were read by Software System Architectures and HCI Group Leader Elise Erikson, secretary of the section and Honors and Awards chair, who organized the event. The awards were presented by Section Chair Jeanne Hartley.
The citation for Fuhrman’s award as Engineer of the Year reads in part, “Over the past two decades, Linda has provided solutions to complex engineering problems for NASA Space Systems. Linda is most currently working on designs for future Mars missions, including the first airplane to fly on another planet. Linda actively supports a wide variety of public outreach and community groups, including Cambridge Public Schools, National Engineers Week, and the Boston Museum of Science, yet she always manages to find time to support her local AIAA section, including a nice synopsis in this past year of the Mars Airplane and CEV projects, which were very well received by the community.”
The citation for Kessler reads in part, “The 2005 New England AIAA Software Engineer of the Year is awarded to Lauren Kessler who currently works for Draper Laboratory in support of Boeing on the DARPA Orbital Express program, a program to develop a satellite to autonomously service previously deployed and operational satellites….Lauren has been involved in all aspects of software engineering for developing embedded software solutions for aircraft and space systems. In addition, in her spare time Lauren is helicopter pilot and belongs to the Civil Air Patrol.”
The banquet was cosponsored by MIT’s Aeronautics and Astronautics Department and Draper Laboratory. Vice President for Engineering Eli Gai accepted a framed certificate on behalf of the Laboratory presented “to acknowledge The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. for its generous contribution to the AIAA New England Scholarship Program.” Draper is a corporate member of the AIAA.
Photos of the recipients, information about other awards presented, and a biography of the guest speaker can be viewed at http://www.aiaa.org/sections/nd/
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01/04/2006
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2006 Charles Stark Draper Prize Won by Inventors of Charge-coupled Devices
CAMBRIDGE , Mass. -Jan. 4, 2006-The 2006 Charles Stark Draper Prize will be presented by the National Academy of Engineering to the inventors of charge-coupled devices (CCDs), Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith, on Feb. 21 in Washington , D.C. Boyle and Smith will share the $500,000 prize for inventing CCDs, which are imaging sensors or optical elements that convert light to digital data. CCDs are widely used in consumer products, such as camcorders and cell phone cameras, as well as in advanced electronic imaging tools, such as telescopes and imaging satellites.
CCDs are the first practical solid-state imaging devices. They were invented in 1969 by Boyle and Smith while working at Bell Laboratories. Because CCDs are silicon-based devices, they are fairly inexpensive to produce, compact, and fairly rugged, making them suitable for commercial product use. Their high sensitivity, excellent stability, and lack of distortion make CCDs attractive for use in scientific research imaging systems. CCDs are capable of imaging a variety of sources, including optical, x-ray, ultraviolet, and infrared emissions.
CCDs work by converting light into a pattern of electronic charge in a silicon chip. The charge is collected, measured, and eventually converted into an image file to be stored on a computer. These electronic devices generate electrical charge that is proportionate in strength to the intensity of light striking each area of the silicon and can be sensitive enough to measure a single electron. CCDs have found widespread use in science in general and in astronomy in particular. Today, no major observatory lacks a CCD camera, given their exceptional light-sensitive properties.
The NAE's citation for the 2006 Draper Prize reads, "for the invention of the Charge-Coupled Device (CCD), a light-sensitive component at the heart of digital cameras and other widely used imaging technologies." The Draper Prize will be presented at a gala dinner on Feb. 21 with the Bernard M. Gordon Prize, which recognizes innovation in engineering and technology education. For more information about the 2006 Draper Prize and Gordon Prize, see
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The press release from The National Academies at http://national-academies.org . Photos and biographies are available at http://www.nae.edu/NAE/awardscom.nsf/weblinks/CGOZ-6K9L6P?OpenDocument
The Draper Prize was endowed by The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., to honor the memory of its founder, Dr. Charles Stark Draper, and to raise awareness of the public contributions of engineering. An annual award, the Draper Prize recognizes practical achievements that have advanced human welfare and freedom. In addition to the honorarium, recipients receive a gold medal bearing the image of Doc Draper and a citation outlining the winners' achievements.
Headquartered in Cambridge , Massachusetts , Draper Laboratory is a leader in guidance, navigation, and control systems; fault-tolerant computing; reliable software development; modeling and simulation; and MEMS technology. It applies its expertise to the development of advanced engineering prototypes in a broad range of domains, including autonomous air, land, sea, and space systems; information systems control and integration; distributed sensors and networks; precision-guided munitions; advanced microelectronics; chemical/biological defense; and biomedical engineering.
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11/09/2005
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New Biomedical Engineering Director Joins Draper
John Aceti has joined The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., as director of the Biomedical Engineering Program Office. Aceti came to Draper from Sarnoff Corporation, where he was senior director for strategic product development. At Sarnoff, he led the creation and growth of that company's life sciences business, which focused on collaborations with healthcare professionals and partnerships with private industry.
Draper Laboratory applies its advanced technology to medical care by working collaboratively with the medical community, including Boston 's leading teaching hospitals and universities affiliated with the Center for the Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology (CIMIT), based at Massachusetts General Hospital . Draper's expertise in microelectromechanical systems and nanotechnology is being used to develop tissue engineering, point-of-care diagnostic sensors, implantable drug delivery systems, and more.
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11/02/2005
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University-Based Research Program Accepting Proposals
Draper Laboratory's university-based research program is accepting proposals electronically from universities for grants to perform on-campus research to start July 1, 2006. The deadline to apply via short-form proposal is Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006, by 4 p.m. Approximately $2 million will be awarded. Notification of awards will be made around Feb. 22.
For information about the technologies and application areas of interest and a copy of the proposal form, contact ed@draper.com.
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10/31/2005
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President Vitto to Speak Nov. 1 at CIMIT Annual Briefing
Draper Laboratory President Vince Vitto will participate in a forum on "The Power of Collaboration" on Nov. 1 with Partners HealthCare System President James Mongan, MD, from 4 to 6 p.m. The forum is part of the Annual Briefing by the Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology (CIMIT), a consortium that Draper joined as a founding member. The theme of this year's annual briefing, to be held Nov. 1-2, is "Creating the Possibilities for a World Where Innovation Doesn't Happen on Its Own."
Draper's Cristina Davis, Ph.D., will speak Nov. 1 on breath analysis as a powerful diagnostic tool for the future. She will deliver her presentation as part of the breakout sessions scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. Draper's Jeff Borenstein, Ph.D., will discuss the wearable kidney as a tissue engineering milestone on Nov. 2 from 10:45 to 11:15 a.m.
For more information about the CIMIT Annual Briefing, visit www.cimit.org
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10/17/2005
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Draper Hosted Biomedical Research Internship for Cambridge High School Studen
Draper Laboratory hosted a biomedical research internship this summer for a Cambridge Rindge & Latin School (CRLS) student, Jessica Holbert. The eight-week internship was sponsored and supported by Drs. Angela Zapata and Heather Clark in the biomedical engineering group.
The internship was recommended to Jessica by her CRLS biotechnology teacher. Jessica applied because she was interested in learning more about working in a laboratory and experiencing the environment of a professional scientist.
Jessica's research project involved a preliminary study to investigate a novel optical approach to monitoring cell health via the detection of phosphate ion. She said that the creation of the phosphate sensors was hard and that many of the trials failed, but she learned a great deal about working in a professional environment and open, collaborative atmosphere.
Jessica said, "I would rate my experience as an intern at Draper as a 10 based on a scale of 1-to-10 because it helped me decide what I want to do for a career." She said that she was interested in medicine or possibly working in a research environment but thought that the latter might be a very isolating experience. Working at Draper dispelled that notion and she is now interested in seriously considering a research position.
While working in her biotech class in high school was very helpful in preparing her for a field in science, Jessica said that "working in the biotech lab at Draper provided a real work environment and one-of-a-kind learning experience" and she directly attributed her new interest in research as a consequence of that experience. In addition, she noted that she met new people-staff at the Laboratory-who are interested in her future studies and can help advise her about college and career choices.
Zapata offered high praise for Jessica: "I was very impressed by Jessica's aptitude and how quickly she picked up on the scope and details of the project. The internship provided an opportunity for her to work in a real world laboratory and see how a team of scientists and engineers work. Heather and I will work with Jessica during the school year so she can continue the development of her project and possibly share her work with other students."
Clark , added, "Jessica's maturity was an important element in her success in the program."
Draper Laboratory expects to offer a couple of research internships for local high school students next summer.
[Editor's note: CRLS senior Rehan Siddiqui interviewed Jessica Holbert for this article and wrote a draft of the article while working in the Communications Office at Draper Laboratory this past summer. A version of this article was published in the Cambridge Chronicle on Sept. 29, 2005.]
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9/25/2005
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Employees Receive NASA Group Achievement Award for SAFM Work
Thomas Fill, Edward McCants, Michael Ricard, and Mark Jackson were awarded a NASA Group Achievement Award in July for their work in developing algorithms and software for the Shuttle Abort Flight Manager (SAFM). They were nominated for the award by the Aero Sciences and Flight Mechanics engineering division of the NASA Johnson Space Center . The team was chosen from a pool of candidates nominated by NASA's space centers.
SAFM is designed to help space shuttle crew members decide where to land in the event of failure of one or more of the shuttle main engines during ascent. Draper worked with the NASA team to perform trade studies and develop concepts for SAFM implementation. Draper's contribution to the SAFM upgrade implementation was to develop algorithms that would enable SAFM to assess the shuttle's capability to glide to various abort sites after the cut-off of the main engines. The algorithm uses the shuttle computer's knowledge of its current position and velocity and knowledge of the shuttle's ability to modify its flight path to predict what landing sites can be reached and recommend specific landing sites to the crew. Draper's team has worked on the SAFM project for the past five years.
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09/14/2005
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Draper's Low-cost GPS/INS Guidance Featured in Sept. Issue of GPS World
Draper-led team has developed a transformational naval stand-off combat capability and demonstrated for the first time precision-guidance of long-range, gun-fired projectiles in support of ground maneuver warfare.
Click here for full story: http://www.nxtbook.com/fx/books/questex/gpsseptember05/
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09/14/2005
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Dr. George Schmidt (right) receives the NATO Research and Technology Organization
(RTO) von Karman Medal from NATO RTO Board Chairman Dr. Donald Daniel (left)
Dr. George Schmidt Selected as the NATO RTO's 2005 Von Karman Medal Winner
Education Director Dr. George Schmidt was presented with the 2005 von Karman Medal at the fall meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Research and Technology Organization (RTO) Board by Chairman Dr. Donald Daniel. NATO's highest technical award, the von Karman Medal symbolizes the gold medal presented to its namesake in 1962 upon his retirement from NATO.
Schmidt's citation reads, "His association with RTO dates from AGARD when, in 1968, he presented the results of his pioneering research into the practical application of modern filtering theory to avionics systems synthesis. He subsequently initiated six NATO lecture series, presented several seminal papers at NATO conferences and made major contributions to frequently referenced reports. He most recently served on a Task Group for the Sensors and Electronics Technology Panel that studied Emerging Military Capabilities Enabled by Advances in Navigation Sensors from 1999 to 2004. His research and AGARD/RTO publications covering topics in electronic systems and guidance, navigation, and control technology have had considerable impact on NATO's current military capabilities.
"Dr. George Schmidt has made significant contributions to the promotion of the ideals and vision of the AGARD founder, Dr. Theodore von Karman, who strongly advocated international scientific cooperation for the common good of mankind. During his 35 plus years of service to NATO, Dr. Schmidt has acted as a catalyst and brought many 'new faces' into the RTO's activities. Dr. Schmidt's remarkable career and strong leadership in the scientific community at large and in NATO is hereby recognized with the presentation of the Von Karman Medal."
Schmidt also was congratulated upon being selected for the medal in a letter from Director of Defense Research and Engineering Ronald M. Sega.
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08/04/2005
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Draper's Support to Space Shuttle Filler Removal Activity Spotlighted in Boston Herald
Draper Laboratory's support to the removal of gap filler protruding from between tiles on the orbiting Discovery Space Shuttle was highlighted in an article published in the Boston Herald on Aug. 4, 2005, entitled "Cambridge laboratory shuttles Discovery to safety." The article also is available online.
Click here for full story: http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=96507
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06/03/2005
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2005 Draper Prize Recipients Lectured at Museum of Science, Boston
Minoru "Sam" Araki, Francis J. Madden, Edward A. Miller, and Don H. Schoessler, who shared the 2005 Draper Prize with James W. Plummer "for the design, development, and operation of Corona, the first space-based earth observation system," spoke about their achievements at the Museum of Science, Boston, on May 3. The Draper Prize, administered by the National Academy of Engineering and endowed by The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., honors the memory of the Laboratory's founder, Dr. Charles Stark Draper, "the father of inertial navigation." Additionally, the prize is intended to raise awareness of the contributions of engineering to society. The $500,000 prize is awarded annually for practical achievements that have advanced human welfare and freedom.
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06/03/2005
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Employee Received Award from Boston Section of American Society for Quality
Product Assurance and Media Management Division Leader Mike Malcos received the Boston Society Award from the Boston Section of the American Society for Quality "for his demonstrated, meritorious and most distinguished achievements promoting the quality principles and exemplifying the ideals of the quality profession." The award was presented April 7 as part of the Boston Quality Conference held at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Woburn.
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06/03/2005
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Employee Honored by Electronic Components, Assemblies and Materials Association
Draper employee Ralph Regner was one of five recipients of the Dr. Felix Zandman Industry Leadership Award recognized at the Capacitor and Resistor Technology Symposium (CARTS) USA 2005, held March 21-24 in Palm Springs, Calif. The event was sponsored by the Electronic Components, Assemblies and Materials Association (ECA) and organized by the Components Technology Institute. ECA is the electronic components sector of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA).
The award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding technical contributions to the passive electronic components industry. The inaugural award honored five individuals who have been active contributors to the industry during 25 years of CARTS. It is named after the founder, chairman and chief technical and business development officer of Vishay Intertechnology. In addition to Regner, the recipients included Dwayne Clemmer, Johanson Dielectrics; Michael Cozzolino, Boeing Satellite Systems; Gary Ewell, The Aerospace Corp.; and William Serjak, Tantalum-Niobium International Study Center.
"These individuals personify dedication and perseverance of vision in the electronic components industry, traits synonymous with Dr. Zandman," said Bob Willis, ECA president.
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04/06/2005
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Draper on Team Proposing a Preliminary Design for NASA's Crew Exploration Vehicle
Northrop Grumman and Boeing, who are teaming to design and build NASA's Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), Tuesday unveiled the major companies that will support their efforts to fulfill the nation's Vision for Space Exploration.
Click here for full story
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02/21/2005
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2005 Draper Prize Awarded to Inventors of Reconnaissance Satellite Technology
CAMBRIDGE —The Charles Stark Draper Prize was presented by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) to the inventors of the CORONA reconnaissance satellite technology on Monday, Feb. 21. Engineering’s highest honor was awarded at a dinner in Washington , D.C. , to five team members whose contributions were vital to the successful design of a satellite, camera, film, and film recovery methods to collect information about unfriendly powers’ activities during the Cold War for the U.S. government.
The Draper Prize’s $500,000 honorarium is shared by Minoru “Sam” Araki, Francis J. Madden, Edward A. Miller, James W. Plummer, and Don H. Schoessler “for the design, development, and operation of Corona, the first space-based earth observation system.” The Draper Prize is awarded annually for practical achievements that have advanced human welfare and freedom. In addition to its role in providing data that helped to shape U.S. government policy toward the Soviet Union during the Cold War, CORONA aided environmental studies; images taken by CORONA between 1960 and 1972 have been used in environmental studies since they were declassified in 1995. These more than 800,000 images are the only images from space available for that time period and are used to analyze changes that have occurred over time in weather patterns, ocean temperatures, and landmasses and their features.
The CORONA project depended on a number of engineering “firsts”:
- a three-axis stabilized spacecraft for imaging from Earth orbit
- a high-resolution panoramic camera system
- a newly engineered, ultra-thin, polyester film that could withstand temperature variations of 800 degrees
- an atmospheric reentry vehicle that safely preserved the exposed film
- visionary engineering leadership and innovative procedures that had to deal with an unknown space environment, a tight schedule, and a government/contractor team
The team members were recognized for their particular contributions to CORONA’s success: Sam Araki, Lockheed lead engineer for the new gyro-stabilized spacecraft; Frank Madden, chief engineer of Itek Optical System’s camera design group; Don Schoessler, lead engineer of the Kodak film design and production team; Ed Miller, lead developer at General Electric Co. of the Satellite Recovery Vehicle; and Jim Plummer, Corona Program Manager at Lockheed and leader of the engineering effort and its management process.
Minoru S. "Sam" Araki was the Lockheed lead engineer for the new gyro-stabilized spacecraft. From Earth orbit, the craft had to serve as a stable platform for camera operation and position itself for recovery of the film capsule (see below). It used a three-gyro guidance and control system with correction inputs from horizon sensors that enabled precise, cold-gas valve firings for stabilization on three axes. Gyros and cold-gas thrusters like Corona 's are still the standard for space systems today.
Francis J. Madden was the chief engineer of Itek Optical System's camera design group. His team developed a panoramic camera that doubled the previous best focal length and improved resolution. The camera had an elaborate film path to handle the film as it traveled from the supply spool through the exposure frame, paused for exposure, and resumed transport to a spool — all at 18 inches/second. Ground control operated the camera remotely.
Don H. Schoessler was lead engineer of the Kodak film design and production team. The newly invented thin-based, polyester film had to endure the harsh space environment, withstand temperature variations of 800 degrees Fahrenheit, and survive atmospheric radiance. The 2.5-mils-thick (63.5 microns) film also required strength to rapidly move through the camera.
Edward A. Miller of General Electric Co. was the lead developer of the satellite recovery vehicle — the first man-made object to return from Earth orbit. The design had to withstand many known and unknown difficulties: hostile loads during launch, acoustic noise during exit from the atmosphere, vacuum and low temperatures in orbit, and high temperatures and vibrations during re-entry. Above all, the re-entry vehicle had to overcome these technical hurdles well enough to protect the precious film canister it carried. The vehicle's final feat was to deploy its parachutes, jettison the heat shield, and transmit its location so that an aircraft could snatch it in midair and bring it safely to Earth.
James W. Plummer was the Corona Program Manager at Lockheed and the leader of the engineering effort and its management process. The Corona project represented a heroic achievement that was executed within 16 months, with great national urgency, and in extreme secrecy, by a multidisciplinary, multiorganizational engineering team.
Current portraits, historic pictures, and complete biographies of the winners are available on the NAE website at http://www.nae.edu/NAE/awardscom.nsf/weblinks/NAEW-69KMES?OpenDocument
The Draper Prize was established in 1988 and endowed by The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., to honor the memory of its founder, Dr. Charles Stark Draper, “the father of inertial navigation.” Additionally, the prize is intended to raise awareness of the contributions of engineering to society.
Headquartered in Cambridge , Massachusetts , Draper Laboratory is a leader in guidance, navigation, and control systems; fault-tolerant computing; reliable software development; modeling and simulation; and MEMS technology. It applies its expertise to the development of advanced engineering prototypes in a broad range of domains, including autonomous air, land, sea, and space systems; information systems control and integration; distributed sensors and networks; precision-guided munitions; advanced microelectronics; chemical/biological defense; and biomedical engineering. |
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01/01/2005
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Employee Named One of 2005 Women to Watch by Mass High Tech
Software Engineering Division Leader Heidi Perry was named one of the 2005 Women to Watch in technology and science by Mass High Tech, The Journal of New England Technology. The ten women will be honored at an event on Feb. 17 at the Ritz-Carlton Boston. Recognized as future leaders and innovators, the honorees were chosen on the basis of demonstrated leadership abilities, the ability to think creatively and develop new opportunities with regard to business or the commercialization of technology, and service in an active role as an inspiration to others or as a mentor.
One of the other honorees is a former Draper Fellow. Anne Marie Biernacki, founder and chief technology officer of The Digiticians, performed her thesis research at Draper while pursuing her master ’s degree in electrical engineering. |
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3/30/2004
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Nomination
Deadline for the 2005 Draper Prize is April 12, 2004
The
deadline to submit a nomination for the 2005 Draper Prize
is April 12, 2004 . For procedural information, visit the
National Academy of Engineering web page (www.nae.edu/awards).
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2/24/2004
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2004
Draper Prize Presented to Inventors of First Practical Networked
Computer - Alto
CAMBRIDGE--The
Charles Stark Draper Prize will be presented by the National
Academy of Engineering (NAE) to the inventors of the networked
personal computer on Tues., February 24. The engineering profession's
highest honor will be awarded at a dinner in Washington, D.C.,
to the team who led development of the Alto computer at Xerox’s
Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). more... pdf |
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2/9/2004
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| MEMS engineer Amy Duwel was named
as one of ten women to watch in technology and science by Mass
High Tech, The Journal of New England Technology. They
will be honored at an event on February 19 at Simmons College.
The selection was made by Mass High Tech and its advisory
committee, which is co-chaired by Trish Fleming, executive director
of the MIT Enterprise Forum, and Anne Taylor, associate editor
of Mass High Tech. |
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2/6/2004
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| An article by Richard Martorana
describing Draper's Wide Area Surveillance Projectile (WASP)
aerial vehicle was featured in EDN magazine. |
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12/28/2004
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Employee Wins Software Engineer of the Year Award
Software Engineering Division Leader Heidi Perry will be presented with the award for Software Engineer of the Year by the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics New England Section at its Honors & Awards Banquet on Wednesday, Feb. 16. Other honorees at the banquet will include Education Director Dr. George Schmidt and Space Systems Director Darryl Sargent, who will be recognized for their elevation to the ranks of Fellow and Associate Fellow respectively in 2004.
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12/22/2004
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President Vince Vitto honored by U.S. Navy
President Vince Vitto was honored by the Department of the Navy with the Superior Public Service Award for his work on the Naval Studies Board of the National Research Council over nearly 20 years during an awards dinner on Dec. 9 in Washington, D.C.
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12/16/2004
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Dr. Angela Zapata recognized for her work by the Cambridge Public Schools
Dr. Angela Zapata, a chemist who works in Draper Laboratory’s biomedical engineering group, was recognized by the Cambridge Public Schools Dec. 16, 2004, for her work while a teacher with a group of Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (CRLS) students whose scientific project proposal was picked by NASA for inclusion on a space shuttle mission. Zapata was presented with a plaque at a dinner held at MIT, as were six students from a biotechnology class that she taught whom she advised on their project. Another group of CRLS students and their teacher advisor were honored at the dinner for taking first place in a national underwater robotics competition.
Zapata’s students’ experiment, The Effect of Cosmic Radiation on the Electrical Properties of Electrophoretic Buffers, was one of four selected to fly on a future space shuttle mission through the 2003/2004 Space Flight Opportunities competition, one of six run annually by the NASA Student Involvement Program. The experiment will measure changes in the conductivity of electrolytic buffers as they are exposed to cosmic radiation during a space shuttle flight. In June 2004, Zapata and four of the students went to the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia to prepare their experiment for flight | | |
