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Director Named Scientist of the Year
Glenn Center Director Dr. Woodrow Whitlow Jr., has been selected as the top recipient of the 2007 Minorities in Research Science Award.
Also called the Emerald Honors award, this is the premier award for African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans and Native Americans working in the research sciences.
The winners will be featured in a special issue of Science Spectrum magazine and honored at a black tie gala during the Minorities in Research Science Conference on September 15 at the Baltimore Convention Center.
Whitlow received the Scientist of the Year award for his exemplary record of research, scientific and management accomplishments while working for NASA.
"It is an honor to receive the Minorities in Research Science Award. I consider myself privileged to be among those, like Dr. Isaiah Blankson, a brilliant researcher, who previously was chosen for his scientific contributions," said Whitlow about his achievement.
Whitlow earned his Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has written nearly 40 technical papers, mostly in the areas of unsteady transonic flow and aeroelasticity. While managing an annual budget of approximately $650 million, he oversees a workforce of 1,640 civil service employees that is supported by approximately 1,430 contractors. Glenn has 24 major facilities and over 500 specialized research facilities located at the 350-acre Cleveland site and the 6,400-acre Plum Brook Station site in Sandusky, Ohio.
Also honored with an Emerald Award was former Deputy Director for Glenn, Richard Christiansen, who received an award for Career Achievement. In receiving this award, Christiansen was recognized for his true commitment to excellence. He was cited as one of the nation's highest achievers in research science.
Christiansen earned a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering in 1979 from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and a master's degree in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University in 1985. He is an Associate Fellow of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and has served on numerous committees and has authored nine papers on Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing aerodynamics and missile aerodynamics. After serving as Glenn's Deputy Director for 3 years, Christiansen recently retired from NASA on June 1.
The third awardee, honored as a Special Recognition Honoree, is Carlos Morrison, a physicist and aerospace engineer at Glenn. Morrison's contributions have focused in advancing technology for magnetically suspended, oil-free aircraft engines, a new five-axis magnetic facility to advance the state-of-the-art testing capability for turbomachinery damping and mistuning research and a flightweight electric motor for a pollution-free electric aircraft propulsion system. Morrison received the prestigious 2004 R&D 100 award for his invention of the "Morrison Motor" and was recognized in 2004 with the National Technical Association Technical Achiever of the Year award and in 2005 with the Black Engineer of the Year award.
Morrison owns four patents related to physiology and engineering and has authored and co-authored 24 journal and technical articles. He is a member of the American Physical Society and the National Technical Association. Morrison earned his bachelor's degree in physics/mathematics from Hofstra University in Long Island, N.Y. and his master's degree in physics from Polytechnic University in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Additionally, two other Glenn employees, Lancert Foster, Inlet and Nozzle Branch, and Lizalyn Smith, Applied Structural Mechanics Branch, will be recognized by Science Spectrum magazine as Trailblazers for 2007. They are minority men and women who create new paths for others in science, engineering or technology, show leadership in their workplaces and communities, are role models and mentors and demonstrate a commitment to recruiting and relating minorities in the nation's science and technology enterprises.
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By Katherine K. Martin
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| Dr. Whitlow Jr. | Christiansen | Morrison |
Also called the Emerald Honors award, this is the premier award for African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans and Native Americans working in the research sciences.
 |
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| Foster | Smith |
Whitlow received the Scientist of the Year award for his exemplary record of research, scientific and management accomplishments while working for NASA.
"It is an honor to receive the Minorities in Research Science Award. I consider myself privileged to be among those, like Dr. Isaiah Blankson, a brilliant researcher, who previously was chosen for his scientific contributions," said Whitlow about his achievement.
Whitlow earned his Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has written nearly 40 technical papers, mostly in the areas of unsteady transonic flow and aeroelasticity. While managing an annual budget of approximately $650 million, he oversees a workforce of 1,640 civil service employees that is supported by approximately 1,430 contractors. Glenn has 24 major facilities and over 500 specialized research facilities located at the 350-acre Cleveland site and the 6,400-acre Plum Brook Station site in Sandusky, Ohio.
Also honored with an Emerald Award was former Deputy Director for Glenn, Richard Christiansen, who received an award for Career Achievement. In receiving this award, Christiansen was recognized for his true commitment to excellence. He was cited as one of the nation's highest achievers in research science.
Christiansen earned a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering in 1979 from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and a master's degree in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University in 1985. He is an Associate Fellow of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and has served on numerous committees and has authored nine papers on Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing aerodynamics and missile aerodynamics. After serving as Glenn's Deputy Director for 3 years, Christiansen recently retired from NASA on June 1.
The third awardee, honored as a Special Recognition Honoree, is Carlos Morrison, a physicist and aerospace engineer at Glenn. Morrison's contributions have focused in advancing technology for magnetically suspended, oil-free aircraft engines, a new five-axis magnetic facility to advance the state-of-the-art testing capability for turbomachinery damping and mistuning research and a flightweight electric motor for a pollution-free electric aircraft propulsion system. Morrison received the prestigious 2004 R&D 100 award for his invention of the "Morrison Motor" and was recognized in 2004 with the National Technical Association Technical Achiever of the Year award and in 2005 with the Black Engineer of the Year award.
Morrison owns four patents related to physiology and engineering and has authored and co-authored 24 journal and technical articles. He is a member of the American Physical Society and the National Technical Association. Morrison earned his bachelor's degree in physics/mathematics from Hofstra University in Long Island, N.Y. and his master's degree in physics from Polytechnic University in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Additionally, two other Glenn employees, Lancert Foster, Inlet and Nozzle Branch, and Lizalyn Smith, Applied Structural Mechanics Branch, will be recognized by Science Spectrum magazine as Trailblazers for 2007. They are minority men and women who create new paths for others in science, engineering or technology, show leadership in their workplaces and communities, are role models and mentors and demonstrate a commitment to recruiting and relating minorities in the nation's science and technology enterprises.
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