Dawn Elliott, Ph.D.
Technical Manager
Safety and Mission Assurance
Dawn Elliott is a technical manager in the Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate at NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Fla. She leads and performs independent assessments of the processing and launch activities related to the Space Shuttle, International Space Station, and Expendable Launch Vehicle programs. She also conducts independent assessments on ground support equipment, government furnished equipment, and institutional processes and systems. Concurrently, she represents the Safety and Mission Assurance directorate at Launch Readiness Reviews on all Certificate of Flight Readiness matters and prepares launch readiness evaluation/assessments of applicable hardware and software processing for presentation by SMA officials at the Flight Readiness Reviews. She has covered the AURA, DART and CALIPSO/CloudSat missions.
Elliott has served as a human engineering subject-matter expert where she led and advised on occupational safety issues, such as OSHA and ADA compliance for the consoles in the Launch Control Center and the air traffic control tower at the Shuttle Landing Facility. Her expertise has been sought on various centerwide boards and working groups including the Institutional Review Board for Human Research Studies, the Disabilities Awareness Working Group, and the Process Engineering and Human Factors Working Group.
At the Langley Research Center, she conducted research on airborne systems projects involving commercial aircraft. Results of her work are published in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics journal on Guidance Navigation and Control. During that time, she obtained approximately 100 hours of experience in the NASA B-757 aircraft and simulator.
Her NASA tenure began at KSC as a flight systems engineer, where she was assigned to the Safety, Reliability and Quality Assurance directorate. As the government contracting officer's technical representative, she reviewed Systems Assurance Analyses and Failure Modes and Effects Analyses, supported design reviews, and prepared award fee criteria for government contracts. She served on the Support Equipment, Logistics, and Facilities teams for the design and deployment of the International Space Station. She also completed a Self-Contained Atmosphere Protective Ensemble operation review at KSC and recommended adjustments to improve efficiency.
Earlier in her career, she worked as a Safety and Health Specialist for the State of Florida Division of Safety where she developed safety programs for high hazard industries by close interaction with employers and employees of such industries. There, she also performed safety inspections to verify compliance with OSHA statutes.
She gives guest lectures to graduate students on topics related to her field of expertise. She has taught courses in undergraduate Physics, as well as Math and Science to high school students. She is a Competent Toastmaster, has been an active member of the NASA Speakers Bureau, and has spoken to technical and non-technical audiences across the United States and abroad.
Elliott is a recipient of the NASA Turning Goals into Reality Award, one of NASA's highest awards to a technical team; a McKnight Doctoral Fellow and National Urban League Achievement Award; and of several other professional and community service awards. She is a certified single engine pilot.
She received a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Florida; a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Central Florida; and a Ph.D. in Ergonomics from the University of Miami.
May 2006
Biographies - Current Employees