January 2018 issue of Ames' newsletter, the Astrogram
New SOFIA Observations Help Unravel Mysteries of the Birth of Colossal Suns
by Kassandra Bell
Astronomers are observing star-forming regions in our galaxy with NASA’s flying telescope, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA, to understand the processes and environments required to create the largest known stars, which tip the scales at ten times the mass of our own Sun or more.
The research team, led by James M. De Buizer, SOFIA senior scientist and Jonathan Tan at Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden and the University of Virginia, has published observations of eight extremely massive and young stars located within our Milky Way Galaxy. SOFIA’s powerful camera, the Faint Object infraRed Camera for the SOFIA Telescope, known as FORCAST, allowed the team to probe warm, dusty regions that are heated by light from luminous, massive stars that are still forming. SOFIA’s airborne location, flying above more than 99 percent of Earth’s infrared-blocking water vapor coupled with its powerful instruments, make it the only observatory that can study the stars at the wavelengths, sensitivity, and resolution necessary to see inside the dense dust clouds from which these stars are born.
For full feature story, see: NewSOFIAObservations
Rare Super Moon Eclipse as Seen Above NASA Ames
SSERVI Director Yvonne Pendleton Receives Presidential Rank Award
by Kimberly Minafra
Dr. Yvonne Pendleton, director of the Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) at NASA Ames received the 2017 Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executive, one of the highest honors available to U.S. government employees. From graduate student to one of NASA’s top leaders, Pendleton has demonstrated how her devotion to a government agency has literally and figuratively allowed her to reach for the stars.
Career government civil servants often dedicate their lives to serving their country in ways that are most often invisible to the rest of the country, yet the United States would not be the same without them. Out of the several million civil servants, only a select few serve in the elite corps designated the Senior Executive Service (SES). These individuals are in key positions just below the top Presidential appointees. SES members are the major link between these appointees and the rest of the federal workforce. They operate and oversee nearly every government activity in approximately 75 federal agencies. The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 established the Presidential Rank Awards Program to honor senior career employees with a sustained record of exceptional professional, technical and/or scientific achievement recognized on a national or international level. The two categories of Presidential Rank Award, Meritorious and Distinguished, are given to recognize individuals for their sustained and extraordinary accomplishments. In 2017, a total of 150 Presidential Rank Awards were given, and 16 of those went to NASA personnel. Pendleton was the only 2017 recipient from NASA Ames Research Center.
Pendleton joined NASA Ames as a GS-7 civil servant in July 1979 having earned her bachelor of aerospace engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Under NASA sponsored programs, she obtained a master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University (1981) and a Ph.D. in astrophysics from the University of California at Santa Cruz (1987).
She was a research astrophysicist in the NASA Ames Space Science and Astrobiology Division from 1979-2005, and published 80 scientific papers that contributed significantly to our understanding of the origin and evolution of organic material in the universe. The goal of her ongoing research program is to understand the composition of the organic material found in the interstellar medium and to investigate the incorporation of the organic material from space into the early solar system. She is an elected fellow of the California Academy of Science and Asteroid 7165Pendleton was named in honor of her research contributions.
While working within the Ames Space Science and Astrobiology Division, Pendleton became an internationally known infrared observational astronomer who is often invited to speak about her research results. She has led successful team efforts that earned observing time on some of the most competitive telescopes, both on Earth and in space. In addition, NASA Ames is the birthplace where several airborne astronomy platforms were developed, and Pendleton was the principal investigator on the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO), a C-141 aircraft that housed a ~1 meter telescope and flew at ~41,000 feet. The KAO has since been replaced by a much larger flying telescope, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), which Dr. Pendleton has recently used as well.
Her ability to lead people, in addition to conducting her own research, was recognized in 2005 when she was appointed Chief of the Space Science and Astrobiology Division at NASA Ames, the very division she had been hired into as a first year graduate student. Her success in that role led to her selection into the Senior Executive Service in 2007. Tapped by the NASA Headquarters Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, she moved to Washington, DC and served as NASA’s Senior Advisor for Research and Analysis from 2007-2008. There she provided independent assessments and guidance concerning NASA’s science research programs, and increased scientific productivity across the nation by reducing the time required to award research grants. During that time, she also was responsible for the Education and Public Outreach of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. Returning to NASA Ames in July of 2008, Pendleton became the Ames Deputy Associate Center Director where she provided guidance and direction to several collaborative scientific and technical efforts and served as an academic Dean of Students for several hundred students on the Ames campus each summer.
In the heart of Silicon Valley, NASA Ames has been the incubator for a novel approach to bringing researchers together to focus on interdisciplinary problems through virtual institutes, and Pendleton has been the director of two of their most successful efforts. Named director of the NASA Lunar Science Institute in 2010, Pendleton guided the fledgling virtual institute into a larger realm when it became the Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) in 2013. The Institute is an innovative, virtual research organization that leverages knowledge and expertise from the science and exploration communities to support NASA’s goals in lunar and planetary science and human exploration of the solar system. As the director of SSERVI, Pendleton oversees a ~15M annual budget and the activities of more than 400 researchers across the nation. SSERVI also maintains active collaborations with 10 international partnerships, and all of this activity is run from a central office located at Ames.
As a young girl, Pendleton told family and friends that when she grew up she wanted to “work for NASA and study the stars.” Her success should encourage other young scientists to pursue their dreams. In 2014, Pendleton was named one of the most influential women in Silicon Valley by the San Jose Business Journal, and in 2015 she was honored with one of NASA’s highest awards, the Outstanding Leadership Medal for her success in guiding teams through challenging transitions. Now, with the Presidential Rank Award, she is being honored with one of the most prestigious awards—not only for NASA, but for the entire federal government. Congratulations to Dr. Pendleton for her success and much deserved recognition!
For more about Pendleton, including a selection of her research publications, visit: https://sservi.nasa.gov/?profile=yvonne-pendleton
Judge Rise Pichon Gives Keynote Speech at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Event
The African American Advisory Group (AAAG) for employees was pleased to welcome Judge Rise Jones Pichon, of the Superior Court of Santa Clara County as the keynote speaker on Jan. 16, 2018, to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Pichon presented a talk entitled, “Equal Justice for All.” The talk was hosted by the AAAG and the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity (ODEO).
Dr. King was a leader who brought a voice of reason, striving to create a peaceful environment that allows individuals of all races to achieve their dreams. Our nation has grown immensely from his contributions and the contributions from countless others he inspired. Dr. King significantly advanced our society and deeply influenced the world through his words and actions. As the leader of the movement, he catalyzed an increase of civil rights, equality, justice and compassion for all individuals.
Judge Pichon has been a Superior Court Judge for the County of Santa Clara since 1998. She previously served as a Judge for the Municipal Court from 1984 to 1998 and as a Court Commissioner from 1983 to 1984. From 1990 to 1991, Judge Pichon was the Presiding Judge of the Municipal Court. She is the Immediate Past Presiding Judge of the Santa Clara County Superior Court. She earned both her bachelor of science degree in mathematics and her Juris doctor degree, from Santa Clara University.
Judge Pichon has received the following awards: the 2017 St. Thomas More Award, the 2017 Exemplary Service Award from the Charles Houston Bar Association, the NAACP 2016 Wester Sweet Award, the 2015 Santa Clara County Black Lawyers Association Gideon and Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2014 Santa Clara County Bar Association Women Lawyers Honoree, the 2012 Silicon Valley Business Journal 100 Women of Influence Award, the 2011 Santa Clara County Bar Association Judge of the Year Award, the 2011 Santa Clara Law School Social Justice and Human Rights Award, the 1994 Santa Clara University School of Law Owens Lawyer of the Year Award and the 1992 Santa Clara University Black Law Students Association Thurgood Marshall Achievement Award.
Remembering the Brave in a Moment of Silence
Yale University's "New Blue Choir" Performs at Ames
Ames Employees Participate in Various Endurance Races Throughout 2017
In addition to contributing their expertise to various programs, projects and mission support that advance the state of science and technology at Ames, many of our fellow employees also are seasoned athletes who go far beyond the Fitness Center’s monthly 5k fun runs and episodic 2 mile races. In fact, many have competed in quite a few endurance races ranging from grueling trail and road foot races of distances from 10k to 100 miles to staged cycling adventures that span many days. Here are just a few samples of such endeavors by competing Ames employees.
In the ultramarathoner category, Jeremy Johnson from Code TI ran the Skyline 50k Endurance Run at Lake Chabot in Castro Valley, California, on Aug. 6, 2017 and the Headlands Hundred 100 mile trail race at Rodeo Beach in Marin, California, on Sept. 9, 2017 (his race report is posted on his running blog: JeremyJohnsonBlog . He also ran the Quad Dipsea, a 28.4 mile trail race in Mill Valley, California, on Nov. 25, 2017 and the Hunter S. Thompson Fear & Loathing 50k race in San Francisco, California, on Dec. 9, 2017.
Also in the ultramarathoner category, John Nguyen from Code IS ran the San Jose 25k Trail Run on March 18, 2017, the Night Sweats Marathon Trail Run at Rodeo Beach in Marin, California, on April 8, 2017 and participated in the Mokelumne River Trail Running Festival, running the 50k trail race in Valley Springs, California, on April 22, 2017. John came in 3rd for this race ! (see next photo of him below while running the race).
John also ran the Overlook Endurance 50k trail run in Forest Hill, California, on Sept. 30, 2017, and the Quad Dipsea along with Jeremy Johnson. John has a great description of the Quad Dipsea race on his running blog, which also highlight his other races, and can be found here JohnNguyenRunningBlog .
Franco Cuevas of Code JAC also joined the ranks of the ultramarathoners at Ames this year, running the San Francisco Marathon’s 52.4-mile Ultramarathon on July 23, 2017. The Ultramarathon begins with a midnight start line, where runners tackle a reverse loop of the course and race through the city as it sleeps. At dawn, ultramarathoners merge with the energy of thousands of runners to begin the iconic full marathon course.
Ben Heck of Code QH ran some outstanding races this year, notably in the Napa Valley Marathon on March 5, 2017 that he finished as the 1st place overall winner in an amazing time of 2:29. Below are a few photos of Ben during the race.
In fact, Ben’s winning performance garnered attention from local media outlets, and a few links to online articles can be found here:
Ben also ran the PAUSATF (Peninsula Association USATF) Road 10k Championships in Sacramento, California, on May 29, 2017 where he finished 9th overall in 31:21. Ben will be pursuing an Olympic Trials Qualifier for the marathon with a time of 2:19 at the California International Marathon (CIM) in Sacramento, California, in December of this year.
Paul Espinosa of Code PX is another marathoner at Ames, and he ran the Big Sur International Marathon on April 30, 2017, as a team relay participant, and the San Francisco Marathon on July 23, 2017, joining with the second leg of Franco Cuevas’ ultramarathon race. He also ran the famous Bay-to Breakers in San Francisco, California, on May 21, 2017. A picture of Paul after completing the San Francisco Marathon Is provided below.
There were many notable half-marathon performances last year as well. Ann Marie Cody of Code SSA, who also participates in competitive orienteering ran the Mt. Baldy “Run to the Top” 7 mile trail run on Sept. 4, 2017, a race that climbs to an altitude of more than 10,000 feet! To top it off, she ran the Fresno Half Marathon on Nov. 5, 2017, setting a record for this performance for the fastest time run while pushing a triple stroller, which is currently pending review for inclusion in the Guinness Book of World Records! See her story here: http://www.threepeas.run/ A picture of her while running the race is provided below.
Rodney Martin of Code TI ran a variety of trail races around the half-marathon distance last year, including the Marin Ultra Challenge 25k Trail Run at Rodeo Beach in Marin, California, on March 11, 2017. This is the same race he ran last year where he broke his ankle with three miles left to go and yet still finished. He had to come back and redeem himself this year by finishing without breaking any bones. He also ran the Diablo Trails Challenge Half Marathon in Walnut Creek, California, on April 15, 2017, the Cinderella Trail Run Half Marathon at Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland, California, on, May 13, 2017 and the Double Dipsea, running along the same trails that Jeremy Johnson and John Nguyen ran during their Quad Dispea trail race, but at half of their distance, and started at Stinson Beach, California, on June 17, 2017.
Some of Rodney’s other races include Pike’s Peak Ascent in Manitou Springs, Colorado, on Aug. 19, 2017. This race climbs to an altitude of over 14,000 ft., where the air can get pretty thin ! A picture of Rodney crossing the finish line for this race is provided below.
Rodney also ran the Death Valley Trail Half Marathon on Dec. 2, 2017, which was an attempt at a “three-peat,” as he was the overall winner for two consecutive years in 2015 and 2016. This year he placed first in his age group and came in second* overall.
Rodney wrapped up the year by running a local Brazen New Year’s Eve 5k in Fremont, California, on Dec. 31, 217, where he placed 1st in his age group, and 8th overall out of nearly 600 runners. A picture below shows Rodney during the race.
The very next day, he ran the Brazen New Year’s Day Half Marathon at Lake Chabot in Castro Valley, California, on Jan. 1, 2018, where he placed 2nd in his age group, and 12th overall out of 283 runners. Below is a shot of Rodney with just 1.5 miles left to go.
There were many runners participating at the 10k distance, including Bruce Storms of Code AOX, who ran the San Carlos Hometown Days Fun Run on May 21, 2017, with a time of 37:02, coming in 2nd overall.
Bruce also ran the Woodside Ramble 10k trail race, and placed first in age group and third overall. A picture of him running the race is shown below.
Other 10k runners include Roberto Carlino of Code TI who ran the 108th Thanksgiving Day 10k Race, in Cincinnati, Ohio, where it was reported to start at a temperature of 27 °F ! Lukas Gruendler of SETI ran a 10k in Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit, Mexico http://www.mediomaratonrivieranayarit.com on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017 and placed 3rd in his age group. He also joined Rodney during the Brazen New Year’s Eve event in Fremont, California, on Dec. 31, 2017, and ran the 10k course, where he came in 2nd for the 10k in his age group, and 34th overall out of 357 runners. He was listed as a “Brazen Ageless Wonder,” indicating that he ran a 10K in less minutes than he is years old!
Below is picture of Lukas during the race, along with other photos pictured with fellow Ames runner Rodney Martin who ran the 5k.
Harold Reimer of Code AOO competed as part of Team USA in the duathlon World Championships held in Penticton, Canada from Aug. 19-21, 2017, a race that includes both running and cycling. A picture of Harold during the running stage is provided below.
Justin Pane of Code JAZ participated in Cape Epic, the “Tour de France of mountain biking” from March 19 – 26, 2017, outside Cape Town, South Africa. Justin and his teammate (Jason Fass) competed against Olympians, Tour de France racers, world and national champions! The staged race included eight days, 430 miles and 50,000 feet of climbing. Justin also raced in the Downieville Classic All-Mountain World Championships, Aug. 5 – 6, 2017 outside of Downieville, California, which is a two-day mountain bike stage race, cross-country and downhill. He also raced in the Lost & Found Gravel Grinder on June 3, 2017 outside Quincy, California, that included about 100 miles and 7,000 feet of climbing, with 80 percent on dirt trails. A few photos of Justin during his Cape Epic race are featured below.
Elizabeth Pane of Code SCF and Melinda Zavala, a former Code TH employee, came in 1st place at the Wente eight hour mountain bike race in Willits, California, on June 3, 2017, in the Women’s open team of two category, totaling 82 miles and 12,200 ft. of elevation gain. A podium picture of the duo is shown below.
Finally, Sean Winther of Code SCF ran the Spartan Race in Hawaii on Aug. 8, 2017, which is an obstacle course race involving running in mud and water, climbing hills and mountains, under barbed wire and jumping fire. A few pictures are provided below.
As you see, Ames employees are talented in many ways beyond just their work accomplishments. Congratulations to all in completing such rigorous races and runs – we wish them good luck with their 2018 athletic goals! If we missed an accomplishment that you think should have been listed, please contact Rodney Martin at rodney.martin@nasa.gov.
For further detail on available fitness programs, classes, events, etc. at Ames, please contact Marco Santoyo or Orion Spellman at ext. 4-5804 or email: ARC-fitnesscenter@mail.nasa.gov.