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Bios

Page history last edited by dj.kroeger@... 15 years, 10 months ago
 

Team Biographies

 

 

 

Sabrina Singh

Age: 27

Job: NASA Flight Controller

Bio: I am born and bred from ATL with a love for hiking and adventure.  Since I am of Indian heritage, my second home is in the Himalayan Mountains in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India.  I am so excited to share this experience with some of the most interesting and energetic people in the world, especially my dad and my brother. 

 

The last book I read was "For One More Day. " I look forward to learning about how business creativity can solve poverty beyond traditional social programs by reading "Creating a World Without Poverty."

 

I wish to travel to Antartica, Egypt, Kenya, and Vietnam.  I love dancing and listening to music really loudly.

 

Smiles,

Sabrina

 

"A laugh is a smile that bursts"

 

Jeff Ashby

Age: 50 plus

Job: NASA External Relations

Bio:

Growing up in Colorado, I had two dreams.  Walk on the moon and climb Mt Everest, in any order.  Having clearly failed to achieve the former, I have decided to continue my path of under achievement and fall short of actually climbing Everest.  A base camp trek is appropriate. 

Much of my life to this point has been spent at high speed, always looking ahead, and hardly noticing what was passing by.  This trek is an opportunity to learn to live in the present, and to be reminded of the value of a life that is connected to nature and absent material possessions like cold budweiser. 

Great adventures often have a goal, and my goal on this trip is to remind Scott that Evergreen Colorado is my hometown, not his, even though it looks good on his bio.

 

 

Andy Borland

Age:  29

Job:  Materials Engineer, Rockwell Automation

Bio:  I grew up in MN and lived there all my life until I left to attend UW-Madison (same as Anders and Audrey). After graduating I moved to Milwaukee (BrewCity) where I’ve been the last 5 years. The first two years I didn’t have much of a life because I continued my education and earned a master’s degree while working at Briggs & Stratton (think lawnmowers). I've recently switched jobs, and also started moonlighting as an instructor at a local community college (it’s how I’m paying for this trip). When I do have free time I like “monkeying” around and just enjoying the outdoors (biking, kayaking, skiing…) I’ll be missing my kickball team’s season opener but this will be well worth it.

Anders Brown

Age: 26

Job: Mechanical Designer for the International Space Station

Bio: Born in Central Wisconsin.  Mom is an environmentalist and water quality specialist, dad is an architect specializing in environmental and sustainable design and I have a younger sister.  Played outside all the time as a kid and never got to watch TV or play video games.  Got pulled out of the fourth grade to move to Mozambique, Africa.  Mom and dad were bored with Wisconsin and applied to the UN.  Lived a happy and adventure filled life in Africa for 3.5 years.  Came back to WI at the age of 14 and tried reintegrating myself into the “American Way”.  Didn’t work so well and took some time.  Excelled at math and science in high school, but preferred to spend time doing art, playing Ultimate Frisbee, disc-golf, climbing, camping and running cross-country.  Graduated high school and went to University of Wisconsin-Madison (super pumped about that).  Started as an Art Ed major but didn’t work out, so I switched to Aerospace Engineering because I wanted to be an astronaut (for real).  Got sucked into the world of NASA and engineering and did NASA design competitions including two flight experiments on NASA’s zero-gravity research aircraft, the vomit comet.  Just when engineering was getting really hard I got distracted and found the awesomeness of experiential adventure education.  I joined a student organization called the Adventure Learning Programs (ALPs) and worked as a group facilitator doing team building and ropes course activities.  Got an internship with Boeing in Houston, TX working with the astronaut spacewalk group for the International Space Station.  I finished up 4 work terms with Boeing over the span of 3 years, graduated in Dec 2005 with an aerospace engineering degree.  Took a year off and travelled New Zealand and Australia for 5 months and SE Asia for a few months.  Then decided it was time to get back to work.  Hired on with Boeing in Houston with the Mechanical Design group for the International Space Station.  Right now I am working on designing the Vibration Isolation System for the new treadmill for astronaut workouts on the Space Station.
To sum it all up, I am a well traveled, culturally and socially conscious, atypical engineer that wants to eventually run around in the woods and teach kids about our environment, world cultures and issues surrounding social justice (and solve the problems of humans contributions to global climate change) (and, and transform how humans live and interact with the earth for a health, sustainable coexistence for all living things).

 

Jason Coyle

Age:35

Job:Geologist

Bio:

I grew up in very rural North Dakota.  I have lived my entire life either there or in Minnesota were I have lived for over 10 years.  My "in" with this group and this exciting adventure is CJ.  My aunt lived just down the street from him and we have been best of friends since kindergarden.

I live in the Minneapolis area and work for an Environmental Engineering consultant (pales in comparison to all these rocket scientist, I'm a failure!).  Other than that I love to downhill ski, play racquetball and ultimate frisbee, and explore the outdoors.

 

 


Laurie Darling

Age:  28  

Job:  NASA Rendezvous Flight Controller

Bio:  Born and raised in Jamestown, NY... one of the most beautiful places in the U.S. in my opinion.  Went to undergrad at SUNY Buffalo (that's State University of New York if you're wondering) where I majored in Aerospace Engineering.  Received a co-op position at NASA/JSC and after graduation started full-time at the "dream job".  Went away to grad school for a year and received a Masters in Space & Planetary Sciences.  Decided one degree wasn't enough and am currently finishing my last class (THANK GOD) for my second Masters in Space Operations.

 

Outside of work, I love to run.  Playing lacrosse is a close second, as is painting, mountain biking, skiing, golfing,... you name it.  I've realized that life is way too short and any and every opportunity we have to make the most of it should never be passed up.  That's why this trip to Everest will be one heck of an adventure!

 

Adam Gilmore

Age: 5 (at least in psychological maturity)

Job: Singh mistress

Bio:

Chickens.  Yes, you heard me right.  I said chickens.  I love to farm them, I love to punt them.  If they changed the NFL from pig skin to chicken skin I'd be an all star.  People the world around would rejoice in my abilities, seeing those chickens flying through the uprights.  Three points.  Boo-ya.  I've had many people complement me on this.  I've had many people put flowers around my neck and thank me for bringing them out of a deep-seated, moss-driven, orange-peeling funk.  It has something to do with my intense fear yet unadulterated desire for lollipops.

 

Note:  This bio may be a complete fabrication by a third party (and a very smart and handsome one at that).  Investigations are ongoing.
 

Quincy Harp

Age: 31

Job: NASA Flight Controller

Bio:  Born in Denver, Colorado, but moved to a bunch of places after that.  Finalyl settled in Houston, Texas where I live and work at Johnson Space Center in the Robotics Flight Control group.  I'm a graduate of Gerogia Tech (Go JACKETS!!!) and Stanford, mechanical engineering at both.

 

For fun I vounteer as an EMT with League City EMS, work on a charity dunk competition (DUNKIT!), play soccer, and do lots of work on my house.  I've only recently gotten back into hiking and climbing.  This trip is going to be fun and I'm glad SS talked me into it.  :-)

 

Lucie Johannes

Age: 29

Job:  Metallurgical Engineer

Bio:  I am originally from a corn field in Nebraska, but eventually migrated to Jefferson City, MO, where I learned about this cool thing call "Metallurgical Engineering" in high school and decided to go to UMR (now M S&T) where I met some awesome people and did some cool things - like co-op at NASA!  Since I co-oped in the Materials and Processes branch at JSC, I decided to go for a M. Eng. in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT.  After doing that I decided that metallurgy was where my heart was and I went back to UMR to get a PhD in it.

 

Now I am at NASA and work in the Materials and Processes Branch.  I do some stuff in Friction Stir Welding, I have also done some failure analysis, and I am the Deputy System Manager for Materials and Processes for Orion.

 

As far as my personal life, I am married to a great guy named Jonny.  We have two dogs and lots of fun.  ;)

 

Chris J. Johnson

Age: 35

Job: Orion Landing System Integration Manager

Bio:  Originally from North Dakota I came to the NASA/Johnson Space Center much like many around me - through the cooperative education program when I was in college. 

I've thoroughly enjoyed my early career here at NASA working new technologies and exciting projects, and feel fortunate for the great opportunities I have had. 

Besides work, one of the ways I get enjoyment in life is when I am exploring new places and challenging myself; hence I am very much looking forward to the trip to Mt. Everest. 

I have recently read "The Climb" and "Into Thin Air" which highlight the extreme challenges and risks that exist in climbing Mt. Everest (as well as watching the "Everest" Discovery Channel series) and am excited about visiting the Base Camp of this prodigious mountain.

 

 

Bini Kadwa

Age: 27

Job: NASA Rocket Engineer

Bio: I'm just a Northern gal in a Southern world who loves the color green, the Steelers, and new experiences. 
I was born in Mumbai, India and moved to Pittsburgh, PA with my family when I was 6 years old.  This year is our 20th anniversary of being in the US!  Back to my bio...it was in Pittsburgh that this love for the Steelers was forever ingrained but growing up I found I enjoyed solving those math equations rather than say, writing a biographical essay about myself or anyone else.  Hence, I knew I'd be an engineer one day.  I always found space and space travel intriguing so, I went to Penn State and majored in Aerospace Engineering.  I got my dream job while at Penn State as a coop student at NASA in Houston and after graduating, I continued on to get my master's degree at the University of Texas - Austin.  Now, I'm back at my job at NASA full time and loving it.  My job is so intense and diverse at the same time.  On one hand I get to be a Space Shuttle flight controller, on the other hand I am helping to design a part of the new vehicle Orion's entry sequence, and on the third hand I make sure that the Shuttle entries are safe for people.
In my free time, riding my bike makes me happy though I should do it more often.  Right now most of my rec time is spent making sure I can climb up to base camp!

 

D.J. Kroeger

Age: 34

Job: Orion Systems Design Deputy Manager (is that meaningless to you?  I get to oversee the design of all the Orion systems like propulsion, structures, power... Still meaningless?  How about rocket man? :)

Bio: I was born outside of Chicago and was so surprised about it that I didn't talk for a year and a half (OK, I stole that one...). When I had enough of it there I went to University of Michigan.  While spending a summer in Australia, I decided I wanted to work for NASA, so I got a co-op here.  I graduated, worked in aircraft flight test, then went back to NASA to work propulsion (you know, smoke and fire) on ISS and shuttle before moving to the Orion project.  We're goin' back to the moon.  That's my philosophy, if you're gonna go, go BIG!  Oh, I also like hockey, physics, beaches, and peanut butter Oreos.  I'm still trying to figure out how to combine all of those into one sport. 

 

 

 

 

Audrey Miller

Age: 26

Job: Production Supervisor at Rockwell Automation

Bio: As you can see, you will likely be able to talk me into a stupid human trick or two during our trip.

 

I grew up in Illinois, lived in the Dominican Republic for a year before going to the University of Wisconsin - Madison. where Anders and I were roomies.  I now live in Milwaukee, WI - Algonquin for "The Good Land."  My dog Lilo isn't sure how I found a picture of myself with all the annoying pictures I take of her, but alas, I did.  I look forward to sharing a wonderful trip with each of you!

 

Heidi Poppelreiter

Age: 24

Job: NASA flight controller

Bio:

I grew up in Sacramento, CA (yes - land of fruits, nuts, and flakes); a few hours from the Sierras, and a few hours from the Pacific, so lots of hiking, biking, and the great outdoors in my younger days.  Went away to Purdue University in Indiana and got my Bachelors in Astronautical Engineering, which netted me a gem of a job at NASA Johnson Space Center as a Rendezvous Flight Controller.  In my off hours, I'm working part-time on my Masters in Physics (just for fun).

 

I love to travel/explore, which is why I can't wait for Everest! 

 

Piara Singh

Age: 28

Job: hopefully professional golfer soon

Bio:

Don't tell anyone, but Sabrina is my favorite kid.  Don't get me wrong, the other ones are OK, but they don't work for NASA.  Sabrina, on the other hand, not only works there, but she tells me that she actually runs the place.  I knew I raised her right.  I expect that when I'm old, frail, sick of working, and just want to be shooting 18 holes a day, she'll be there to support me, paying all my bills, and making sure I have everything that I want.  

 

Note:  This bio may be a complete fabrication by a third party (and a very smart and handsome one at that).  Investigations are ongoing.

 

Vik Singh

Age: 26

Job: Nike Marketing

Bio:

Born and raised in ATL - Sabrina cheated, she actually was born in Augusta - where I spent a lot of tiem obsessing over sports (hense my current job). In my younger years I'm known to have said that I'd want to live in the taj mahal on top of mount everest.  I went to college at the University of Georgia (UGA) and home of the Geogia Bulldogs (watch out for us this season!). Along the way I decided athletics was where I wanted to be, sports, passion, determination, hard work etc don't really do justice the culture permeates at Nike...anyhow that's where I ended up during my last summer in college as an intern. I joined back with the swoosh soon after graduating, worked at our headquarters in Portland, Oregon and now I'm in Miami doing brand marketing for the South (including Texas).

 

Doug Wheelock

Age: 47

Job: NASA Astronaut & Scott's Scrub Nurse during solar array surgery

 

Bio:

Born and raised in the Catskill mountains of upstate New York.  With an adventurous family of 4 boys, spent most of my youth outdoors stomping around the Catskill and Adirondack Parks.  Graduated from the Hudson Valley School for Troubled Youth (West Point) and began a flying career that continues to this day.

 

Traveled the world flying into, above, around various places...some spectacularly beautiful, others more desolate, and still others God-forsaken.  All to deliver hope and liberty to those deprived of such.  Fueled my need for speed a handful of years later with Test Pilot training, and eventually ended up in Houston as a NASA Space Cadet.

 

Flew on my first flight into space on the Shuttle Discovery last fall with Scott.  Learned so much from this crazy guy and really treasure our time together.  Went outside with Scott on three spacewalks and through our training he became known as 'Spike' and I was his less-gifted sidekick 'Tyke'.  Scott and I are closer than brothers...no kidding.  He is my forever-hero.

 

After our mission, Scott asked me to go on this trek to be there for him as he chased this lifelong dream.  To which I replied, "You have got to be out of your mind!"...or words to that effect.  You see...I have no / zero / nada / zippo climbing experience.  I have been in the Army for 25 years, so I know how to hike through the day and night with a pack...but no real training at altitude.  So...I am pricing yaks on the internet, hoping that I can find one just outside of Lukla.

 

Looking forward to this adventure.  My goals are simple...to see and encourage Scott in his quest...to meet my team and learn from each of them...to face something that I am terrified of and grow my character...to see the top of the world with my own eyes.

 

Go get 'em, Spike!

 

 

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