Ms. Fanning has over ten years experience in several engineering disciplines including aerospace, modeling and simulation and atmospheric research. Ms. Fanning brings a formal engineering background to new projects and a strong commitment to high quality project analysis, development and documentation.

Software Skill Set:

Additional Training Skill Set: HTML, XML, MATLAB, FORTRAN, JCL, CLIST

Task Planning, Coordination and Leadership: Determine relevant tasks, layout planning sequence, ascertain schedule risk factors, organize the efforts of a group and maintain close communication, both written and verbal, with clients.

Documentation Skill Set: Technical project documentation from JavaHelp systems to formal IV&V review.

Teaching Skill Set: Produce relevant materials and delivery to diverse audiences, able to connect with a wide range of student abilities and knowledge.

Professional Experience Summary: A selection of specific work projects are detailed below.

Innovative Technology Solutions (1997 - 1998, Albuquerque, NM)

Ms. Fanning performed Verification and Validation of the Department of Energy Hanford site Resolve Gas Release Event Safety Analysis Tool Software created by Sandia National Laboratories. Resolve provides uncertainty modeling and operational analysis of the Hanford Tank Waste Remediation System. Ms. Fanning was instrumental in organizing and leading the efforts of the test team and was the lead author and developer of the resulting documentation product. The team’s efforts were recognized with a Sandia National Laboratories Silver Award of Excellence.

Rockwell International Corporation (1988 - 1996, Downey, CA)

Ms. Fanning’s experience at Rockwell included providing Guidance, Navigation and Control (GN&C) aerospace engineering for nearly all facets of Space Shuttle launch. In over seven years she worked in both the First and Second Stage GN&C areas (before and after release of the Solid Rocket Boosters) and External Tank Separation. She additionally was involved in the evaluation and testing of landing algorithms for the National Aerospace Plane (NASP) program.

Launch Support

Ms. Fanning was certified to and actively provided First Stage launch support. In this capacity, she provided on time GN&C analyses, ongoing upwards of six months prior to launch, for validation of First Stage GN&C launch capability. This included assisting with solutions to all engineering related First Stage issues critical to launch safety in concert with and in support of the efforts of related groups concerned with vehicle aerodynamics and loads. Ms. Fanning also introduced changes into the overall Commit-to-Flight process to increase efficiency in producing required intra-group elements.

Vehicle Performance Enhancements prior to Space Station Construction

Ms. Fanning participated extensively in the First Stage GN&C effort to upgrade shuttle lift capability via a suite of Performance Enhancements prior to Space Station construction. She modified First Stage Monte Carlo software to model all First Stage related performance enhancements including changes to vehicle guidance software, Main Engine and Booster modifications, and physical changes to the External Tank. She developed additional stand-alone UNIX shell script software to automate large scale Monte Carlo execution, and subsequently evaluated, documented and presented at a variety of forums Monte Carlo based studies designed to assess the overall risk to First Stage ascent with increased lift capability. Ms. Fanning also worked to develop Day-of-Launch (DOL) limits for pertinent First Stage parameters in support of the Performance Enhancements effort. To this end she evolved, through automation of existing and creation of new software, the distillation process of transforming large simulation results databases into valid DOL limits.

Process Consolidation

Ms. Fanning worked independently to rehost the First Stage Ascent Engine Out Knockdown software from its original mainframe platform onto a RISC 6000 workstation platform. The Engine Out Knockdown program generates two dimensional parametric limits termed squatcheloids used on Day of Launch to determine vehicle structural loading changes under the influence of in-flight winds. On the mainframe the process resided as four separate programs with no up front user guidance and minimal output analysis tools. Ms. Fanning merged the separate programs into one and created a UNIX based script interface to assist users in running the program correctly. New and existing software was created and expanded for displaying program results in their final form as well as at key incremental steps.

Implementation of Monte Carlo Study Capability into the External Tank Simulation Software

Ms. Fanning incorporated Monte Carlo modeling capability into the External Tank (ET) Separation simulation software. In response to a critical launch safety concerning ET Separation aerodynamic uncertainties, she worked under a tight schedule to perform mission by mission Monte Carlo study evaluations of ET Separation and was a key communicator of the problem to the outside NASA community. She developed a semi-automated process for conducting ET Separation Monte Carlo studies including development of a full suite of output parameter plotting programs. She later lead efforts to generically certify the ET Separation event eliminate the need for mission specific Monte Carlo analyses.

Atmosphere Model Evaluations

Ms. Fanning conducted in depth evaluations of Second Stage and External Tank Separation simulation software atmosphere models. She extensively tested all phases of different models, organized the research findings from other groups and synthesized final recommendations.

Additional Experience: Ms. Fanning has participated in a variety of research assistantships, internships and short term projects for the following organizations.

Intelligent Systems and Robotics Center, Sandia National Laboratories
Albuquerque, NM, 2002

Algorithms and Analysis Group, Boeing-SVS
Albuquerque, NM, 2001

BDM Engineering Services
Albuquerque, NM, 1996 - 1997

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Research Laboratories
Boulder, CO, 1986 - 1988

Strain Gauge Calibration Laboratory, New Mexico Engineering Research Institute
Albuquerque, NM, 1984, 1985

Education

B.S. Engineering Physics, University of Colorado at Boulder (1987)

M.S. Computer Science, University of New Mexico (2007)

Publications

Zhao, W., Fanning, M.L., Lane, T., Efficient RNAi-Based Gene Family Knockdown via Set Cover Optimization, Journal of Artificial Intelligence inMedicine , Volume 35, Issues 1-2, September-October, 2005, p 61-73.

Komhyr, W.D., Grass, R.D., Reitelbach, P.J., Kuester, S.E., Franchois, P.R., Fanning, M.L., Total Ozone, Ozone Vertical Distributions, and Stratospheric Temperatures at South Pole, Antarctica, in 1986 and 1987, Special Issue of the Journal of Geophysical Research, 1989.