Michele O’Shaughnessy is a two-time Space Camp program alum and has gone through the Adult Space Academy and Advanced Adult Space Academy programs. Ms. O’Shaughnessy has over twenty-four years of federal government experience, working for two Departments/Agencies and at multiple United States Department of Energy (DOE) field locations. Professionally, Michele is an engineer/project manager for the DOE at the Savannah River Site. She supports multi-appropriation programs, projects, and activities, as well as, the effective integration of site planning. Ms. O’Shaughnessy has held a wide range of positions in areas such as Program/Project Management, Emergency Management/Preparedness/Response, and Waste Management. She earned her BS in Civil Engineering with an Environmental Focus from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a MS in Environmental Systems Engineering with a Nuclear Focus from Clemson University. Michele was selected and participated in the NASA Social for the Parker Solar Probe Mission. Ms. O’Shaughnessy is a senior life member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and held key leadership roles at the collegiate and professional sections, Region and Society levels including a SWE Board of Director. Michele lives in Aiken, SC. She is an active member of the Aiken community and is a Board of Director, officer, and member for several non-profit and professional/technical organizations.

Suzanne Saltz is a director and first assistant director for television. Prior to making her directorial debut on NCIS: Los Angeles, Suzanne worked her way up on a variety of television shows, including Beverly Hills 90210, JAG, NCIS, Six Feet Under, Bones, Pushing Daisies, and NCIS: Los Angeles. Suzanne received her bachelor degree in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles. After graduation, she was accepted to the Director’s Guild of America Producer Training Plan. Attending Space Camp in August of 1985 was pivotal because Space Camp the movie was being filmed during her time at the Space and Rocket Center. Suzanne is an active member of the Director’s Guild of America, Alliance of Women Directors and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Suzanne has two adult children and resides in Bakersfield, California with her husband and two dogs; they spend their holidays in Bella Vista, Arkansas.

Samantha Johnson, is a public library director in the Chicago suburbs with over fifteen years of experience in libraries who completed her Master’s of Library & Information Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2013. She attended Space Camp in August of 2000 and has not stopped bragging since. In addition to her work, she is an active member of the Illinois Library Association and a proud Rotarian who believes wholeheartedly in its motto, Service Above Self.

If her little brother hadn’t gotten sick on a trip to Disney World,Dr. Michelle Christensen might not be building rocket engines for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. Her dad took 5-year-old Michelle to Kennedy Space Center for the day, and she remembers standing under a Redstone rocket and staring at the engine. She wanted to know how it worked. Her parents looked for every opportunity to encourage their daughter’s interests, and at 14, she flew across the country to Space Camp for the first time. “I remember getting to camp and meeting these kids from all over the world,” Michelle said. She had found her place. She came back in 11th grade and worked as a Space Camp crew trainer in college, which led her to transfer to the University of Alabama in Huntsville to study aerospace engineering. Through UAH, she got a research job at Marshall Space Flight Center and then went on to Pennsylvania State University for her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering. Today, she’s at the cutting-edge of the commercial space industry helping build reusable rockets. She’s also found the same kind of teamwork environment she loved at Space Camp.

Dr. Bill Brantley attended Space Camp in the fourth week of 1982. Today he is the President and Chief Learning Officer of Brantley Advanced Social Science Applications (BAS2A) and an accomplished scholar in leadership theory, organizational theory, digital transformation, project management, and communication theory. With a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management and advanced degrees in political management, project management, and organizational leadership, Dr. Brantley specializes in leveraging generative AI, causal AI, and low-code/no-code development for composable organizations. He holds over 30 professional certifications and has completed extensive coaching training. A prolific author, Dr. Brantley has published three influential books and developed 12 online courses with global enrollment exceeding 25,000 students. As an adjunct faculty member at the University of Louisville and the University of Maryland, he consistently earns top teaching evaluations. With over 16 years of federal and five years of state government experience, Dr. Brantley is an expert in learning technologies, instructional design, and leadership development. He has received national recognition, including the 2019 Emerging Training Leader award, for his innovative contributions to public sector training programs.

Cassie Brown is a two-time Space Camp alumna and former Space Camp Crew Trainer, who received the Right Stuff award during her crew trainer training.

She graduated from The University of Tennessee with her Bachelor of Science in Business Management and collateral in Entrepreneurship. She now gets to return to her alma mater for various panel speaking events at the Haslam College of Business.

Cassie lives in Knoxville, TN with her husband. She works at The Trust Company of Tennessee where she oversees the new-hire and systems trainings for client-facing team members at the investment firm. She volunteers with PJ Parkinson’s, a local non-profit that provides assistance for individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.

Vinay Gidwaney, is a serial entrepreneur who has started two successful technology companies in the IT management and insuretech industries. Previously, he was a neuroscience researcher at the MIT Media Lab. Vinay also sits on the board of the education non-profit, Design for Change USA. Vinay lives in Boston, with his wife, Sanjli and his three children.

David Hernly, is the CEO of Mythric Studios. He first became interested in simulations during his time at Space Camp. He lives in Newport News, Virginia with his family.

Will Hudson grew up in Greensboro, NC and was born June 5th, 1992. Will grew up loving aviation and space, as well as Star Wars and Star Trek. Will attended Aviation Challenge from 2003-2010 starting with Family Camp and going through Mach 3 Elite 12 Day. He attended and graduated from The Citadel in Charleston SC. In 2013 Will moved to Huntsville to work a summer at Aviation Challenge. Fast forward a year and he returned, this time permanently. Will worked from 2013-late 2022 in various roles at Space Camp and Aviation Challenge both as a crew trainer and member of the camp and simulations leadership teams. In 2017 Will married Tosha, who he met while working at Space Camp. In November of 2022 Will left the USSRC for a PAYCOM position at NASA supporting the International Space Station. In October of 2023 he certified as a PAYCOM. While doing this he along side his co-president started and ran the Huntsville chapter for Space Camp Alumni.

Beth Mund is an analog astronaut, science comm advisor, and former NASA Public Affairs Officer for the Johnson Space Center and the International Space Station. Beth currently serves as the Chief Narrative Officer at Stellar Communications where she helps organizations discover, design and deliver inspirational science- based narratives. Beth is the host and creator of the Casual Space Podcast, where she shares her weekly conversations with astronauts, engineers, authors and artists about our future in space exploration, and why it matters.

Jessica Ports Robbins has worked in the field of disaster preparedness and response for 20+ years, currently serving as the Senior Partnerships and Innovation Lead for the Global Disaster Preparedness Center, a reference center established by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and hosted by the American Red Cross. Her areas of expertise include: digital technology and innovation, disaster preparedness, international development, project management, animal welfare, emergency sheltering, qualitative research, early warning systems, volunteer management, and agile methodology. She holds a BA in History from Elon University, an MS in History and Sociology of Technology and Science from Georgia Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. in international development from Tulane University. She is a certified Project Management Professional and serves on both the Advocacy Council for the Louisiana SPCA and as Secretary of the Board of Directors for TMTP Labs, Inc. She lives in New Orleans with her partner Seann, black lab mix Lucy, and a clowder of cats.

Vanessa Rutherford (Hernandez) grew up in San Jose, CA with stories of the space program regularly told around the dinner table from her father, Micky (Aviation Challenge alumni), who supported programs from Mercury to the Space Shuttle during his engineering career. After seeing an ad in a magazine, she finally was sent to Huntsville at the age of 12 and fell in love with camp from day one. She attended Space Camp programs four times in her youth, Space Camp in 1991, Academy Level 1 in 1993, Academy Level 2 in 1995, and Advanced Space Academy in 1997. She even received the Right Stuff award while attending Academy Level 1. She attributes her path to engineering from the experiences at Space Camp, and interacting with the counselors who were majoring in engineering and could speak to the experience.

After graduating from MIT with a degree in Materials Science and Engineering, she returned to camp as an Advanced Space Academy counselor in 2002 before relocating to Santa Clarita, CA, and embedding herself in the local community. She has worked in aerospace most of her career on programs such as the B-2 Bomber, James Web Space Telescope, various satellites, and contributed to sample submission for MISSE-8.

She recently returned to Family Space Camp in 2023 with her husband and daughter, which inspired her to apply to SCAAB. She currently serves on the USA Honda Foundation and Circle of Hope boards. She can also be found performing at the local community theater alongside her daughter.

Ashlee Stevenson (née Weeks) is a five-time alumna of Aviation Challenge MACH II, MACH III, and MACH III Elite (2003-2007), recipient of the Right Stuff award, and a former Aviation Challenge Crew Trainer (2010 & 2011). She comes from a long line of barnstormers and pilots stretching back to 1918. She grew up in Marietta, Georgia just a few miles from the Lockheed-Martin F/A-22 assembly line. Watching their daily test flights has led to a lifelong love of aviation.

Ashlee earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a concentration of studies in Digital Marketing and International Affairs. She has a background in digital marketing and customer experience that shifts marketing focus from products to customers in order to drive sustainable brand loyalty.

Currently, Ashlee manages Digital Dealer Programs that drive efficient operations and protect brand integrity across 300+ dealerships for Mercedes-Benz USA. She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her husband Dustin and their dogs.

Meghan Predenkoski is an alumna of Space Camp and Aviation Challenge MACH II, MACH III, and MACH III Elite (2004-2011). In an effort to keep in touch with the many friends made during the years at Space Camp and Aviation Challenge, Meghan started an unofficial Aviation Challenge Alumni & Friends Facebook page which has grown to include nearly 600 members. She is currently the Director of Membership, Communications, and Marketing for the Arizona Chapter of Women in Defense. Meghan earned her Bachelor of Science in Industrial & Systems Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, her Masters of Science in Systems Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, and her Masters of Business Administration with a focus on Operations Management from the University of Scranton.

Currently living in Tucson, AZ, Meghan is a Systems Engineer with RTX where she works in Systems Integration & Test supporting multiple programs to support our Armed Services. In her spare time, she loves baking for her friends and coworkers, cuddling up with her cat Milo, and experimenting with 3D printing.

David Vuletich is a Managing Director in EAB’s Research Advisory Services and is an expert in Higher Education Academic and Administrative Strategy. He provides expert insight into cross-cabinet issues that help institutions set strategy and execute on short and long-term goals. He is responsible for driving value for universities through decision support, guidance on best practices implementation, and consensus building at the board, cabinet, and senior leadership levels. In particular, his strong focus on financial sustainability helps him support strategic initiatives around university budget models, cost efficiency in administrative and academic operations, and revenue growth through optimization of the academic program portfolio and university advancement.

David started his career as an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry at SUNY Brockport and left academia in 2012 to join the team responsible for creating the 2015 MCAT. He has also worked in healthcare, biotech, and pharmaceutical consulting. He earned bachelor's degrees in Astrophysics and Chemical Physics from Michigan State University, a dual-title Ph.D. in Chemistry and Astrobiology from the Pennsylvania State University, and an MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. David attended Space Camp in Florida in 1990, Space Academy in Huntsville in 1993, and Adult Space Camp in Huntsville in 2023.

Emily Pietrzyk is the Assistant Director of Donor and Alumni Relations from the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation. She has many fond memories of visiting the Center and Space Camp as a young girl which led to her moving to Huntsville in 2015 to become a Crew Trainer. Although it was only supposed to be for a summer, Emily loved the impact on trainees and the impact that it had on her. Since 2015, Emily has worked various roles with Space Camp including working in Camp Leadership, developing Custom Programs such as the American Girl and Smithsonian Journeys programs, managing Cyber and Robotics and assisting with camp program development. She joined the Foundation Team in 2021 and has focused on scholarships, major gifts, and alumni outreach.