Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics

Bethany Eppig, NEPA and Launch Approval Manager - NASA Glenn Research Center

Bethany Eppig began her career at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), located in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2008 as an intern supporting engine research and testing. Throughout the completion of her undergraduate degree at Allegheny College, she continued to intern at NASA GRC through 2011, completing additional rotations in algae-to-fuel research and nanomaterial development. She was hired in as a civil servant in 2012 to NASA GRC’s Environmental Management Office while completing her master’s degree in Environmental Science at Cleveland State University.

Eppig managed the GRC environmental programs of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Storm Water, Drinking Water, Natural Resources, and Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination. In 2019, Eppig accepted a position in NASA’s Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) Program which uses the natural heat from the radioactive decay of an isotope to power deep space mission, or anywhere that solar is not a viable option. She serves as the Program’s NEPA and Launch Approval Manager and works with missions to prepare for a safe launch of nuclear enabled payloads. She is thrilled to be a part of the Dragonfly mission team, which is planning to send a rotorcraft lander to explore Saturn’s ocean moon, Titan. The mission seeks to provide information on pre-biotic chemistry to help us understand a little bit more about our own Earth’s beginnings. Dragonfly is targeting to launch in 2026. If selected, Bethany looks forward to providing the same guidance to the proposed Trident mission; a space mission concept to Neptune’s moon, Triton!

She has additionally served as a Project Manager for the Glenn Extreme Environment Rig (GEER) (a unique and world-class facility capable of simulating planetary atmospheres), the Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Project (remote sensing technology to monitor and predict Great Lakes algal blooms), and the Deputy Project Manager for Mars Spring Tire (to design and deliver a flight-qualified wheel and tire assembly for the Mars Sample Return Mission).

Bethany enjoys spending time outdoors with her daughter and husband. Her hobbies include cooking, traveling, and serving as a board member for The Awesome Foundation Cleveland, a non-profit foundation offering grants to local projects of great social impact.

Patrick Donoughe, Mechanical Engineer - Komatsu Mining Corp

Komatsu Mining Corp produces mining equipment worldwide. My job is in the continuous haulage department and I help to design new parts (per customer request) or adapt old parts to fit the customer's needs.

Neil Pergar, Project Engineer - U.S. Steel

I work as a Project Engineer/Manager for the US Steel Mon Valley Works Engineering Department, managing the capital improvement projects for the primary and rolling steel production operations, along with our central Research & Development facility. Having worked as a maintenance manager for ten years in our operating areas, I have been able to apply my front-line maintenance perspective to the implementation of capital projects within the same operations. My current role involves bringing together engineers, steel producers, and product manufacturers to deliver project financial and/or infrastructure benefits. Within these responsibilities I am often bringing together architectural, electrical, mechanical, and structural engineering drawings and specifications (and making some of my own). I work with our procurement department to receive contractor and vendor bids and analyze these bids for compliance with the customer specifications.

Brian Hronchek, Reliability Engineer - U.S. Steel

U. S. Steel is an integrated steel producer with major production operations in the United States and Central Europe. I find my current role as a Reliability Engineer exciting as it allows me to build teams of people from many different professions and backgrounds in order to solve complex problems. Reliability is about preventing failures from ever occurring with safety and the customer in mind. Think about the last time you purchased something and unboxed it only to find out it didn’t work! My job is to make sure that doesn’t happen. At U. S. Steel, my focus is to ensure the manufacturing equipment and processes that make our high quality steel work when they are supposed to. I help our employees come to work safely and productively, and I help our customers receive high-quality, defect-free steel.

Ryan Miely - Manufacturing Controls Engineer - General Motors

2018 Graduate from Penn State Behrend - Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology. Currently studying at The University of Toledo - Masters of Energy Engineering. Working as a Manufacturing Controls Engineer at General Motors Toledo Transmission Plant. Responsible for maintaining and improving automated equipment across multiple departments and product lines.