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Peter Tschen currently serves as the
Branch Chief of the Manufacturing Engineering and Process Branch in the
Manufacturing Division of the Engineering Directorate at NASA Glenn
Research Center (GRC). Peter is responsible for developing process
design and design modifications for flight hardware fabrication and
assembly. As the manufacturing lead for the fabrication of the Upper
Stage Simulator (USS) for the Ares I-X (AIX) Project, he successfully
demonstrated his leadership by transforming the Manufacturing Division’s
culture to one based on a system of coordination and control with
extensive status reporting, adherence to written procedures, and
extensive documentation of work completed that is compliant with AS9100
Standards. The transition he managed was imperative in the Center
meeting its key milestones in support of the Agency’s Constellation
Program and a successful launch of the Ares I-X flight vehicle in
October, 2009.
With over 23 years of aerospace
experience, Peter has had a diverse set of experiences as an aerospace
engineer, project scientist, project manager, international program
specialist, program analyst, and branch chief, and has supported
numerous NASA aeronautics and space flight programs. Peter joined NASA
GRC in 1991 after three years at the McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Company
(MDAC) in Long Beach, California. During his tenure at MDAC, Peter was
a propulsion engineer on a team analyzing flight test data that led to
the successful FAA certification of General Electric and Pratt &
Whitney’s MD-11 aircraft engines. During his almost two decades with
NASA, he has made significant contributions in the Office of External
Relations and the Office of Program Analysis and Evaluation at NASA
Headquarters and the Research and Technology and the Engineering
Directorates at NASA GRC. Peter has received many achievement awards
throughout his career at NASA, with the most notable being the 2009 NASA
Exception Service Medal.
Peter is very involved with community
activities both within NASA as well as in the community at large. From
2000-2005, he served as Chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Advisory
Group at GRC. In 2001, he initiated the Ohio Chapter of the Federal
Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC), and contacted various federal
agencies across Ohio polling their potential interest. Peter obtained
donations from federal agencies and private entities to support a
scholarship program that funded Asian/Pacific Islander students.
Peter has a master’s degree in mechanical
engineering from the University of Iowa and a master’s degree in
marketing and operations management from Case Western Reserve
University. He has recently completed all requirements for NASA’s Lean
Six Sigma Black Belt certification. Peter is married and is the proud
father of two boys who currently reside in Arizona. His hobbies include
travel, music, and the culinary arts.
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