2013 WOMEN OF COLOR AWARD WINNERS D’Annunzio, continued from Page 20
results from the comet. She also presented results of this analysis to a 1986 community of scientists at an American Geophysical Union meeting.
D’Annunzio then moved to BDM International’s theater warfare analysis group, where she was responsible for mod- eling and simulation related to chemical systems, chemical warfare and missile defense architectures. Three years on, she presented “Theater Missile Defense against Syrian Chemi- cal Missiles Attacking Israel” at the 1989 Military Operations Research Society Symposium, in front of hundreds of opera- tions research professionals and leaders of the national security analytic community.
As a senior scientist at Radix Systems Inc., D’Annunzio led de- sign and implementation of computational algorithms based on theoretical models of physical, chemical and engineering systems. Over time, her research interests would shift to noise and vibration, eventually earning her a patent in 1997 from work using actuators for vibration control. D’Annunzio was granted a patent for noise reduction in mechanical vibrations to reduce the impact of earthquakes on buildings.
At Alcatel, she wrote algorithms to improve the performance of ASDL modems. Also of note, during a consultancy with MedAcoustics Inc. she developed adaptive algorithms for medical acoustic devices to detect and characterize coronary and artery disease.
On joining Northrop Grumman’s Electronic Systems sector, D’Annunzio returned to her roots with chemical transport modeling for work in concealed explosives. Her first position was the modeling lead for chemical and biological programs.
Since she began at Northrop Grumman’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, or high-Explosive (CBRNE) Technology Center in 2003, D’Annunzio has been granted a Northrop Grumman Invention Disclosure (trade secret) for real time chemical/biological threat situational awareness using tipping/ cueing and detection sensors. Five years ago this October, she earned a Northrop Grumman Technology Award. D’Annunzio developed a stochastic model based on principles to deter- mine the hybridization mismatch rates in a reverse transcrip- tion polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) multiplex that won a Northrop Grumman Presidential Award. The method is used in expression analysis of single or multiple genes, and expression patterns for identifying infections and diseases.
In 2007, D’Annunzio was program manager and principal investigator of a chem-bio disparate sensor fusion demon- stration at Fort Belvoir, a U.S. Army installation that provides logistical, intelligence and administrative support to a diverse mix of commands, activities and agencies. She was the lead on the analysis of standoff suicide bomber detection for the Army
which helped to determine the phenomenology of technology for use indoors and outdoors to detect concealed objects. She was also responsible for the framework architecture of North- rop Grumman’s efforts in activity recognition and was the engineering manager for a program developing combat iden- tification and ground moving target classification to provide the warfighter with better situational awareness.
In 2009, she was appointed a senior advisory engineer at the global security and technology company and group leader for Northrop Grumman’s Automated Sensor Exploitation Center, with responsibility for everything from employee development and staffing to budget, finance, bids and proposals.
Last year, D’Annunzio was a Copernicus finalist for “Exploita- tion of Networks for Cyber Protection.” Copernicus is an open innovation system designed to help meet challenges related to U.S. Department of Defense budget constraints and customer demands for more affordable solutions. Copernican Awards recognize the creativity of talented employees and partners whose ideas will benefit next generation products and busi- ness processes.
Currently, D’Annunzio is leading research for ground combat vehicle aided target recognition for ground moving target in- dication efforts in Northrop Grumman’s Advanced Concepts and Technologies Division.
A scientist, mathematician, and a leader, she has made her mark not only in industry but for the nation’s defense. In 2003, when D’Annunzio started in Northrop Grumman’s chem-bio group, chemical and biological warfare was an area of great focus following heightened concern about hidden chemical and biological weapons in Iraq and an anthrax scare at the Navy Consolidated Mail Facility in Washington D.C. As modeling lead for chem-bio explosive defensive systems, she was a significant contributor to Northrop Grumman bio- defense programs as well as performing analysis for the United States Postal Service bio-detection system.
WHAT’S HER PROUDEST CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENT?
“That is hard to say,” she said. “I have worked on so many projects over the years. However, there are a couple that come to mind: While working to improve an existing product and in the process of trying to understand how the software worked for the product, I realized we were solving the wrong mathematical problem a nearby problem, but still the wrong problem.
“Recognizing and fixing the issue which significantly improved performance brought me a real sense of accomplishment.
“In many other cases I worked with a team to develop products which is always exciting and challenging. During one of these product designs I had to develop a biological simulation that was somewhat out of my range of expertise so I had to build on my
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