Scholarship Committee Members

Laura Barbour

Laura Barbour, Ph.D. has taught and counseled youth from preschool through graduate school in a variety of education and mental health settings for over 30 years. She is a graduate of Oregon State University, Lewis and Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling, George Washington University, and Hollins University. She is currently an Assistant Professor at Lewis and Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling. Laura serves as a Board Member for the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award Foundation and Chair of the Laura Taber Barbour Scholarship Committee.

 

 

Peggy Gilligan

Peggy Gilligan retired from the Federal Aviation Administration in March, 2017, after 37 years of federal service. She assumed her last position, Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety, on January 5, 2009 after serving as the Deputy Associate Administrator in that organization for 14 years.

As Associate Administrator, Peggy led the organization responsible for setting, overseeing, and enforcing safety standards for all parts of the aviation industry – airlines, manufacturers, repair stations, pilots, mechanics, air traffic controllers, flight attendants, and any person or product that operates in aviation. These programs have a direct impact on every facet of domestic and international civil aviation safety. Aviation Safety programs are carried out by a work force of more than 7,000 employees located in Washington headquarters, regional and directorate offices, and more than 125 field offices throughout the world. The organization’s annual budget was more than $1 billion.

In June 2014, Peggy received the 2014 L. Welch Pogue Award for Lifetime Achievement in Aviation. The award recognizes her visionary leadership in the aviation community and was given by Aviation Week & Space Technology and the International Aviation Club. In October 2011, Peggy accepted the Roger W. Jones Award for Executive Leadership. The annual award is given to two Federal senior executives who have shown exceptional leadership while devoting themselves to a career of public service.

In May 2009, Peggy and her Industry co-chair accepted the Robert J. Collier Trophy in recognition of the Commercial Aviation Safety Team’s (CAST) work in developing an integrated data-driven strategy that reduced aviation fatalities in the United States by 83 percent over 10 years. Peggy served as the government co-chair of CAST — a joint industry/government group committed to improving aviation safety by reducing the risk of accidents.

In April 2006, Peggy and her Industry co-chair received the Laurel Award from Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine for improving aviation safety and “reducing the risk of fatalities in world aviation” through CAST. The annual award recognizes the extraordinary accomplishments of individuals and teams in aviation, aerospace, and defense.
Peggy was Chief of Staff at the FAA, serving four Administrators. She also served in the Chief Counsel’s office in Washington and as a staff attorney in FAA’s Eastern Region in New York. Peggy is a 1979 graduate of Boston University School of Law and a 1975 graduate of Manhattanville College, Purchase, NY. She resides in Washington, DC.

 

 

Nancy Graham
Chair

Nancy Graham is the President of Graham Aerospace International, which assists the aviation and aerospace industry in understanding the aviation community needs so that privately funded initiatives can be safety accepted into the global aerospace system to enhance the human experience at a societal and economic level.

Nancy previously as the Director of the Air Navigation Bureau at the International Civil Aviation Organization (2007-2015) where she led the Bureau through a major transformation.

Major accomplishments included the complete overhaul of both of the Global Aviation Plans (Safety and Air Navigation) with specific performance priorities and targets, a first in the United Nations system. Nancy is a strong believer in government/industry partnerships, sharing common objectives to improve aviation safety and efficiency, and instituted realtime reporting against those Global Plan common objectives.

Pushing ICAO beyond its traditional boundaries, Nancy produced the first ICAO Symposium on Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (also known as UAV’s) and oversaw the development on ICAO’s first set of standards for these new craft. Nancy also produced ICAO’s first Symposium on Commercial Space to prepare ICAO to support this industry.

Prior to joining ICAO, Nancy was an Executive with the Federal Aviation Administration for many years serving in Washington DC, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia representing the FAA throughout the globe.

Nancy holds a Masters degree in Technology Management and serves on the Board of Directors for the Singapore Air Traffic Management Centre of Excellence through Nanyang University (Singapore), and the Dreams Soar Foundation.

 

 

Mr. Keith Hagy

Since January 2004, Keith Hagy has served as the Director of the Engineering and Air Safety Department of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l.  In coordination with association leadership, Keith is responsible for guiding and directing all technical projects and programs relating to the Association’s safety, pilot assistance, and security goals throughout the United States and Canada.  This includes managing liaison with external organizations including U.S. and Canadian government agencies, the Congress, the press, and private groups such as aircraft and equipment manufacturers, the airlines, consumer groups and other associations.  The Director is responsible for providing engineering and/or technical support for members involved in a grievance hearing or certificate actions taken by FAA.  Liaison is also maintained with international groups, e.g., the U.N.’s International Civil Aviation Organization and International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations.

Prior to joining ALPA in 1986, Keith spent a number of years as an Aircraft Stability and Control Analyst with the Boeing Company and focused on aircraft design and handling qualities evaluation and flight-testing.  In 1986 Keith joined ALPA as a Senior Staff Engineer in the Accident Investigation Department and has participated in over 30 “major” aircraft accident investigations in the US and Canada and in over 100 “minor” aircraft accident investigations.

In 1992 Keith was promoted to Manager – Engineering & Accident Investigation, responsible for managing all accident investigations in which the association participated and for overseeing all engineering related projects in the associations work program.

Keith was awarded a Patent for a Stability Augmentation System in use on Boeing B737 aircraft.

Keith is a licensed pilot and is a past 3-term officer (Secretary) of the International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI).  Keith is past Chairman of the International Advisory Committee of the Flight Safety Foundation.

 

 

The Honorable Richard F. Healing

Richard F. Healing, a professional engineer and internationally recognized safety expert, joined R Cubed Consulting, LLC as a Senior Partner on August 1st, 2005 after retiring from a Senate Confirmed, Presidential Appointment as Board Member on the National Transportation Safety Board, where he served since March 2003.  In 2008, he became CTO for R³ Engineering in order to lead the development of an all weather sense and avoid system for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) under a contract with the Office of Naval Research.
During his term at NTSB, Member Healing held the Safety Engineering position, and provided key technical inputs on several investigations with major national interest – the major aviation disaster when American Airlines Flight #587 crashed in New York, the Staten Island Ferry boat crash in 2003, the US Airways commuter flight crash in Charlotte, N.C.,  and several rail and highway accidents.  Member Healing is credited with bringing new focus to air medical crashes and offshore aviation services helicopter accidents.  The NTSB and FAA have both conducted critical reviews addressing the unnecessary, increasing losses in these communities.

At the time of his nomination to the NTSB, Mr. Healing was Director of Transportation Safety and Security for Battelle Memorial Institute where, since March of 2002, he held primary responsibility for Battelle’s relationship with the Federal Aviation Administration and provided program oversight for most of Battelle’s aviation safety programs, including the Aviation Safety Reporting System, operated for NASA.

Prior to March of 2002, Mr. Healing was the Director, Safety and Survivability, for the Department of the Navy, beginning in 1985.  During his Navy civilian career, his work focused on aviation safety and emphasized benefits from sharing military safety information with others in the aviation community, including commercial aviation. He also was a founder of the Navy’s highly successful Human Factors Quality Management Board, which was responsible for major reductions in aviation accidents and savings of lives and losses of assets exceeding billions of dollars.

In 2001, Mr. Healing was presented the Navy’s highest civilian award – the Distinguished Civilian Service Medal. He also was recognized with the SAFE International “General Spruance Award” for safety education achievement, and an Aviation Week “Laurel” for bringing new awareness to the importance of wire health and condition monitoring technology in aviation. Other awards include the Navy Superior Public Service Medal for creating the Navy’s Safety Non-Developmental Items program, and the Defense Superior Service Medal for active military service during Desert Storm and Desert Shield.
From 1971 to 1983, Mr. Healing was President and CEO of an engineering, construction and contracting services firm in Connecticut. He also was Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Fairfield Precision Industries, a manufacturer of replacement parts for the military.

A licensed Professional Engineer since 1974, Mr. Healing attended the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He pursued graduate studies at the University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport Engineering Institute, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Harvard University, and Georgetown University. He graduated from the Naval War College in 1990, and was selected to participate on the President’s Commission on Executive Exchange. In 1991, he was a Senior Executive Fellow at Harvard University.

Mr. Healing served 6½ years active duty in the U.S. Coast Guard. After 30 years of service, including four commands, he retired from the Coast Guard Reserve with the rank of Captain.  He is an active member of Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST), Helicopter Association International (HAI), the American Helicopter Society International (AHS), and the Naval Helicopter Association (NHA).

Mr. Healing’s work at R-Cubed Consulting has included primary safety consultant to the largest commercial helicopter operator in the world; the Executive Committee of the International Helicopter Safety Team; the executive advisory committee of Parks College of Engineering, St. Louis University; the research advisory board for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; Board of Directors of STI (Systems Technology, Inc.) of Hawthorne, CA; Executive Steering Committee of GAIN (Global Aviation Information Network); the Aviation Safety Task Force of the Department of Defense; the Private Motor Vehicle Task Force of the Department of Defense; selection to be on the Defense Safety Advisory Commission; and numerous national and international speaking engagements.  As Chief Technology Officer for R³ Engineering, he is responsible for technical oversight of a multi-million dollar effort to overcome constraints against integration of UASs into the United States National Airspace System (NAS) through development of a collision avoidance technology suitable for small UASs, that can also provide collision avoidance capability for any light or legacy aircraft operating in the NAS.  Mr. Healing also provides business consulting services to small companies, with emerging technologies, wishing to initiate or expand business with the federal government and its agencies.

 

 

Dr. Maxine Lubner

Dr. Maxine Lubner is a Professor and Chair of the Management and formerly, the Aviation, Departments at Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, New York City. Previously, Dr. Lubner was appointed as Executive Director of the City University of New York (CUNY) Aviation Institute at York College and as a faculty member at New York University’s Graduate School of Social Work. She has conducted research in the areas of aviation safety, human factors, and aviation education. She holds an FAA Private Pilot Certificate. She obtained an undergraduate B.A. and a graduate B.A. (Hons) in Counseling Psychology, from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and earned her M. Phil. and Ph.D. degrees in Sociomedical Sciences from Columbia University, New York.

 

 

Dr. Ruth Stilwell

Dr. Ruth Stilwell is the Executive Director of Aerospace Policy Solutions LLC, an adjunct professor at Norwich University, and Senior Nonresident Scholar at the Space Policy Institute of George Washington University. She is one of the world’s leading authorities on integrated space and aviation policy and governance.

A 25-year air traffic controller, experienced labor leader and policy expert, Dr. Stilwell is also an accomplished researcher and lecturer. Her numerous publications and presentations, which cover a wide range of space and aviation, public safety, human factors, administration, financing, and industry reform topics. In addition to her publications, she is a contributing author to McGill University’s Global Space Governance: An International Study. Dr. Stilwell’s specific areas of expertise include: integrating commercial space operations in civil airspace; projecting air traffic controller retirement and staffing requirements; FAA funding and financing structures; workers’ rights and more.

Dr. Stilwell served from 2010-2015 as the industry expert representing air traffic controllers on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Air Navigation Commission in Montreal. Her air traffic control experience includes 25 years of operational duty at the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center, two years as liaison to the FAA Requirements Service, and six years as Executive Vice President of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

The founding chairperson of the Air Traffic Services Committee of the International Transport Workers Federation, a position she held for four years, Dr. Stilwell currently serves on the Technical Committee on Human Spaceflight Safety of the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety, which is working to develop safety guidelines for human commercial spaceflight.

Dr. Stilwell earned her BA in Labor Studies at the National Labor College and her MPA and DPA at the University of Baltimore. A resident of Florida, she enjoys skiing, long-distance running, and spending quality time with her stepson.