Gerald William Hilliard is a U.S. Marine veteran, technologist, and emerging space-industry innovator based in Texas. His life has been shaped by service, discipline, and a persistent curiosity about how systems—human and technological—work under pressure.

After multiple enlistments in the Marine Corps, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, Gerald transitioned into civilian life, where he built a career in telecommunications and network operations. He spent several years as a Tier II Network Operations Technician at Logix Fiber Networks, supporting enterprise voice and data systems, troubleshooting complex outages, and helping design resilient communication workflows in high-stakes environments. His work bridged technical precision with real-world accountability, a balance that continues to define his approach.

Beyond his professional background, Gerald is deeply reflective and creative. He is a writer, thinker, and lifelong learner who has explored themes of identity, resilience, imagination, and alignment through both technical and artistic lenses. His personal projects and journals—collectively referred to as his Captain’s Log—document a philosophy centered on growth, curiosity, and long-term legacy over short-term validation.

Education

BS Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Houston-Downtown

Email: gwhilliard7@gmail.com

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/gerald-hilliard

Thomas Meyer is a Master of Science student in Human Factors at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University whose work is driven by a central question: how can human and intelligent systems be designed to sustain performance, resilience, and safety during long-duration, autonomous space missions? Grounded in a background in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Anthropology, his training emphasizes the social, cognitive, and organizational dynamics that shape how crews adapt, coordinate, and make decisions when operating far from Earth, with limited resources and delayed ground support.

At Embry-Riddle’s Small Teams Analog Research (STAR) Lab, Thomas serves as a Graduate Research Assistant supporting research on teamwork and performance in extreme environments. His work focuses on human–human and human–AI teaming, examining how communication, shared mental models, and trust evolve under operational stressors relevant to spaceflight and other high-risk domains. Through literature synthesis, dataset development, and research dissemination, he contributes to mission-relevant efforts aimed at understanding how future crews can maintain autonomy and resilience as space systems become increasingly intelligent and independent.

In parallel, Thomas has contributed to a large systematic review at the DePaul University affiliated Listen & Belong Lab, examining accessibility and inclusion for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing personnel in operational settings. By extracting and analyzing data from nearly 100 peer-reviewed studies, he helped identify gaps in how performance, communication, and system design are evaluated across diverse user populations. This work informs his broader commitment to inclusive human-centered design, particularly as space missions expand in duration, complexity, and crew diversity, and as human–AI systems become integral teammates rather than tools.

Complementing his research background, Thomas has experience supporting human capital and organizational systems within aerospace and healthcare organizations. These experiences sharpened his appreciation for the organizational, procedural, and policy dimensions that influence mission readiness and crew performance. He holds technical skills in quantitative analysis and research technologies, including Jamovi, SPSS, Qualtrics XM, RStudio, Python, JavaScript, and AI platforms such as IBM Granite and OpenAI. His current interests center on team resilience, crew autonomy, and trust calibration in human–AI teams, with the goal of supporting safe, adaptive, and sustainable human presence in space, where success depends not only on advanced technology, but on how well humans and intelligent systems learn to think, decide, and operate together.

Education

MS Human Factors, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide

BA Industrial-Organizational Psychology, DePaul University

Email: thomaspcmeyer@gmail.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomaspcmeyer 

With the motto "the need for speed", Yen Pham is passionate about building rockets and learning about the design elements to create a functioning system. Her passion for aerospace stemmed at a young age when she frequently watched the NOVA series hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson on PBS. She became fascinated with understanding what the universe could hold and how humans could create systems to go beyond the atmosphere. Curious about space, she joined Science Olympiad starting in middle school and continued to be in the program all through high school. Her favorite categories of events to compete in included building rubber-band powered airplanes, geology, astronomy, helicopter, and mission possible. STEM being apart of a huge role in her life, she decided to pursue aerospace engineering at UTA to continue creative problem solving and learn more in-depth about the physics behind the systems used to create movement. 

At her university, she sought hands-on learning experience through the university rocketry team in building high-powered rockets to compete in NASA USLI and Spaceport America Cup (also known as IREC Cup). In addition to working on four separate rockets, she also contributed to several other design projects where she was able to apply class-room teachings to the real world and learn discrepancies that can occur between theoretical work compared to application. She is skilled in conducting structural analysis, determining aerodynamic effects over a surface, creating CAD models, crafting technical writings, and researching. On top of her technical background, she strives to make STEM more accessible to others and create community. She has and is still volunteering at various aerospace & STEM events across Texas as well as her local food/clothing banks. In her spare time, she likes to work on a variety of crafting projects; with modifying older technologies being her recent passion. Through her hobbies, she has discovered that she also enjoys learning about electronics and has been delving more into understanding the internal components for devices along with moving objects. 

Education 

BS, Aerospace Engineering , University of Texas at Arlington 

Mechanical Engineering Minor

Email: yen.kp@gmail.com 

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/yen-pham-ae99 

From an early stage, Kyle gravitated toward complex systems and structured problem-solving. After establishing a technical foundation, he deliberately transitioned into aviation, where he applied his skills in environments that demanded precision and accountability. This shift shaped his interdisciplinary approach to leadership, analytics, and project execution.

Kyle earned a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management from Daniel Webster College in Nashua, New Hampshire. When the ITT Technical Institute scandal led to the college’s closure, he saw firsthand the importance of governance, risk management, and long-term planning. He viewed this challenge as an opportunity to strengthen adaptability and perseverance.

I later earned an MBA in Aviation with a specialization in Project Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. During graduate studies, I led international teams, contributed to supply chain optimization efforts, supported airport safety audits, and delivered risk assessments for large-scale operational initiatives—sharpening my ability to navigate ambiguity while prioritizing safety and execution.

Committed to continuous improvement, I was accepted to Liberty University. There, I am pursuing an undergraduate certificate in Project Management. I have completed a graduate certificate in Project Management at Embry-Riddle. I have also gained advanced expertise in business analytics, strengthening data-driven decision-making. From Harvard Business School, where I was selected from past contestants to be part of a team that would summit Mount Everest, which has harsh weather.

Kyle operates at the intersection of aviation, project management, analytics, and safety-focused leadership, bringing a disciplined yet adaptable mindset to mission-driven organizations focused on innovation, accountability, and sustainability.

Education

Master of Business Administration (MBA) – Aviation
Specialization: Project Management
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Bachelor of Science – Aviation Management
Daniel Webster College, Nashua, New Hampshire

Certificates & Professional Development 

Graduate Certificate – Project Management
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 

Harvard Business Analytics Certificate
Harvard Business School Online
Graduate-level training in data-driven decision-making, quantitative analysis, and case-based problem solving applied to operational and organizational challenges.

Harvard Everest Leadership Simulation

Harvard Business School Online

Leadership and decision-making simulation addressing team dynamics, risk assessment, communication, and performance under extreme conditions.

Undergraduate Certificate – Project Management
Liberty University (In Progress)

Email: soucy.kyle@gmail.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-soucy