Gerald Hilliard is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran with over ten years of service during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts (IOF/OEF) and an operations-focused background spanning military, infrastructure, and space-adjacent technical environments. His experience is shaped by a practical understanding of how people, procedures, and technology must work together to sustain performance and reliability under pressure.

During his Marine Corps service, Gerald served in multiple operational roles, including Food Service Specialist, Robotics Repair Technician, and Air Support Operations Operator. Across these roles, he supported deployed units in both direct and indirect mission capacities, developing discipline, adaptability, and a systems-level perspective on mission readiness, logistics, and technical operations in austere environments.

Following his military service, Gerald worked in Network Operations Center environments supporting fiber and IP-based infrastructure, where he monitored systems, responded to outages, coordinated incident recovery, and documented operational events. These roles reinforced the importance of situational awareness, clear communication, and procedural discipline—principles directly applicable to aerospace and spaceflight operations.

Through Space Center Houston’s Accelerate Space Program, Gerald has continued exploring the space ecosystem, with a particular interest in the operational backbone of space missions: ground systems, infrastructure, and the human workflows that enable safe, resilient, and increasingly autonomous exploration. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies and an Associate of Arts in Business Management, and is focused on contributing to space systems that are not only technologically advanced, but operationally sound and human-centered.

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

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.kp97@gmail.com 

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

Kyle Soucy is an aviation and aerospace professional with a strong foundation in project management, systems thinking, and mission-driven leadership. His interest in complex operational environments—where safety, coordination, and decision-making intersect—has shaped both his academic path and professional focus. He is particularly drawn to organizations where preparation, discipline, and teamwork are essential to long-term success.

He holds a Master of Business Administration in Aviation with a specialization in Project Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management from Daniel Webster College. His academic experience emphasizes structured problem-solving, risk assessment, and strategic execution within highly regulated environments. Complementing his formal education, Kyle has completed training in business analytics through Harvard Business School Online, strengthening his ability to interpret data, evaluate tradeoffs, and support evidence-based decision-making. He was recently accepted into Liberty University in Virginia to pursue an additional certificate program in project management, further reinforcing his commitment to continuous professional development.

During graduate school, Kyle worked on international, cross-functional teams to develop optimized airport luggage systems focused on efficiency, automation, and operational reliability. The project required collaboration across cultures and time zones, integrating engineering, operations, and management perspectives to improve end-to-end baggage handling processes. This experience sharpened his ability to operate in globally distributed environments while maintaining a strong focus on safety, scalability, and system performance.

Kyle’s professional development is deeply rooted in leadership and workforce readiness. He has participated in advanced simulations and programs centered on team dynamics, communication under pressure, and decision-making in high-stakes conditions, including the Harvard Everest Leadership Simulation. These experiences reinforced his belief that mission success depends as much on people, culture, and preparation as it does on technology.

With a long-term interest in aerospace workforce development and federal mission environments, Kyle is motivated by organizations that balance innovation with safety and public service. He is committed to continuous learning and actively builds skills aligned with large-scale programs, operational planning, and organizational resilience. Whether contributing to technical teams or supporting broader strategic objectives, he brings a steady, analytical approach grounded in professionalism, integrity, and purpose.

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
Entry-level training in data-driven decision-making, quantitative analysis, and case-based problem solving applied to operational and organizational challenges.

Harvard Mount 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

Website: https://www.missionandmomentum.org

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