Kristen graduated in 1982 from Milaca High School. Kristen worked on the school newspaper in both her junior and senior years. She was co-editor in her senior year. She was a 5-year letterwinner in two sports, swimming and golf (member of the state golf championship team in her senior year). Kristen was also involved in band; Pep Band, Jazz band, Marching Band, and was a band member of the first half-time field show developed by Mr. Mahr for the Homecoming football game.
Kristen attended the University of Minnesota graduating with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics in 1987 earning Dean’s List honors multiple times. During her Junior and Senior years she was Treasurer of the Student Chapter of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. She continued her education at Texas A&M receiving her Masters in Science in Business Administration, along with a diploma from United States Army Logistics Management College in Quality and Reliability Engineering in 1988.
Kristen’s professional/career history and accomplishments include time with the United States Air Force Civil Service as a Product Assurance Engineer overseeing design and construction of multiple aircraft at the Douglas Aircraft Facility in Long Beach, California. She also worked with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the Multiple Program Management positions supporting the Space Shuttle and Space Station Programs (Instrumentation, advanced development). She worked as a Chairperson of the NASA Metrology Working and co-authored multiple technical publications, and was a NASA representative to the U.S. Department of Energy concerning metrology and instrumentation.
Kristen also worked at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi as an Intellectual Property Manager for the Center, focusing on technologies developed in support of rocket engine testing. She has also worked at the University of Florida as a Director of an Environmental Systems Commercial Space Technology Center funded by NASA to develop life support technologies for long duration space flight, such as missions going to Mars. Kristen then shifted careers from Space to Biotechnology and worked as a Project Manager for the Powell Gene Therapy Center where the technology focus is on the development of newer, safer agents for the delivery of therapeutic genes to patients with genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis. She also worked in the Biotechnology Field (Furthering the development of cell and gene-based technologies/medicines to address disease and illness where no cure has yet been found.)
Kristen calls this the NEW wave of medicine and she is currently Director of Manufacturing Engineering at Ascend Advanced Therapies. She just finished overseeing design and construction of a new manufacturing facility in Florida and has held multiple technical positions at the following companies: Florida Biologix, Brammer Bio, Thermo-Fisher Scientific, Applied Genetic Technology Corporation, Beacon Therapeutics.
Kristen has received the following professional awards: Astronauts Personal Achievement Award (this award is presented by the Office of the Astronaut Corps to only five percent of space program employees for contributions to the safety of manned space flight), The Kennedy Space Center Certificate of Appreciation, NASA Kennedy Space Center Management Association Exceptional Service Award , the NASA Certificate of Commendation – Volt Measurement Assurance Program, the NASA Group Achievement Award – Technology Transfer New Technology Reporting Team, and the University of Florida – Prudential Financial Davis Productivity Award.
Kristen supports her community and volunteers for the Sante Fe High School Softball Boosters by developing several grant proposals requesting funding for equipment and field improvements at the softball complex and she received a grant award from the Baseball Tomorrow Fund. She also served as a member of the fundraising team for the Gainesville High School Band Boosters. She instructed classes on rocketry and assisted scouts in building small rockets for local launches for the local Boy Scouts, and provided support to organize and coordinate events, fundraisers, and maintenance activities at the recreation complex, receiving two grant awards that resulted in improvements to the youth recreation facility for the City of Alachua.
Kristen and her husband have lived in High Springs Florida for the past 20 years. Here they raised their two children and welcomed their first grandchild. Kristen is an avid walker/runner and participates in numerous 15K run events every year
