MDRS 2008
CapCom Bios

Andy Chen	Andy Chen is a student of Richmond Hill High School (RHHS) graduating in 2009, member of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space: Canada, and a space enthusiast who sees space exploration as a common goal for mankind. Well known as the 'speakfreak' in school, he enjoys debating about space exploration with his classmates and communicating the importance of space exploration to everyone. His passions for science and space have accompanied him for a decade, growing from a youth spent staring at the night's sky in fascination. Andy builds simple machines in his spare time and is currently working on a twin turbo low speed wind tunnel. In his spare time, Andy enjoys stargazing, astrophotography, cycling, running and soccer (these last three being especially important in the quest to be an astronaut!). Andy's involvement with SEDS-Canada is a chance happening stemming from an internet search, after which he quickly became a member. Since then, Andy has set up a SEDS chapter at his school and has been working with SEDS on a variety of projects. In registering the RHHS Aeronautics and Space Association (RASA) as a chapter of SEDS, he wishes to restore interest in space among elementary and high school students. This passion and dedication is impressive, to say the least. Andy is also currently working with Ottawa-Carleton Educational Space Simulation(OCESS) to bring the Canadian Space Challenge to high schools in Canada. Andy's participation as a CapCom and Mission Supporter was referred by Mike Jensen, president of SEDS-Canada. Expedition 73 will be his first supported mission and he is thrilled to assist the simulation missions. He hopes that his experience with Mission Support will benefit his own mission later.
Dennis Creamer Science Editor and CapCom	Dennis Creamer is a veteran of MDRS Crews 25 and 42, and was also on the MDRS Mod 3 refit crew. He attended the University of South Florida, and Florida State University, and is a retired biologist, with about 30 years with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, mostly in the Ecological Services Branch. He has been on Mission Support for several years.
	Geoffrey Delage is a computer engineer whose full time work includes writing low level software for environmental control systems. His interests include Astrobiology, Human Space Flight (requirements and challenges involved in day to day life in space), Space Architecture (how to design habitats for space stations and in space vehicles such as those needed to journey to Mars), Earth to LEO transportation (how to build a system that cheaply, reliably and safely can transport people and goods to low earth orbit for transfer to a space station or space vehicle, while being environmentally benign) and Celestial Physics (the study of extra solar objects such as Pulsars, Quasars, Black Holes and Neutron Stars). He is the founder of the University of New Brunswick Space Society, is an alumni member of the Ottawa Board of Education Space Simulation, participated in an exchange with a Space Simulation in South Carolina in 1999, and has attended the US Advanced Space Academy. This is his first year on Mission Support.
Julie A. Schmiedlin Edwards Mission Support Director	Julie Edwards is a retired laboratory researcher from the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, MI. Her interests include Martian Astrobiology (the search for life on Mars), Space Architecture (laboratory design for a Mars habitat or pressurized rover), and CELSS and life support (greenhouse structure and function). Julie is a founding member of the Mars Society, Mars Society Chapter Contact for the state of Michigan, and secretary of the Michigan Mars Society chapter.
Tahir Merali	Tahir holds a Masters of Science in Space Management from the International Space University (ISU) (SSP08+, MSM09) and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto. Past MDRS experience includes Mission Support and CapCom for both MDRS FS7 & FMARS-XI LDM - the longest space analogue mission conducted prior to European Space Agency (ESA's) Mars500 trials. His professional experience includes internships in the automotive and petroleum industries and most recently in the space industry with ISIS -- Innovative Solutions In Space BV on nanosatellite subsystem developments and services. Tahir is heavily involved with the ISU/Canadian Space Agency "Image Reversal In Space" (IRIS) educational life science experiment conducted by Canadian Astronaut Dr. Robert Thirsk during Expedition 20/21 on the International Space Station. Tahir was also a participant during ESA parabolic flight testing of Iris in May 2009. Past space-related investigations include space marketing and the perceptions of space in television advertising (2009), the commercial viability of spaceports (2008) and a sun-synchronous lunar vehicle design (2007). He is the Founder of the International Space School Alumni Association (Canada), ex-officio board director of the Foundation for International Space Education (USA), and is an active member of the Canadian space community in awareness and advocacy capacities. Tahir seeks to work in launch & mission operations and mission planning and design in the space and aerospace sectors (hopefully leading to a job in space, of course!). Aside from space, he enjoys weightlessness, traveling, squash and is always up for a game of ball hockey.
Lavina Parwani	Lavina Parwani often has the tendency to stretch herself too thin, accepting everything that comes her way with the simple statement, "I would love to be a part of this!" This determination of hers to not shut the door in the face of opportunities has resulted in her being a part of several projects: President of PhilSEDS, the Solar Car project, SEDSat-2 and training as CapCom for the MDRS simulation team. She somehow (with precarious balance) manages to juggle these with her academics and a social life, which has been non-existent for some time. In her free time, when she has any, she enjoys talking to her friends in the US and Europe, role-playing and watching such awesome TV shows as Battlestar Galactica, Heroes and Firefly. As a person, she is determined (some would say stubborn), passionate, and impetuous.
	Subhajit Sarkar is an internal medicine resident physician in Portland Oregon. He has a BA in physiology and a medical degree from Cambridge University. Initially working as a surgical resident in London, he obtained the Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He subsequently obtained a Diploma in Physics from the Open University and then a Master of Science degree in space science from University College London. He was a visiting researcher in space medicine at NASA Johnson Space Center, working on the mechanics of CPR for Lunar and Martian space missions and medical guidance technologies for use in space. He also attended the Summer Session Program of the International Space University. He is now completing a residency in internal medicine. His hobbies include flying, scuba diving, hiking, swimming, astronomy and DIY.
Brian Shiro	Brian Shiro is thrilled to serve as CapCom in his first season supporting the MDRS Mission. He has a diverse background spanning the physical, earth, and planetary sciences and is a veteran of several field expeditions including the NSF/NASA-sponsored Juneau Icefield Research Program and NSF-sponsored projects installing and maintaining seismic networks in Antarctica, Fiji, Tonga, the Northern Mariana Islands, Canada, and the US. His NASA experience includes working as a summer intern at JSC, the Summer School for High Performance Computing in Earth & Space Sciences at GSFC, and the Planetary Sciences Summer School at JPL. Brian has also worked summers at Rice University, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Washington University. His education includes bachelor's degrees in integrated science, geology, and physics from Northwestern University, a master's degree in earth and planetary science from Washington University in St. Louis, and all but the dissertation for a Ph.D. in planetary geophysics from Washington University. Brian is also a graduate of the International Space University and is currently working towards another master's degree in space studies at the University of North Dakota. His day job is working as a geophysicist at the NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii, and he is the author of a popular blog for aspiring astronauts called "Astronaut for Hire." In his spare time, Brian enjoys running, biking, diving, and almost any other outdoor activity.
Catherine Walker	Catherine Walker is enjoying her first season as part of MDRS Mission Support. Hailing from New England (USA), Catherine started her obsession with space upon seeing pictures of Neptune in National Geographic Magazine at the age of 5. Hoping to travel there one day, she attended Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts and received a degree in Astrophysics and Planetary Geology. Being involved in space-related research is high on her priority list, so in addition to the MDRS Mission Support, she is an alumni of the NASA Academy, and also worked on NASA's STEREO satellites, the joint NASA/ESA Cluster mission, and at Kennedy Space Center's Space Life Sciences lab. She currently works at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in the Optics Branch, and plans to begin her PhD in Space Sciences at the University of Michigan in the Fall of 2008. While not preparing to be an astronaut, Catherine enjoys hobbies like skiing and skydiving.
Artemis Westenberg	Artemis Westenberg has an M.A. in History, Classical Studies, International Relations, Islam, Leyden University. General Management, Dutch Entrepreneurial Society. Business Administration, Rotterdam School of Management. At present Business Manager Welfare Foundation Rotterdam; Ambassador Dutch Space Industries; financial advisor Dutch National Space Association; lecturer. Nationally decorated feminist, who has been part of the feminist movement since her teenage years. Famous for her lawsuits against the government that changed laws and so the lives of the female population of the Netherlands. Trained as manager in many fields (e.g. financial, project, logistics, PR), her work experience is diverse: working for various multinational corporations as PR manager and Business Administration manager; president of the Rotterdam Women's Council, the largest pressure group organisation of the Netherlands; lobbyist for many very diverse projects. CapCom MDRS / FMARS Artemis has served on 5 MDRS crews. She has been a board member of the Mars Society Netherlands from the very first, and has organised many Mars Society gatherings and conferences in the Netherlands, noteworthy: the EMC2 (second European Mars Society Convention), and is in the process of organising the EMC7. She is the 'All Mars Trekking dventure' travel agency for any Mars enthusiast in the Netherlands, organising their trips around Europe and the USA to Mars events. She has filled a Wiki with her experiences at the MDRS and the things she learned as CapCom from countless crews: http://hablife.elwiki.com This as part of her job as one of the Euro-MARS project managers. She was involved from the start with the design of this European Mars Analogue Research Station and scouted the site at Krafla in Iceland in 2002. Artemis has travelled this planet from her birth with her father, a shipmaster of seagoing vessels, which instilled a wanderlust in her blood. She feels at home anywhere in this world and has lived for a short time in many of its capitals. She is an avid reader of magazines (Science, Nature, New Scientist), and _ if she can find the time_ SF, mysteries and historical novels. She collects children books and books on subjects like Egyptology, Archeology, Mars, Judaism and had managed to completely cover her walls with book cases. Artemis likes to built things with her own hands after a thorough design process as is witnessed by her own home. She likes to cook and knows how to adapt any recipe to make it kosher. In her youth she was a dedicated sportswoman in gymnastics and later water polo and swimming. She lives her life in a suburb of Rotterdam, for which seaport she is the proverbial example of a foreigner with a little homesickness in her heart.
Gerry Williams	Gerry Williams is a San Diego CA-based corporate/industrial filmmaker with 16 feature films to his credit as Director of Photography. He has a B.S. in Physics (nuclear engineering) and has filmed inside the General Atomics DIII-D Tokamak fusion reactor. Williams has been doing MDRS Mission Support since MDRS Crew 1b in 2002, and spent three days filming the adventures of MDRS Crew 2 (footage of which appeared on the History Channel's "The Universe: Colonizing Space"). He has also participated in two off-season maintenance missions to the MDRS Habitat in 2003 and 2004. He would love to participate on a crew. Williams is a human spaceflight advocate and a founding member of The Mars Society - San Diego. He publishes the MarsMovieGuide.com and hosts a monthly Mars Movie Night.