NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Lesley Janosik, a NASA logistics engineer in the Launch Vehicle Processing Directorate, traveled a long road to get to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Originally from a small town near Pittsburgh, Janosik spent 14 years as a materials research engineer at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Ohio before heading to the Space Coast in 2005.

After settling into her new position, Janosik said leaving an aeronautics research environment to be part of the Kennedy team was a big transition. "It's exciting to be part of the space program," she said. "There really is a great team environment at KSC."

Janosik received the directorate's employee of the month award for April for creating a specialized tool to ensure providing accurate budget analyses and status reports to the Space Shuttle Program project elements, which are supported by NASA Shuttle Logistics.

Janosik works in the Project Integration Branch of the directorate's Logistics Division. She performs resource management and a variety of integration activities to support four technical management representatives/project elements for the shuttle program at Johnson Space Center and Kennedy, to ensure the program maintains adequate logistics support.

Image left: Lesley Janosik enjoys reading, mentoring students and traveling in her spare time. Photo credit: NASA/KSC

She works on budget planning, helps with contract changes and performs surveillance activities associated with the Space Program Operations Contract. "Most of the projects that we work through our office require utilizing a team approach, with active participation by NASA and United Space Alliance Integrated Logistics," Janosik said.

Current projects include resource planning, budget development and execution for the Orbiter Space Program Operation Contract Logistics efforts through the end of the shuttle program. Janosik is also involved with coordinating and integrating the Logistics Division's efforts for shuttle transition and retirement, and Constellation Project Office support.

She is currently working with the shuttle program, the Constellation Logistics Office and Center Operations to assess requirements and integrate plans as the shuttle program ends and NASA transitions to the Constellation Program. Janosik said the key to the transition work is finding a balance between disposition of shuttle program capabilities and assets while maintaining logistics supportability through the end of the shuttle program.

"[Janosik] is a tremendous asset to our organization and we are grateful that she was open and willing to come to KSC to do very different work than she performed at Glenn," said Debbie Bayline, project integration branch chief in the Logistics Division.

Janosik earned a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering science and mechanics from Penn State University in 1990 and a Master of Science in engineering mechanics in 1998 while working at Glenn Research Center.

She has published various papers and journal articles on ceramics research and technology spinoff applications. She earned the NASA Software of the Year Award in 1994 and an "R&D 100 Award" in 1995 for research and development in ceramics.

Linda Herridge, Staff Writer
NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center