Aline McNaull of IEEE-USA

The President just signed into law the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Transition Authorization Act, legislation which authorizes NASA exploration, aeronautics, and science programs. Congress has just set the objectives for the International Space Station and human spaceflight.  But where do we go from here?  NASA’s international collaborations have been a subject of much debate in Congress.  Also a subject of discussion  is the issue of how can the commercial space sector take over Low Earth Orbit activities and where must it rely on the federal government for support.  How can NASA support the private sector while trying to accomplish its own mission?  When will we land a human on Mars?  These issues have been debated and discussed in hearings and policy meetings on Capitol Hill and IEEE-USA is working with Congress to provide guidance on such policy decisions. 

This talk will provide a summary of these debates on Capitol Hill. This presentation will also include a discussion of how IEEE-USA members can work with Congress to be resources on these technical issues. Resources and information on how to work with Congress, productive ways to advocate for NASA programs, and suggestions about how to facilitate relationships between researchers and Members of Congress will also be addressed

Biography:

Aline McNaull is a legislative representative for IEEE-USA. In this position, she focuses on energy, nuclear, aerospace, and research & development policy and works with the broader science and engineering policy community through the Task Force on American Innovation, Energy Sciences Coalition, AAAS, STEM Education Coalition, and Coalition for National Science Funding. She engages with IEEE members throughout the US and works with Congress and the federal science and engineering agencies to influence legislation and policy. Prior to IEEE-USA, Aline was a policy associate at the American Institute of Physics where she focused on STEM education and research policy. Aline began her career as a multi-disciplinary engineer in semiconductor development at Raytheon and as a patent examiner for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in the optics division. She is currently pursuing her masters in International Science and Technology Policy at the George Washington University and holds bachelor’s degree in physics from Bryn Mawr College.

Address:District of Columbia, United States