1999 UDRI Outstanding Support Person and Technician Awards

Andrea Snell received UDRI's 1999 Outstanding Support Person Award. Andrea was nominated for the additional support she provided to the Structural Integrity division due to the unexpected and extended medical leave of the division secretary. In addition to performing her normal technical duties that include supporting over 20 engineers, scientists, and technicians located on campus, Andrea was required to assume the administrative duties that are normally performed by the division secretary. These duties included preparation of presentations, technical reports, papers, proposals; handling all division contract financial information, time cards, travel requests, and purchase requests; interfacing with UDRI staff offices; and direct support of the division head. She was required to quickly grasp these new responsibilities while maintaining her usual duties. Andrea used initiative, foresight, and creative thinking to carry out the diverse workload for the division during those months. With the help of students and a part-time secretary, she was able to meet the various report due dates and deadlines for other projects in the division.

Ann (Gibby) Dombroskie received the 1999 UDRI Outstanding Technician Award. Ann is a Chief Polymer Synthesis Technician in the Polymers group, Nonmetallic Materials division, where her primary responsibility has been the synthesis of organic nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophore substances.

The design and synthesis of high-performance two-photon-absorbing NLO chromophores are core tasks in UDRI’s on-site polymers research effort at the Air Force Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Wright-Patterson AFB. The two-photon process has a myriad of military and commercial applications.

Ann manages UDRI’s on-site polymer synthesis laboratory and has a comprehensive understanding of synthesis techniques. The synthesis of high-performance NLO chromophores requires a lengthy purification procedure of chemical precursors and precisely-controlled experimental conditions to prepare the desired substances with high purity and yield. To accomplish this, Ann designed and implemented a micro-scale synthesis scheme which allowed the chromophores to be prepared in small quantities, thus producing less waste.
Ann collaborated in an effort to develop a series of new NLO chromophores with high two-photon-absorption cross-sections. Ann was able to produce the desired chromophores in high purity and in large quantities, and in a timely manner.

Ann’s performance was especially important over a time period when neither UDRI nor the Air Force had a professional polymer synthetic chemist on staff. In fact, the Polymers group wouldn’t have been able to fulfill all of its contractual requirements with the Air Force without her contribution. She continues to play a key role in the synthesis of the next generation of NLO materials for the Air Force.
Ann has also provided guidance to DAGSI students on their thesis work, and has been a co-author on seven technical publications. All of this, while maintaining a positive attitude and helping coworkers with the planning of many parties and picnics.

April 2000

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