NASA has presented its Quality and Safety Achievement Recognition award, or QASAR, for 2011 to Venki Venkat of Yorktown, Va.
The QASAR award recognizes individual government and contractor employees who have demonstrated exemplary performance in contributing to the quality or safety of products, services, processes, or management programs and activities.
A NASA contractor employee of Analytical Systems and Materials, Venkat is the facility safety head for the National Transonic Facility at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. He received the award for troubleshooting a mechanical failure that led to a mishap in the wind tunnel during an important test. Venkat’s investigation allowed the wind tunnel to return to service without delaying the test, but it revealed a design deficiency that could have damaged the equipment and injured the operators.Venkat devised a permanent solution for the problem.
The National Transonic Facility uses liquid nitrogen at very low temperatures to test aerospace models in realistic flight conditions. Venkat has developed more than 50 special procedures for its operation and developed emergency procedures to help ensure the safety of the facility and the people who work there.
Venkat was recognized along with four other recipients Thursday, Feb. 23, at the agency’s ninth annual Project Management Challenge in Orlando, Fla.
For more information about the Quality and Safety Achievement Recognition award program, visit:
