Metrica Inc.

Debra Schreckenghost is the technical lead for a number of projects in the area of artificial intelligence and human-computer interaction. For the past fifteen years she has applied advanced software technology to aid humans during space operations. While working at MITRE, Corp., she was a key developer of NASA's human-computer interaction design guidance, Making Intelligent Systems Team Players. Since 1994, she has worked for Metrica as a senior scientist developing intelligent software. She was the technical lead on projects developing adjustable autonomy software for monitoring and control of crew life support systems, including intelligent control of an air revitalization system used during the Lunar/Mars Life Support Test Program Phase III test at JSC. She was PI on a project developing automated software for crew activity planning in space exploration missions. She was a member of the Cockpit Architecture Roadmap Team that developed the Space Launch Initiative cockpit integrated software architecture. She was a technical lead on the Agents for Distributed Team Operations Project to integrate human support agents for distributed space operations. For the last five years she has conducted research in the area of software agents to aid humans in performing duties in the workplace. The Distributed Collaboration and Interaction (DCI) system provides personal software agents for use by operations personnel at NASA Johnson Space Center. DCI agents have been deployed to assist control engineers managing advanced life support systems by detecting and notifying them about system problems, locating engineers who can help solve these problems, and summarizing automated control actions taken in response to problems. DCI agents have also been deployed to assist safety engineers monitoring NASA's Robonaut by detecting and notifying them of potential safety hazards to the robot. Debra has received the NASA Space Act award as well as numerous NASA Achievement Awards and Letters of Commendation. She has been on the organizing committees for multiple workshops in the area of artificial intelligence and multi-agent systems and has over 70 technical publications. She has a Masters in Electrical Engineering from Rice University.