David Shannon Wins NASA Tech-Transfer Award

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Embry-Riddle's David Shannon Wins NASA Technology-Transfer Award

Daytona Beach, Fla., Aug. 20, 2004 -- David T. Shannon, director of the Centers for Engineering Research at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, has received the highest award possible in the technology-transfer category from NASA Langley Research Center for a project he led while employed there.

Shannon and other members of the Acoustic Fetal Heart Monitor Team were presented with the 2003 Paul F. Holloway Non-Aerospace Technology Transfer Award during Langley's Honor Awards Ceremony on Aug. 13. The award recognizes significant contributions to the transformation of aerospace technology for non-aerospace uses.

As a technology-commercialization project manager at Langley, Shannon oversaw the conversion process as NASA and Veatronics Inc. researchers took technology originally used to measure airflow over airplane wings and developed it into an innovative medical application: a portable, noninvasive fetal heart monitor that can easily be used at home by pregnant women. The new application was possible because the flexible material used for wing-surface measurements is ideally suited to fit over the curved surface of a maternal abdomen. As a result of the collaboration, NASA granted Veatronics a license to market commercial products based on NASA's technology.

Shannon was also a member of the NASA team that won the 2001 Paul F. Holloway Non-Aerospace Technology Transfer Award. In that project, techniques used to measure brain activity in NASA pilots during flight-simulation exercises were incorporated into a revolutionary video game system that is helping to improve mental awareness for Americans of all ages, including those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

"These prestigious awards confirm that David is the right choice to lead our engineering research efforts here at Embry-Riddle," said Christina Frederick-Recascino, assistant provost for Research and Graduate Studies. "His many years of NASA experience are invaluable."

Shannon accumulated almost two decades of engineering, business, and research experience while working for NASA and for Strategic Development Worldwide, a consulting practice that focuses on organizational strategy and development. During his 16-year tenure at NASA, he handled technology management and commercialization and contributed to several NASA publications.

As the recently appointed director of the new Centers for Engineering Research at Embry-Riddle, Shannon will seek new funding opportunities for the university by developing ways to give business and government entities easier access to Embry-Riddle's research capability in aerospace engineering and other high-tech areas. Partnerships with businesses of all sizes are expected to lead to technological innovations that will provide new revenue streams for Embry-Riddle through patents and intellectual property licenses.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, offers more than 30 degree programs through its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Engineering and meets the needs of students and industry through educational, training, research, and consulting activities. Embry-Riddle educates more than 28,000 students annually in undergraduate and graduate programs at residential campuses in Prescott, Ariz., and Daytona Beach, Fla., through its Extended Campus at more than 130 teaching centers in the United States and Europe, and worldwide through distance learning.