About ACI Management

~ President and CEO — Dr. Hiro Kumagai
~ Vice-President — Dr. Leslie Yates
~ Director of Business Development — Larry Hogle

President and CEO — Dr. Hiro Kumagai

Dr. Kumagai received his Doctor of Engineering degree in Aerospace Engineering from The University of Kansas. He started working at NASA/Ames Research Center in 1982 as a doctorate candidate research engineer. He founded AerospaceComputing, Inc. in 1989 in order to better support NASA's on-going effort of the National Full-scale Aerodynamics Complex (NFAC) Integrated Systems Test (IST) and subsequent wind tunnel test programs. His special interest is in embedded data systems development. Dr. Kumagai's love of aviation is evident in his hobbies as well as his work. An avid general aviation pilot, with a commercial pilot certificate with instrument rating, he is also building his own airplane. His pursuit of innovative solutions to improve performance of engineering systems has resulted in multiple patents. His understanding of the research conducted by NASA enables him to propose, design, and implement innovative solutions through not only his direct support to NASA researchers, but also through mentoring of ACI staff. Dr. Kumagai's commitment to establish and maintain ACI's reputation for excellence and integrity has been recognized through the many awards received by ACI.

Vice-President — Dr. Leslie Yates

Dr. Yates has over 27 years of professional experience that includes not only her accomplishments as a highly-regarded researcher, but also the application of business skills in working with Dr. Kumagai to develop and manage ACI. After receiving her Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Florida, she was awarded a National Research Council (NRC) Research Associateship and continued her dissertation work, the numerical study of the topology of separated flows, at NASA Ames Research Center. While at NASA Ames, she became involved in aeroballistic range testing, including image analysis and aerodynamic parameter identification. Her expertise in aeroballistic range testing has been recognized both nationally and internationally and has been applied to the unique aerodynamic environment of planetary atmospheric entry. Dr. Yates is internationally recognized for her expertise in the analysis of ballistic range data. Her prominence nationally in this field led to her agreement to teach seminars on trajectory analysis that draw attendees from across the country. She has analyzed many entry vehicle and mission designs, including Mars Exploration Rovers, Huygens, Stardust, Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle and Mars Science Laboratory. Even as Vice President of ACI with all the attendant management responsibilities, Dr. Yates continues to contribute to the cutting-edge advancement of her specialized areas of expertise.

Director of Business Development — Larry Hogle

Mr. Hogle received his B.S. and M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan. He has over 37 years of professional experience; 27 years of management experience; 10 years of experience in being a principal investigator in the research and development of navigation and control systems, including design, simulation, and analysis of guidance algorithms for the initial space shuttle program and civil aviation, and subsequently serving as a technical advisor to the United States in the development and promulgation of international standards related to civil aviation. Mr. Hogle served as the program manager for two major contracts at NASA Ames providing support for aerospace systems, human factors, information technology, information sciences, earth sciences, and astrobiology. He has extensive experience and advanced training in proposal management and writing, team building, process development, contract transition, staff and program management, and business development.