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Dule Shu is a PhD student in Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. His research interest is machine learning, especially using deep neural network models for data generation.

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Christopher Doss is an Associate Policy Researcher at RAND who specializes in fielding descriptive and causal studies in education. His research includes evaluations of early childhood policies, educational technology interventions, interventions that leverage behavioral economics, and interventions to improve teacher instruction. Dr. Doss has published RAND reports and articles in top education and economics journals.

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Denise Kopecky leads Challenger Center’s team of education and technology experts whose work is at the core of the organization’s STEM education mission. She oversees the development and implementation of all education products and programs, including curriculum, professional development, and assessment. She also manages relationships with program collaborators including partners, external vendors and evaluators. Ms. Kopecky is a member of the Senior Leadership team, providing direction on all strategic and operational issues to ensure an effective and coordinated effort to meet Challenger Center’s strategic goals.
Prior to joining Challenger Center, Ms. Kopecky spent 13 years in the classroom, having taught both upper and lower elementary grade levels. She developed and delivered curriculum and led professional development courses. Ms. Kopecky holds a professional certification in Instructional Design from University of Wisconsin-Stout, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and a Master of Teaching from Virginia Commonwealth University.

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Lance Bush is President and CEO of Challenger Center. With a goal to inspire more students, Dr. Bush has led the growth and expansion of the organization, including the development of a simulation-based program that can be delivered in the classroom. Under Dr. Bush’s leadership, Challenger Center was recognized with the National Science Board’s Public Service Award for its work to promote a public understanding of science and engineering.

Dr. Bush started his career at NASA as one of the chief engineers designing the next generation space transportation. He managed the International Space Station Commercial Development program. He also co-founded and served as the Chairman of the International Space Station Multilateral Commercialization Group comprised of the five partner space agencies (Canada, Europe, Japan, Russia, and the United States) and 16 countries.

Prior to Challenger Center, Dr. Bush served as the Chief Strategic Officer at Paragon Space Development Corporation, a space vehicle design and build company. He helped grow and mature the firm to become nationally recognized, and as a result, Paragon was included on the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list for five straight years.

Dr. Bush is a member of the Cosmos Club, President of Sea Space Symposium, and Founder and an Advisory Board Member of Space Generation Advisory Council. He has previously held positions including Board Member of International Space University, Chair of Education for World Space Congress, and Vice President of Education for American Astronautical Society.

Dr. Bush holds a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Pennsylvania State University, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Old Dominion University, and a Ph.D. in technology policy and management from the Pennsylvania State University, along with an SSP from International Space University.

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Conrad Tucker is a professor of mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. He focuses on the design and optimization of systems through the acquisition, integration, and mining of large scale, disparate data.

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