Kenneth Suder Senior Technologist, Airbreathing Propulsion, Propulsion Division, Research and Engineering Directorate NASA John H. Glenn Research Center

Dr. Suder joined NASA Glenn in 1983.   He holds a Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University.  His experience includes computational and experimental research in multistage turbomachinery for advanced air breathing propulsion systems. He is most noted for his contributions to the NASA Rotor 37 and Rotor 67 Benchmark data sets used for CFD validation.    He chaired the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Turbomachinery Technical Committee from 2010-2013, and he is an ASME Fellow.

Dr. Suder has also held several key leadership roles within the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. As the Chief Technologist for NGLT (Next Generation Launch Technology) TBCC (Turbine Based Combine Cycle) Revolutionary Turbine Accelerator   project and the Principal Investigator for NASA (Fundamental Aeronautics Program) Hypersonic project 1999-2010, he led the development of a Mach 3-4 turbine engine for the first stage of a 2-stage to orbit launch system. From 2010-2014, Ken was the Sub-Project Manager for Propulsion Technology in the Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project, leading combustor, propulsor and core turbomachinery research & development efforts to demonstrate enabling technologies to meet the NASA Subsonic transport goals to reduce fuel burn, emissions, and noise.    For the last 5 years,  Ken served as the Chief of the Turbomachinery and Turboelectric Systems Branch, and most recently he was selected as the  NASA Senior Technologist for  Airbreathing Propulsion at NASA Glenn Research Center.