Professor Kathleen Connor Howell is the Hsu Lo Distinguished Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics in the College of Engineering at Purdue University. She earned her B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering from Iowa State University; her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Aeronautical and Astronautical Sciences are from Stanford University. Professor Howell’s technical research focus is astrodynamics in complex gravitational environments. She has successfully applied these methodologies to various flight missions and mission proposals. Her contributions include mission planning and trajectory optimization, station-keeping and maneuver design, low-thrust applications including small satellites and the development of interactive visual capabilities for complex mission scenarios. As a principal investigator, she has obtained numerous grants and received various awards related to her research program as well as in recognition as an engineering educator. She served for many years as the Editor-in-Chief for the AAS Journal of the Astronautical Sciences; she is also a member of other editorial boards. Professor Howell is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the International Academy of Astronautics. She is also a Fellow of both AIAA and AAS. She is involved with various other organizations within the international aerospace and astrodynamics community.