Kathleen Starmer (http://linkedin.com/in/kathleenstarmer) has worked as a contractor at NASA Ames Research Center for the past twelve years. Her formal education and graduate degrees are in the life sciences, and her recent professional accomplishments have centered upon aeronautics and astronautics. Kathleen has a keen interest in brokering relationships between commercial and government entities and is passionate about enabling transportation and extending research to realms outside of our atmosphere. In support of this, she is currently conducting business development and program integration activities for NASA's Space Portal and NASA's Emerging Space Office.

When not directly supporting NASA, Kathleen is actively involved in numerous organizations that support both the Ames community and the greater space business arena. She is currently Director of the Ames Contractor Council, Membership Director of the Silicon Valley Space Business Roundtable, and the Contractor Representative to the Ames Exchange Council.

Outside of the NASA gates, Kathleen can be found on various Bay Area hiking trails, under the waters of the Pacific strapped to a scuba tank, or scaling the indoor rock walls of a local climbing gym.