Isabel Hernandez

Human Factors Intern

Isabel Hernandez is a Human Factors Pathways intern and training coordinator for the NASA Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (NASAHFACS) certification. She oversees the educational materials for NASA’s Human Factors Task Force. Prior to joining NASA in 2022, Hernandez served as an academic counselor at Grand Canyon University for seven years.

Hernandez is a member of the International Society of Air Safety Investigators and is certified in NASAHFACS. In 2023, she was awarded the Individual Special Act Award for exceptional support of NASA’s Human Factors program.

Hernandez earned a Bachelor of Science degree in applied management, a Master of Public Administration degree in government and policy, and is a doctoral candidate at Grand Canyon University. 

Lt. Col. Denise Zona

Interagency Advisor

Lt. Col. Denise Zona is an aerospace psychologist and interagency advisor at NASA. She supports the Department of the Air Force through her role in the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA and serves as a Safety Culture and Human Factors Subject Matter Expert (SME). 

Most recently, Zona served as the division chief of Human Performance at the Air Force Safety Center. She was also the Aviation Psychology Fellowship director and career field manager for Air Force Aviation Psychology. Zona managed safety programs including the Air Force Combined Mishap Reduction System and Organizational Safety Assessments. She served on numerous Department of Defense, Air Force and interagency working groups in the areas of human performance, Human Factors and operational psychology.

Zona is part of a multidisciplinary team that includes experts in engineering, analytics, epidemiology, risk management, air/space craft operations and air/space craft maintenance. She has experience with Safety Culture surveys, analysis and organizational assessments. Zona contributes to the training of NASA safety professionals in Human Factors principles and in the NASA Human Factors Analysis and Classification System. She focuses on Safety Culture, prevention and identifying how human factors and our interaction with tools, tasks, working environments and other people influence human performance.

Throughout her career, Zona served as chief of the Traumatic Stress Response and Disaster Mental Health Teams, chief of the Crisis Response Team, Suicide Prevention program manager, director of Psychological Health and on community action boards. During her time at Lackland Air Force Base, Zona led the 802 Security Forces Squadron Unit Consultation Team. While assigned to Ramstein Air Base, she was the director of Psychological Health and the sole Behavioral Medicine Optimization Program trainer for United States Air Forces Europe.

Zona was twice an invited speaker at the annual North Atlantic Treaty Organization Aerospace Medicine Summit as a behavioral sleep medicine SME. She also worked in medical treatment facilities leading mental health clinics, alcohol and drug abuse prevention and treatment programs, family advocacy programs, and coordinating psychological treatment embedded in primary care clinics. 

Zona completed post-doctoral fellowships in clinical health psychology and aviation psychology. She ran the Clinical Health Psychology specialty clinic at Wilford Hall Medical Center. While completing her Aviation Psychology fellowship, Zona was concurrently the 58th Special Operations Wing psychologist as well as the director of the Human Performance and Leadership Center.

Zona earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in psychology and studio art from State University of New York at Oswego, a Master of Science degree in psychology and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in clinical psychology from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Andre Karpowich

Human Factors Technical Specialist Detailee

Andre Karpowich is the chief pilot and Aviation Safety Officer for Kennedy Space Center Flight Operations.

As the Aviation Safety Officer, Karpowich serves as the center's focal point on aviation safety, and when necessary, acts as the direct counsel to the center director on Aviation Safety matters. He manages the center's Flight Operations Aviation Safety program, and in the event of aircraft incidents, accidents, or other significant events, conducts investigation and reporting. He also acts as a liaison between center and agency Safety and Mission Assurance Office.

As the chief pilot, Karpowich schedules and supervises all flight operations and ensures standardization and flight discipline, training, and evaluation of all assigned pilots.

Currently, Karpowich assists the NASA Senior Safety Culture and Human Factors psychologist with the NASA Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (NASAHFACS) program implementation. In this role, he supports Human Factors training for agency and contract personnel and assists with agency-level work in the Safety Culture Program and Organizational Safety Assessments.

Previously, Karpowich supported NASA as a Kennedy Flight Operations contract pilot.

Karpowich has accomplished many things during his time with NASA. He successfully supported the return of manned launch operations to Kennedy by leveraging Kennedy Flight Operations assets and personnel to contribute to integrated efforts to secure airspace and provide emergency medical response with NASA and external organizations. He oversaw integration of NASA's newest addition to the agency's fleet of aircraft, the Airbus H135, and also played an active role in the NASAHFACS Task Force.

Prior to NASA, Karpowich served in the United States Marine Corps as a helicopter pilot. He was deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and on Western Pacific Marine Expeditionary Units in support of combat and contingency operations. He worked with the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Office of Aviation in support of bilateral counter drug operations and managed contract support.

Karpowich was recognized as the Association of Naval Aviation Flight Instructor of the Year 2012 for Helicopter Training Squadron Eighteen and awarded the Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition Valor Award for NASA flight operations.

Karpowich holds a Bachelor of Science in engineering technology with a focus in Operations from the University of Central Florida, 2003, and a Master of Science in unmanned systems with a focus in Human Factors from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, 2020. He is a member of the Space Coast Aviation Safety Alliance.

He completed the Aviation Safety Officer's Course and Crew Resource Management Instructor's Course from the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps School of Aviation Safety, 2008, and the NASAHFACS Certification from NASA, 2019.

Karpowich is married with two children. His hobbies include home and landscaping projects, anything at the beach, and spending time with family.

Dawn Martin

Human Factors Technical Specialist Detailee

Dr. Dawn (Elliott) Martin is an aerospace engineer in the Engineering Directorate at NASA John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida. She lends her expertise on various center and agency boards and working groups. She is currently serving as a Human Factors engineer for the design and development of the NASA’s next space launch system from NASA’s multi-user spaceport, Kennedy. Her primary role is to ensure that all systems are designed to satisfy Human Factors requirements to ensure the safety of ground and flight crew. She has conducted aviation research on airborne systems and has logged approximately 100 hours in the NASA B-757 flight simulator. She is board certified in Human Factors engineering and holds a single-engine pilot’s license.

Martin’s NASA tenure began at Kennedy as a flight systems engineer, and as the government's technical representative, she reviewed systems assurance analyses and Failure Modes and Effects Analyses and supported design reviews for space shuttle systems. She served as a Subject Matter Expert on the support equipment, logistics and facilities Integrated Product Teams for the design and deployment of the International Space Station. She has been the chairperson for the selection of a multi-million dollar government contract and has played a leadership role in other financial aspects of the space business.

Earlier in her career, Martin worked as a safety and health specialist, where she developed safety programs for high-hazard industries. She also performed safety inspections to verify compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration statutes and participated in the promulgation of statutes.

Martin has taught engineering courses to graduate and undergraduate students, as well as math and science to middle and high school students. She is a competent toastmaster and has been an active member of the NASA Speakers Bureau. She is a recipient of NASA’s top honor, the Silver Snoopy Award, and the NASA Turning Goals into Reality Awards, one of NASA's highest technical team awards.

She earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Florida, a master's degree in industrial engineering from the University of Central Florida, and a Ph.D. in Human Factors and ergonomics from the University of Miami.

There are several Human Factors Program Points of Contact (PoC). For more information, contact a PoC from the list below.

Tracy Dillinger

Safety Culture Program Manager

Dr. Tracy Dillinger is the manager for three programs: Safety Culture, Human Factors in Mishap Investigations and Human Reliability Assessment at NASA Headquarters (HQ). Dillinger is the chair of the Safety Culture Working Group and is responsible for the NASA Safety Culture Survey, Safety Culture courses and NASA Organizational Safety Assessments (OSA).

Dillinger received the NASA HQ Exceptional Performer Award in 2013. She came to NASA in 2011 after 21 years in the United States Air Force (USAF), when she retired as lieutenant colonel. Dillinger was stationed at USAF Safety Center HQ as the chief of the Safety Assessment Division from 2005 to 2008, and was the USAF chief of Aviation Psychology from 1998 to 2008. Earlier, she developed and instituted the OSA program and the Air Force Culture Assessment Safety Tool as safety prevention tools for leadership.

In 2006, she was awarded the USAF Chief of Staff Individual Safety Award for her record-breaking contributions to reducing mishap rates while ensuring mission success. Dillinger has expertise in pilot personality, witness interviewing, human factors, safety culture and organizational dynamics.

She conducted human factors portions of USAF investigations, developed a witness interview guide for use by investigation teams published in Air Force guidance, and spearheaded assessment efforts to identify risks and hazards imbedded in USAF organizations.

As USAF major, Dillinger was a member of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board in 2003 and the Space Shuttle Independent Assessment Team in 1999.

Dillinger received a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in dance from the University of Iowa, a Master of Art in counseling psychology from the University of Iowa, a Doctor of Psychology degree in clinical psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology (CSPP), a Post-Doctoral Fellowship from the University of Illinois in aviation psychology in 2003, and an Honorary Doctor of Psychology degree in business and organizational psychology from CSPP in 2006.

She has taught and conducted human factors investigations, organizational assessments, and witness interviewing; authored several articles on these subjects; and has held a license in clinical psychology for the past 20 years.