Kirsten Kasper

After growing up on a horse farm in New Hampshire, Kirsten Kasper moved to Daytona Beach, Florida, to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Systems Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU). After graduation she was hired by ERAU at the Florida NextGen Test Bed (FTB). The FTB is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) initiative, managed by ERAU, being used to integrate and demonstrate NextGen and legacy technologies into existing and planned enhancements for the National Airspace System(NAS). The FTB is a robust platform where integration, rapid prototyping, and demonstration takes place without interfering with the air traffic operations of the NAS. It also provides access to industry, government, and academia via a unique development model which promotes investment from all participating parties. Kirsten began at the FTB as a Project Engineer to assist Project Managers with the technical baselines of their projects and to work as an intermediary between the project management office and technical programs. She has since ascended into the role of Senior Project Manager and manages several exciting projects, in key aviation fields, such as UAS Traffic Management, Trajectory Based Operations, and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) initiatives. She enjoys the interaction and collaboration between government, academia, and industry in this position and the many challenges and opportunities it brings. In her free time, Kirsten sits on the board of a non-profit organization, Cooper’s Crossroads, and is President of a Toastmasters Club. She is an avid outdoors person and loves to spend time with her dogs, family and friends, traveling, flying as a private pilot, scuba diving and riding motorcycles.https://commons.erau.edu/ntas-bios/1168/thumbnail.jp