Ken LaBel, NASA GSFC, received the 2023 IEEE NPSS Radiation Effects Award.

Citation: For sustained contributions to the radiation survivability of electronics in space and leadership across the radiation effects community.

Ken graduated with a BES in EECS with a minor in Mathematical Sciences from the Johns Hopkins University (JHU). Grad school (U MD and JHU) in Computer Engineering was deferred due to the exciting work that NASA provided (and 80-hour work weeks!). His career at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) included work and leadership in:

• Fault tolerant computing,
• Hardware/software for ground systems electronics,
• Advanced electronics and photonics technology (including fiber optic networks and data links),
• Spaceflight hardware including command and data handling,
• Systems engineering, 
• Radiation hardness assurance/research for >200 NASA flight projects and instruments, and,
• Microelectronics radiation effects and reliability assurance leadership and management.

He was the program manager (or co-manager) of the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program for 15 years as well as group leader for the Radiation Effects and Analysis Group (REAG) at NASA GSFC. He has won multiple awards at NASA including the prestigious National Resource Award, the Moe I. Schneebaum Award (top engineering award at NASA/GSFC), multiple Exceptional Service Medals, and a multitude of Group Achievement Awards. He was also a NASA representative to multi-agency working groups such as the Radiation Hardened Oversight Council (RHOC) and the Joint Mission Assurance Council (JMAC) and is recognized for his ability to work across US Government borders as well as with industry and academia. His broader view has looked at collaborating whenever possible with NASA’s international partners such as ESA, JAXA, CNES, and RADNEXT including joint efforts and flight experiments.

Mr. LaBel has published over 200 papers as author/co-author (multiple best papers in IEEE TNS), has taught multiple short courses at IEEE Nuclear and Space Radiation Effects Conference (NSREC), Hardened Electronics and Radiation Technology (HEART) Conference, Radiation Effects on Components and Systems (RADECS) Conference, and others, and is a recognized expert in radiation effects systems engineering. He has also been a frequent presenter at the International School on the Effects of Radiations on Embedded Systems for Space Applications (SERESSA) and also hosted an occurrence of this meeting in the U.S.

He’s been active in the IEEE NSREC with multiple roles including: the 2009 IEEE NSREC Short Course Chair, the 2012 IEEE NSREC General Chair, and past RESG Member-at-Large. He has been a strong supporter of the RADECS Association and conference since his early participation including being the first U.S.-based Topical Day Chair. Mr. LaBel is also on the Executive Committee for the Single Event Effects Symposium/Military and Aerospace Programmable Logic Devices Workshop (SEE/MAPLD).

Mr. LaBel retired from NASA in January 2019 after 35+ years and is currently supporting Science Systems and Applications Inc (SSAI) in support of NASA, Trusted Strategic Solutions, LLC (TSS), and as an employee at The Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). His current work passions are workforce development and radiation test facilities. 

For additional information contact Teresa Farris, RE vice chair for Publicity by E-mail at [email protected].