Moderator: Advances in Earth Imagery and Data Capturing Technology

Whitney Lohmeyer, Chief Technologist of the FCC’s Space Bureau, is passionate about enabling affordable Internet so that individuals can empower themselves, and that communities can connect schools and healthcare centers. She is on leave from her role as faculty at Olin College and as a Research Affiliate at MIT. At Olin, she directs the Olin Satellite + Spectrum Technology & Policy (OSSTP) Group, managing undergraduates who collaboratively contribute to the field of satellite communications, and she also works closely with industry to advise on end-to-end system design, and spectrum strategy. Whitney was the first engineer hired at OneWeb, where she worked with Qualcomm on the communications architecture, and contributed to policy reform at the FCC and ITU. Since that time, she has advised more than thirty companies on technical, financial, and regulatory matters and has testified before Congress on space and spectrum related issues. Prior to joining the OneWeb team, she worked at Google, and spent time at Inmarsat and NASA. She is currently on the board of FASESA, a non-profit bringing space exploration to classrooms throughout Africa. Whitney received her Ph.D. and M.S. in AeroAstro from MIT in 2015 and 2013, respectively. She earned her B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from NC State University in 2011, as the only female in her class of approximately ninety students, and now serves on the board of North Carolina State University’s Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Department.