Professional Experience

The MITRE Corporation, McLean, VA  

  Public Sector Program for Financial & Economic Transform

  Lead Systems Engineer, March 2019 – Present

• Continue to develop models, concepts, and subject matter expertise for Aviation, Space Systems, and Surface Transportation system modernization working with multiple agency and multi-jurisdictional stakeholders including international interconnectivity.

• Broadened U.S. Census Bureau executive suite and senior leadership strategic planning resilience through applications of strategic foresight and long-term planning assessment methods based on emerging trends.

• Analyses, modeling, and characterization of information and data exchange architectures primarily in transportation and military application spaces

• Engage partnerships and subject matter experts across academia, industry, and all levels of government to support research needs in civil and military aviation, cyber security and emergency management, engineering innovation, education, and social justice.  

• Awarded highly selective innovation grant to investigate cybersecurity within freight rail industry operational safety in partnership with a North American Class I railroad.  

  Center for Advanced Aviation System Development

  Lead Systems Engineer, Aviation and Transportation System, June 2013 – March 2019

• Perform a wide range of engineering and operations research analytics on transportation-related domains including air traffic management, meteorology, surface transportation, safety management, and regulatory policy. 

• Develop business strategy, directly engaging key industry leaders/government officials, and coordinate directly with MITRE senior management for expanding work in non-aviation transportation domains by connecting operational, regulatory, and technological similarities across transportation modes.

• Lead MITRE’s strategic research focal area for railroad and public transit domains by providing subject matter expertise and coordination across multiple MITRE research centers.

• Coordinated across MITRE centers, the strategic engagement of select industry technical exchange meetings, most notably with the National Academies – Transportation Research Board.

• Engage non-aviation industry leadership (public transit organizations, State DOTs, etc.) on our work in safety analytics, safety-risk management, and safety management systems (SMS). 

• Support FAA’s development of airworthiness and safety regulatory policy for commercial operations of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) with the development of safety risk model.

• Provide trusted advising to FAA sponsors’ changing needs throughout the federal acquisition management system in the development of FAA NextGen programs 

   Senior, Simulation and Modeling Engineer, June 2003 – May 2013

• Develop or enhance aviation models/simulations to estimate airport capacity, arrival/departure trajectory, terminal area wind behavior, wake turbulence effects, data coverage associated with ADS-B broadcast rates

• Conduct research in wake turbulence, wind and weather behavior, and aircraft- and ground-based technology applications amongst the aviation research community.

• Support FAA sponsors’ needs throughout the production of research products for federal acquisition management system elements such as cost-benefit analyses, safety analyses, and concept of operations development for a variety of FAA NextGen programs.

• Collaborated with multi-organizational teams of researchers and stakeholders for several FAA NextGen terminal area enterprise areas. Responsibilities include leading/managing research working groups, developing research needs, and conducting group and stakeholder panel meetings.

Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

    Adjunct Faculty, Civil & Environmental Engineering March 2014 – Present

• Instructor: MPM487: Management of Operations in Transportation, Spring Quarter, 2014-pres. 

Graduate course: air/rail/highway logistics operations tied to a cargo airport development project

• Instructor: CivEnv205: Economics and Finance for Engineers, Spring Quarter, 2019-2021.

Undergraduate course in basic finance, economic decision making, elements of cost analyses.

• Research Collaboration:

o  Advanced Air Mobility in Illinois (IDOT) 2021-pres.

o  Prisons Evolving as Connected Communities (NSF) 2021-pres.

• Dissertation Committee Membership:

o  Christopher Cummings (Northwestern), 

Title: Air Traffic Flow for Advanced Air Mobility, Expected Defense (July-2022)

o  Daniel Behr (University of Antwerp, Belgium) 

Title: Determining Financial Viability of Railway Undertakings Under Open Access Regulatory Environments, Expected Defense (Aug-2022)

• Thesis Advisor, multiple: Master of Project Management Program, Transportation Specialization, Aug 2016-pres. 

    Adjunct Faculty, Segal Design Institute, Spring, 2014 – Present   

• Co-Instructor: DSGN106: Design Thinking and Communication I & II, Spring, 2014-pres.

Undergraduate engineering design course product design, development, and delivery for direct clients.

    Adjunct Faculty, Political Science, March 2014 – May 2014 

• Instructor: POLSCI403: Introduction to Probability and Statistics, Fall Quarter, 2014.

Graduate mathematics course covering calculus, linear algebra, set theory, probability, and statistics.  

DePaul University, Chicago, IL

      Visiting Scholar, Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development, June 2012 – June 2016 

• Developed economic and cost analyses for Chicago-area public transit system.

• Lectured on various transportation topics for broad audiences of industry, government, academics.

• Represented Chaddick Institute at various Chicago industry events, conferences, and student groups.

Institute for Defense Analyses, Alexandria, VA

  Research Analyst, Cost Analysis and Research Division, March 2000 – June 2003

• Developed transportation cost analysis for Independent Cost Estimate for NASA International Space Station program and Space Shuttle support missions.

• Developed a large-scale logistics and maintenance discrete event simulation model for multiple aircraft types/multiple mission type for F-35 and Marine Corps rotary wing aircraft acquisition decisions.

• Managed and revised the Defense Department’s detailed economic Input-Output model mapping the US Defense budget to industry sectors

• Developed multiple optimization analyses for military transport acquisition planning

Select Publications and Reports 

Engineering Modeling and Simulation

(In-Progress) PI "Freight Rail Micro-Simulation for Critical Hazard Identification Model for Evaluation of Risk and Analysis (CHIMERA)"  

(Nov-2021) Co-Author: Minnix, M. et al, “Future of the Ocean 2035 (FOTO35) Concept of Operations: Coordination Draft” MTR210604, MITRE Corp,

(Dec-2020) Audenaerd, L., et al. “Integration of Commercial Space and Other New Entrant Systems in the Oceanic ATM Environment - Concept Vignette” MITRE Corp.

(Sep-2018) Co-Author, Iacobucci, S., et al. “TRACON Evolution: Traffic Flow Management and Front-Line Management Challenges and Conceptual Solutions” MTR180369, MITRE Corp.

(2016) Project Panel Member on Timar, Sebastian, et al. ACRP 03-34: NextGen for Airports – Understanding the Airport’s Role in Performance Based Navigation” Transportation Research Board of the National Academies.

(Sep-2015) Audenaerd, L. “Status Update for the Interval Management Paired Approach Category II Concept” MP150412 MITRE Corp.

(Aug-2014) Moderator, TRB Global Webinar “Wake Recategorization (RECAT)” Transportation Research Board. Aug-2014.

(Apr-2014) Audenaerd, L. and C. Lunsford “Applying Improved Wind and Aircraft Performance Data in Wake Procedure Concepts” 2014 ICNS Conference, Herndon, VA.

(Aug-2011) Cheng, J., Osburn, D., Audenaerd, L. “Wake Turbulence Mitigation for Arrivals (WTMA) Safety Update – WTMA-Procedure (WTMA-P) Hazard Assessment and WTMA-System (WTMA-S) Safety Area Identification,” MP110255, MITRE Corp.

(Sep-2010) Audenaerd, L. et al., “Surface Trajectory-Based Operations (STBO) Mid-Term Concept of Operations, Overview and Scenarios” MP090230R1, MITRE Corp., McLean, VA, Sep-2010.

(Jan-2010) Lunsford, C., Audenaerd, L. “Recovering Airport and System Capacity Lost During Weather: Trends in Wake Turbulence Mitigation” Presented at Trans. Research Board Annual Mtg, Jan-2010.

(Jan-2010) Chair, Aviation Workshop “Terminal Velocity: Illuminating Realities of Achieving NextGen Capacity Gains at Airports” 89th Annual Meeting, Transportation Research Board, Jan-2010.

Research Synthesis and Public Policy

(Sep-2019) Audenaerd, L. Urlaub, N.., Mantine, D., “A Review of Railroad Operational Architecture for the Initial Identification of Cyber Safety Risk Areas” MITRE Corp, Sep-2019.

(Apr-2019) Audenaerd, L. Collins, M.S., Mantine, D., “Addressing Cyber-Safety in U.S. Critical Infrastructure – Focus on Railroads and Public Transportation” MITRE Corp, Apr-2019.

(Dec-2018) Audenaerd, L., Walsh, E. “Outlining a Risk-Based Approach to Safety and its Applicability to Surface Transportation Modes” MTR180972, MITRE Corp., Dec-2018

(Jan-2017) Audenaerd, L. Massimini, P., Orrell, G., “Trust and the Public-Private Partnership in Aviation Safety: Parallels for Applicability in the Railroad Industry” MP160754, MITRE Corp., Jan-2017

(Oct-2016) Presentation, “Public-Private Partnership for Transportation Safety: Case Studies in Air & Rail” Northwestern University Transportation Center - Seminar Series. October 6, 2016.

(Nov-2015) Moderator, Transportation Research Forum’s A Farewell Conversation with Chicago Tribune’s Jon Hilkevitch. 

(Sep-2014) Moderator, "The Transit Future: An Initiative of the Center for Neighborhood Technology and Active Transportation Alliance” Chaddick Institute – DePaul University.

(Sep-2014) Lecture, “The Impacts of Terminals Across Modes in the Chicago Region” – a lecture introducing “Terminal Town” book by J. Schwieterman. James R. Thompson Center lobby.

(Nov-2013) Schwieterman, J., and Audenaerd, L. “Economic Perspectives on Benefits and Costs of the CTA Red and Purple Modernization Project” Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development, DePaul Univ., Chicago, IL.

(Dec-2012) Schwieterman, J., Audenaerd, L. and Schulz, M. “Tending to Transit: The Benefits and Costs of Bringing Public Transport in the Chicago Region into Good Repair” Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development, DePaul University, Chicago, IL.

(Jun-2012) Audenaerd, L. “Evaluating the Impacts of Mode Substitution for Short-Haul Air Connections at Chicago O’Hare” Presented at 27th Annual Transport Chicago Conference, Chicago, IL.

(2012) Audenaerd, L., Schofer, J., Boyce, D. “Trade-Space Analysis of Surface Alternatives for Short-Haul Passenger Air Travel” in Transportation Research Record, #2300, pp. 129-138.

(2012) Audenaerd, L. “A Characterization of Surface and Aloft Winds for Advanced Parallel Runway Operations” in Transportation Research Record, #2300, pp. 49-58.

(May-2010) Audenaerd, L. et al. “Beyond Transportation: The Economic impact of Rail in Illinois” Prepared for IL Governor Pat Quinn.

Forecasting, Modeling, and Simulation

(In-Progress) Audenaerd, L. "Determining Freight Rail Demand Scheduling and Infrastructure Attributes Using Non-Traditional Data Extraction Methods"  

(Nov-2021) Co-Author: Strand, D. et al, “US Oceanic Airspace Equipage Analysis and Forecast” P211-B22-003 MITRE Corp

(Mar-2020) Co-Author: Desenberg, J., et al. “2030 Census Alternative Futures Report” MITRE Corp.

(Dec-2019) Co-Author: Desenberg, J., et al. “Census Bureau Strategic Foresight and External Scan Report” MITRE Corp.

(Jun-2019) Audenaerd, L., Lunsford, C. “Characterization of Hazard Definitions Associated with Wake Turbulence Encounters” MITRE Corp.

(Jun-2019) Audenaerd, L., Robinson, M., Donnangelo, N. “Sensitivity of Numerical Weather Prediction Models to Malicious Perturbations” MITRE Corp.

(Mar-2019) Audenaerd, L., Lunsford, C. “Potential Impacts of Real-time Meteorological Sensing and Data Transmission - Evidence Supporting the Use of Aircraft-based Observations (AbO) Broadcast via ADS-B” MITRE Corp.

(Jun-2018) Co-Author, Breunig, J. et al. “Modeling Risk-Based Approach for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) Airworthiness Safety Certification” AIAA Aviation Forum, Atlanta, GA.

(Jul-2018) Audenaerd, L. “Forecasting Demand for U.S. Commercial Space Launch Facilities” part of Co-Author, Rozen, N., et al. “Space Integration Capabilities - Shortfall Analysis [WP1]” MTR180310, MITRE Corp.

(Apr-2017) Audenaerd, L. “Visions of the Future: Performance Assessment of Historical Long-Term Forecasting to Predict Airspace Demand” MITRE Corp.

(Sep-2016) Co-Author, Breunig, J. et al. “Risk Based Approach for Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) Airworthiness Safety Certification” MITRE Corp.

(2014) Audenaerd, L.  “Estimating Approach Path Coverage of Aircraft-Derived Meteorological Data in Advanced Air Traffic Management Applications” in Trans. Research Record, #2449, pp. 49-58.

(Jul-2012) Audenaerd, L., Koch, M. “Exploration of Reduced Diagonal Separation for Dependent Arrivals to Closely Spaced Parallel Runways” MP120378, MITRE Corp.

(May-2010) Co-Author, Schofer, J. et al, “Des Plaines Watershed Flood-Induced Traffic Delay for Chicago Region – A Report for US Army Corps of Engineers” Northwestern University.

(Aug-2002) Co-Author: Nelson, J. R. et al. “Independent Cost Estimate of the International Space Station [UNCLASS]” IDA

(Dec-2001) Co-Author: Simmons, L. D. et al. “Analysis of Alternatives for the Joint Strike Fighter, Vol. V, Cost Assessments. [UNCLASS],” IDA Report R-407.

Data and Information Systems

(Aug-2022) Audenaerd, L. et al. “A Classification Approach for FAA Information Exchange Systems” MITRE Corp

(In-Progress) Audenaerd, L., et al. “Approach and Assessment Plan for FAA Automation Development Workshop” MITRE Corp. 

(Sep-2021) Co-Author: “COVID-19 Response: Designing the Digital Classroom for Remote Learning” Report, MITRE Corp.

(Feb-2018) Audenaerd, L., Chen, S., Taylor, C. “Potential for Human Language Technology (HLT) within the Traffic Flow Management Coordination Environment” MTR130283, MITRE Corp, McLean, VA

(Dec-2018) Audenaerd, L., Walsh, E. “Outlining a Risk-Based Approach to Safety and its Applicability to Surface Transportation Modes – A Special Report to the Office of Secretary of Transportation” MTR180972, MITRE Corp.

(Jan-2015) Audenaerd, L. “Aviation Data: Planning for Capacity” Presented in Freight Data Meets Innovative Technologies Workshop at Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting.

(Jun-2013) Audenaerd, L., Lunsford, C., Schaffer, C. “Proposed System Designs for Aircraft-based Weather Observations for WTMA-S at San Francisco International Airport (SFO)” MTR130283, MITRE Corp.

(Jun-2012) Co-Author, Johnson, Edward J., et al. “Aircraft Derived Meteorological Data via Data Link for Wake Vortex, Air Traffic Management and Weather Applications – Operational Services and Environmental Definition (OSED)” Document #DO-339, RTCA SC-206.

(Feb-2011) Audenaerd, L., Koch, M. “Initial Functional Architecture for the WTMA-S Program” MP110068, MITRE Corp.

Other Recent Studies

(May-2022) “The Impacts of Digitization on Small/Medium-Sized Business Enterprises across the Indian Subcontinent” MITRE Corp.

(Nov-2021) Co-Author: Luc, T. et al, “Assessment of Communications- and Surveillance-related Technologies and Their Potential Application for FOTO35” MP210490, MITRE Corp.

(Dec-2021) Vazzana, J., et al. “International Cyber Capacity Building: Workforce Development Case Studies” MITRE Corp.

(Mar-2021) Hall, B., Audenaerd, L. and George, G. “FAA Industry Innovation Engagement Strategy Report” MITRE Corp.

(Jan-2021) Co-Author: Blackmon, et al. “Expanded Use of MITRE’s Distance Learning Resource Gateway for Education System Modernization” MITRE Corp.

(Mar-2020) Audenaerd, L and Humphreys, J. “Artifacts of Future Scenarios for the 2030 Census” Video Media Product prepared for Deputy Administrator, US Census Bureau, MITRE Corp.