Dr. Ron Colantonio

Renato (Ron) Colantonio is responsible for the overall planning, management and evaluation of the directorate’s efforts to set the strategic direction for NASA’s portfolio of ground test aeronautics research capabilities including subsonic, transonic, supersonic, and hypersonic wind tunnels and propulsion test facilities.

He supports the ARMD associate administrator in a broad range of mission directorate activities, including strategic and program planning, budget development, program review and evaluation, and external coordination.

Colantonio started his career at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland in 1987 as an operations test engineer coordinating several aircraft engine combustion and high-temperature component tests for NASA and Department of Defense programs. 

He later served as a co-investigator for a space shuttle glovebox fuel droplet burning experiment and supported ground-based precursor testing and astronaut training for three major space flight combustion experiments.  He successfully managed ARMD’s Aviation Safety Program weather accident prevention project. Later he managed the Atmospheric Environment Safety Technologies project developing aviation safety technologies in engine and airframe icing, weather information communications, and atmospheric hazard sensing.

Colantonio supervised personnel working in Glenn’s icing branch as they conducted interdisciplinary research. He advocated for new research opportunities that enabled technologies needed to address aircraft icing safety issues. He also served as Glenn’s inter-agency coordination manager for aeronautics, and the manager for new business/partnerships.

He has received several recognitions and awards including the NASA Outstanding Leadership, Exceptional Service, and Exceptional Achievement Awards as well as the ARMD Associate Administrator Award in the leadership and management excellence category and a Federal Aviation Administration Service Award.

Colantonio received a bachelor’s of science degree in mechanical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology, a master’s of science degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s of business degree from Cleveland State University, and a doctor of philosophy degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University.

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Dr. Ron Colantonio Biography (PDF)

Jul 9, 2023

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