Published February 19, 2025
By : Staff Writer
February is National Women Inventors Month, and today, WOC Online features Camille D'Annunzio. She earned a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Maryland - College Park in 1985.
Following her Ph.D., she worked as a research associate at the University of Maryland, where she analyzed data for a NASA satellite experiment that was the first to measure a comet's composition.
D'Annunzio skillfully demonstrated the composition of solar wind and the initial results of the comet's analysis.
In 1986, she presented her analysis at an American Geophysical Union meeting, gaining recognition in the scientific community.
Afterward, she joined the BDM International Theater Warfare Analysis group, focusing on modeling and simulation related to chemical systems, chemical warfare, and missile defense architectures.
In 1989, she presented a paper titled "Theater Missile Defense Against Syrian Chemical Missiles Attacking Israel" at the Military Operations Research Society Symposium, addressing an audience of operations research professionals and national security analytic community leaders.
D'Annunzio also worked as a senior scientist at Radix Systems, where she led the design and implementation of computational algorithms based on theoretical models in physical, chemical, and engineering systems.
Her research interests later shifted to noise and vibration control.
In 1997, she earned a patent for her work utilizing actuators for vibration control and another patent for noise reduction in mechanical vibrations to minimize the impact of earthquakes on buildings.
At Alcatel, D'Annunzio developed algorithms to enhance the performance of ADSL modems.
During one consultancy, she created devices for detecting and characterizing coronary and arterial disease.
When she joined Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector, she worked on chemical transport modeling for concealed explosives.
Her first role was modeling lead for chemical and biological programs.
For her contributions, she received a Northrop Grumman Invention Disclosure for real-time chemical and biological threat situational awareness using tipping, cueing, and detection sensors and a Northrop Grumman Technology Award.
Additionally, D'Annunzio developed a stochastic model based on principles to determine hybridization mismatch rates in a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction multiplex, which won her a Northrop Grumman Presidential Award.
