Biographical Summary

About Launch Guest Briefings

• Grew up in the town of Ellsworth in western Wisconsin.
• After graduation from high school, served four years in the U.S. Navy.
• Graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1973 (Italian Language & Literature).
• Postgraduate study at Florida Institute of Technology (Computer Operations).
• Currently studying Graphics Design Technology. 
• During his government career, lived a total of 9 years in Italy and has had a wide variety of work experience -- Radio Communications, Federal Investigations, Personnel Management, Award Fee Management and Media Relations.
• Currently serves as the KSC Public Web Multimedia Manager responsible for the KSC Home Page and Web site; Web broadcast programming; and Web video production. 
• Married to the former Giuseppina Parziale of Naples, Italy.
• Four children - Sean, Tana, Arliana and Damian.
• Dennis enjoys genealogy, web page development, tennis and motorcycling.

  Biography last updated - February 2002

 

Dennis is a featured technologist on NASA Quest's "Men and Women of NASA" web site. View his biographical profile.

Involvement in pre-launch briefings can take one of three forms -- either as the master of ceremonies, a presenter or a scriptwriter.  The briefing is composed of two twenty minute presentations -- one that focuses on KSC as a wildlife refuge and also provides an overview of Shuttle processing, followed by a second presentation that highlights projected mission, science and crew activities.

Dennis has been involved as a presenter for the Launch Guest Program for several years and took over management of the program just before the John Glenn launch (STS-95) in Oct. 1998.