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40 under forty AGE 36 SHEEBA VARUGHESE ❘ SHEEBA Va r u g h e s e is a communications engineer for the Los Angeles World Airports' Information Management and Technology Group (LAWA). She is currently responsible for the implementation of the $48 million CCTV System Enhancement at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), one of the U.S. airport industry's most complex and challenging electronic security projects. The CCTV Enhancement project will result in the digital conversion of LAX's massive video surveillance, storage and management system, as well expand the system by more than 500 IP cameras. Prior to this assignment, Varughese managed the implementation of a number of complex COMMUNICATIONS ENGINEER LOS ANGELES WORLD AIRPORT communications systems, including video downlink systems, high-speed public safety microwave radio systems, mobile data systems for incident response vehicles and high-speed networks. She has served in dual roles as a communications engineer and a project manager. Varughese has managed multi-million dollar contracting and execution for multiple consultants, contractors and suppliers on behalf of LAWA and the City of Los Angeles. Varughese spent her 13-year professional career in the public sector, and has received commendations for her work, including from the Los Angeles Fire Department for the video downlink project. Her progressive management style has helped build strong project teams that consistently deliver the required results. A native of Kerala in South India, Varughese earned her Bachelor's degree in electronics engineering from the Cochin University of Science and Technology, and is a registered professional engineer in California. Varughese is married and lives with her husband and two children in Los Angeles. YEARS IN AVIATION 3 "In addition to managing the technical and operational complexities of the security program, Sheeba has earned high marks and recognition from her peers and management for promoting a positive, progressive and open leadership style." DAVID KIPP, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, ROSS & BARUZZINI AGE 39 TRAVIS DeVAULT ❘ "I'M fascinated with flight," says Ornithologist Dr. Travis DeVault. This fascination is what drew him to aviation in the first place. As a research wildlife biologist and project leader at the USDA, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center's (NWRC) Ohio Field Station in Sandusky, DeVault oversees a team of research scientists and biologists whose purpose is to conduct research and develop methods to reduce wildlife strikes with aircraft. The research conducted by Dr. DeVault's team forms the basis for FAA regulations regarding wildlife conflicts with civil aviation. As the only research group of its kind, the NWRC Ohio Field Station is recognized as a world leader in this area. DeVault earned a Bachelor's and a Master's 36 airportbusiness October 2013 PROJECT LEADER U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, NATIONAL WILDLIFE RESEARCH CENTER degree in biology from Indiana State University and a PhD (2003) in wildlife ecology from Purdue University. His work in aviation began in 2000 with his dissertation research, during which he studied the flight behavior of vultures for inclusion into computer models of bird avoidance for aircraft. Since that time his research on wildlifeaircraft collisions has expanded into many areas. A current focus is the potential suitability of land cover alternatives to turf grass at airports from a wildlife perspective, including renewable energy production and agriculture. This promising research area could trigger a paradigm shift in airport land cover from an over reliance on turf grass to more productive and "greener" land covers such as biofuel and solar energy produc- tion that reduce wildlife hazards at airports. DeVault has published more than 75 scientific journal articles and book chapters, and served as lead editor for the book "Wildlife in Airport Environments: Preventing Animal-Aircraft Collisions through Science-Based Management," published in 2013 by the Johns Hopkins University Press. This book provides the first comprehensive overview of the science underlying wildlife management efforts at airports. YEARS IN AVIATION 13