Confronting Dissociative
Identity Disorder (DID) and overcoming narcolepsy at 19, Richard Gicomeng emerged
into an award-winning photographer and the art director of the PGN by the time he graduated from Temple University
two years later, earning a degree in Communications. Richard then went on to study aerospace and communication systems engineering, designing the American Express Satellite
Network, teaching satellite systems engineering, and giving dynamic presentations to SRO audiences in Europe and the
US by the time he was 25,
During
the mid-1980s, Richard became a club DJ in New York and then
accepted a 12-month
Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) study contract in which he demonstrated
the ability of a software-based encryption algorithm using FEC
block codes within a hardware testbed. His diligence and success led to a management role with
the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA), contributing to the design and development of
Advanced Orbiting Systems, which included the International Space Station
(ISS).
While at NASA, Richard displayed a boldness to spin out new
ideas by introducing next-generation ground system architecture and
standards for on-board application. Until then, everything
that work package contractors produced was prooven technology that
was redesigned for space flight. Richard drafted the first set of guidelines that enabled NASA and
its design contractors to produce systems that were derived to be
compatible with ground architecture throughout the life of a
program. This imposed a tremendous responsibility on NASA to
predict the future of systems for programs with a 30-year life
cycle. Recognizing that there was a spark of similar thinking
among subcontractors, Richard facilitated the effort to show how
there would be reduced risk with newer technology if there was an
increased level of redundancy and it forced organizations like General Electric
to become involved in standards development to achieve
interoperability. It also allowed
smaller startup companies with new ideas to take center stage by
presenting an architecture that could be adopted as the standard. These
changes saved NASA billions of dollars in hardware /
software changes throughout the life of the ISS program.
Richard
also supported the move to close a gap in communications every time a
NASA space vehicle passed over the Indian Ocean. Known as the
"zone of exclusion", the gap would prevent crew and
payloads on-board the ISS from communicating once every 90 minutes for
60 to 120 seconds. Richard challenged the US Congress to adopt
seamless communications as a requirement, forcing Congress to fund a
remote uplink facility in Guam. After the ISS was being
launched this change was determined to save NASA an estimated $35
billion/ year, reducing complexity of payload design.
While
working for the NASA, Richard designed the first operational
photonic switching matrix enabling up to a Terabit
of data on a single port, and the development of intranet GUIs, are among Richard's many accomplishments for
NASA.
During
the 1990s, Richard continued his work in the commercial sector, developing hardware and software solutions for high profile
clients. By simplifying new technology concepts in the
boardroom and bringing beta products from the laboratories at
Cisco and Nortel/Bay Networks to client sites on the east coast,
Richard became the first to embark on a strategy that reduced the
traditional hierarchy between the sales team and product design.
Through this unorthodox approach, product designers could
communicate directly with the end users to understand their
requirements.
Teaming
up with Ivan Sindell, president of Global Communications Systems
Research (GCSR), Richard demonstrated his business development and
marketing expertise in the role of Vice President, but still working
on large-scale engineering configurations for companies like Morgan
Stanley, Reuters, CMP Publications, and others.
By 1998, Richard's technological predictions from
a decade before were becoming reality, however his critics have
argued that he merely set the stage for these innovations such as
the return of wireless communications. Richard seized the
opportunity to redirect industry focus on the forthcoming decade of
broadband multimedia by accepting an engineering role at MCI.
His inability to get treatment for narcolepsy since 2002 due to the decline in the healthcare industry sparked by government overregulation,
fueled Richard's concern. He has openly attacked the War on Drugs and
in 2006, he founded Drug Use Education Process Initiative, advocating
a common sense approach to a drug problem that becomes more
pervasive every day.
In
December 2007, Richard presented his work on Drug Use Education, the
Dose-Time Scale, and Anti-Drug Disorder... at the 2007 International
Conference on Drug Policy Reform in New Orleans, LA. He became
a member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) and firmly
believes that the Obama administration holds the key to important
changes in drug policy that will save entire generations from the
scourge of drug abuse. Rather than punishing or treating those
who use/abuse drugs, Richard believes it is essential that society
embraces responsible drug users, treats drug abusers and those who
have developed addictions and dependancies, but that it is incorrect
to punish a behavior that is normal, especially when there is no
education or prevention program.
Richard
has an interest in pursuing a career in drug policy development but
keeps an open mind about the future and still supports standard organizations and contributes to the United
States Geological Survey (USGS) with input on geotechnical
earthquake engineering. His greatest interest is
promoting a philosophical understanding of the future and what must
change for the forthcoming generations to survive.
|