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Dr. Diana Austin

SAFETY MODIFICATION DESIGN ENGINEER

Assistant Manager to Director of Community Services, a service oriented soup kitchen for the homeless in Fairbanks, Alaska. Managed a varied array of businesses: Hilo Bay Air Volcano Heli-Tours, Hilo, Hawaii; Yukon Quest Store, Fairbanks, Alaska. Wild animal rescue clean-up on the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Managed a privately owned animal rescue and placement facility in interior Alaska. Enjoyed working on private research project which studied music as a form of communication with a pod of cetaceans in the Pacific.

Professional vocalist and instrumental musician for private and public functions: community fairs, University of Alaska Summer Arts Festival, Walk for Life, Foodstock, various private benefits, weddings, memorials.

FAA licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic. Performed all phases of maintenence, commercial fixed-wing jets and rotorcraft in addition to private aircraft including: Bell rotorcraft C and D checks, main rotor balancing, corrosion control, interior restoration, sheet metal repair and fabrication, preflight Boeing 737's. Completed private restoration of fourth SeaBee-WWII amphibious aircraft signed back into service. 1996 Crewmember on Nordam/Boeing 737 Experimental Hush Kit project. I specialized in fieldwork to design, engineer, and re-write the maintenance manual covering the powerplant modifications required to make all commercial jets quieter on departure and landing in metropolitan areas with an extremely high dew point.

Alaskan Hunting Guide/Lead Wrangler. Guided inexperienced visitors into the bush for hunting/horseback ride excursions, hitched and drove a two draft horse team. Four-wheeler/snow machine/dog team tour guide. Prepared, packed, and tacked up horses and mules, made and broke camp, cooked over a campfire for over-night and weekend stays in remote wilderness area's, entertained visitors around the campfire, educated visitors on edible and poisonious vegetation. Packed firearms for protection and game taking for survival and food on all excursions.

Retired Long haul commercial driver-Independent owner-operator. Hauled pipe to Prudhoe and Kuparuk over the Ice Road. Grandmother of 4 AWESOME grandsons, property caretaker/homesitter. 35 year Alaska resident. FMS survivor, homeless during battle with Social Security Disability for 7 years in interior Alaska :-/ Creator of RILEY'S RIDE safety modification despite no support from organizations created to assist disabled persons with experience, intelligence, motivation, insight, and determination to start our own businesses!!

GRADUATED WITH HONORS: AMERICAN FLIGHT ACADEMY; HUTCHISON A&P CENTER-UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS; STS TRAVEL SCHOOL; DINKEL SIGN SCHOOL; TVCC ENTREPRENEURSHIP INSTITUTE; CLASS of 1976; HONORARY DOCTORATE BESTOWED 1996 EXPERIMENTAL COMMERCIAL AVIATION ENGINEERING

REMEMBER ROSIE THE RIVETER? WE CAN DO IT!!