How to Capitalize on Emerging Space Force Opportunities: Defense & Space Biomedicine
May 19, 2026 | 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm ET | Online only Register!
***This event is held online only via Zoom webinar***
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The current state of the U.S. Space Force and its budget focus
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SpaceWERX SBIR/STTR Opportunities
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The current state of national and regional space biomedicine opportunities
Event Schedule
May 19, 2026Speakers
Dr. Aleksandra Stankovic
Founding Director of the Center for Space Medicine Research (CSMR)Dr. Aleksandra Stankovic is the Founding Director of the Center for Space Medicine Research (CSMR) at the Massachusetts General Hospital. The mission of the CSMR is to keep humans healthy in long-duration spaceflight and to translate innovations from the space environment into novel patient care solutions on Earth.
Stankovic holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Harvard University, a PhD in Experimental Psychology from the University of Cambridge, and a Master’s degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She completed her postdoctoral training with the NASA Johnson Space Center’s Behavioral Health and Performance research group.
Stankovic is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, as well as a member of the Bioastronautics faculty in the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences & Technology.
Jeff Mitchell
active-duty Space Force and President of the Space Force Association New England-Boston ChapterJefferson Mitchell is an active duty Major in the United States Space Force. As an acquisition officer, he supports Space Systems Command as the Branch Chief, Ground-based Radar Modernization. He is also the Space Force liaison to the MIT AI Accelerator, guiding emerging technology transition to space operations.
In addition, he serves as the Space Force Association Northeast Region deputy vice president and president of the Boston Chapter.
A graduate of Iowa State University, Mitchell joined the Air Force in 2013. His tours of duty include three years as a Missile Operations Officer in Minot, ND; four years in the intelligence community; two years in commercial and international partnerships for U.S. Space Command; and, a year in the Space Training and Readiness Command.
Mitchell is now stationed at Hanscom Air Force Base.
Moderator
Howard Sholkin
VP, ENETHoward Sholkin has several decades of marketing communication experience across industry sectors. Since 2018, he has served as President of Newton Community Pride, a non-profit supporting a few dozen events in the city where he is a lifelong resident. In 2014, he formed Sholkin Consulting to deliver digital marketing services to technology and financial services companies. He also served on the adjunct faculty of Boston University and Lasell College for five years.
In 2003, he was hired as director of corporate communications at International Data Group (IDG) where he served Founder Pat McGovern. Sholkin later became director of communication and marketing programs for the CEO of IDG Communications, a global technology media and events subsidiary. IDG brands include Computerworld, PCWorld, Macworld, and CIO. Sholkin has held senior marketing and communication positions at technology product and services companies such as Computervision; Technology Concepts, a subsidiary of Bell Atlantic; Corporate Software; and, Digital Equipment Corp./Compaq. He was a columnist for PR News and for Personal Branding magazine, one of the first publications on social media.
Since 1990, Sholkin has been active in the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) where he once served as president of the Boston chapter. Currently, he is co-chair of the national PRSA Investment Committee. He serves on the boards of three non-profits: Newton Community Pride, Boston Entrepreneurs Network (ENET) and Temple Shalom of Newton.
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