OUR TEAM
OLIVIA G. HOLZHAUS
FOUNDER and CEO
Olivia G. Holzhaus established Rhodium Scientific in 2014. As founder and CEO, her charge is to deliver high-fidelity research results at the speed of business and advance commercialization strategies within the low Earth orbit economy. Olivia is a science-trained, business-educated professional, with more than 20 years of technical and operational experience in commercial testing, manufacturing, and research laboratories. She was a scientist with project management oversight at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), where she served as the institute’s main inorganic trace metals analyst, contributing to the identification and quantitation of metals, transuranic metals, chemical agent, and the safety of drinking water across the United States. Additionally, she served as a project management liaison to the DoD and enabled microbial efficacy testing important for U.S. defense initiatives. She leads an international, advanced-degreed team and has managed multiple laboratory renovation, relocation, and launch facility design projects for NASA, the Department of Defense (DoD), and the pharmaceutical industry.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliviagh
HEATH J. MILLS, Ph.D.
CHIEF SCIENTIFIC OFFICER
Dr. Heath J. Mills is an extreme environment microbial ecologist. As the current Chief Scientific Officer for Rhodium, he leads initiatives to expand terrestrial and spaceflight research capacities into the advanced commercial biotechnology sector. With academic degrees from Duke University and the Georgia Institute of Technology, Mills has more than 19 years’ experience studying extreme environment ecosystems from a biogeochemical perspective. He has published nearly 40 publications that have collected more than 1600 citations, where he used advanced molecular techniques to characterize microbial community structure and function from locations across and beneath the Earth. In space-based research over the past five years, Mills has been a Principal Investigator and co-Investigator on nearly 20 International Space Station science and engineering projects funded privately and by the Department of Defense, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and the International Space Station National Laboratory. Recently, Mills was appointed to the International Space Station National Laboratory User Advisory Committee (UAC) to serve on the Technology Development Subcommittee.
MICHAEL BAKER (“BAKES”)
INTERNATIONAL and SPACEFLIGHT ADVISOR
Michael Baker (“Bakes”) is a Veteran NASA Astronaut and Navy Test Pilot offering a 41-year history of accomplishment within NASA and the United States Navy. Michael has served as Shuttle Commander, operations and program manager, test pilot, and officer. Michael brings international program and spaceflight experience to the Rhodium team through his position as NASA’s Manager for International and Crew Operations for the International Space Station Program and as NASA’s Director of Human Space Flight Programs - Russia. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas, is a graduate of the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School (USNTPS), and has served as an instructor for both USNTPS and the Empire Test Pilots School in England.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-baker-7325b022/
CAMILLE ALLEYNE, Ph.D.
STRATEGY ADVISOR
Camille Alleyne is the founder and CEO of Arusha Space, LLC, a geospatial analytics and space consulting company that leverages space-based technology to solve challenges both on Earth and in space. Camille enjoyed a 29-year career at the space agency where she worked to make advancements in the areas of aerospace and space technology development. As a former senior leader at NASA, she helped to drive the commercialization of space and foster the creation of a multi-billion dollar space economy in low Earth orbit. She is a visionary leader in the areas of space technology application in international development and a change-maker in revolutionizing global science and space education for women and girls, inspiring them to be the next generation of scientists and engineers. Dr. Alleyne holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Howard University, a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Florida A&M University, a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland College Park, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Houston.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cwalleyne/
JANNA KEEVER
PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Janna Keever joined the Rhodium Scientific team in August 2023 as a Program Coordinator, tracking milestones and deliverables across a portfolio of more than 20 client projects both domestically and internationally. With a background in team and asset management across multiple industries, Janna brings a focus on transparency and quality to deliver value to stakeholders.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janna-keever-8796142a9/
CHRIS KELLEY
INTEGRATION and LOGISTICS SPECIALST
Chris Kelley brings a unique background of finance, aerospace, maintenance, and logistics experience to the Rhodium team. He manages the company’s spaceflight, scientific, and laboratory assets and oversees their inventory, maintenance, and NASA spaceflight certifications. Chris currently holds a pilot’s license and is highly experienced at aircraft maintenance due to piloting multiple small aircraft on a weekly basis. His experience conducting business development, parts acquisition, and maintenance at Air Professionals enables him to bridge the gaps between terrestrial and low Earth orbit markets.
Laura Fackrell, Ph.D.
STAFF SCIENTIST II
Dr. Laura Fackrell is a geochemist and geomicrobiologist specializing in space biology and astrobiology applications. As a staff scientist, she works to advance sustainable agriculture and related biotechnologies for both Earth and space through synergistic connections accessible through the space environment. Dr. Fackrell has more than seven years of research experience, with a focus on space agriculture. She has lead multiple publications in simulant development, best practices for regolith-based agriculture research, and the design and development of regolith simulants targeted for agricultural research with the University of Georgia. As a postdoctoral fellow at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, Dr. Fackrell led publications on designing applications for agriculture, waste processing and recovery, and analyzing related microbiomes for closed off-world systems. Her passion for STEM education has led to the creation of multiple STEM-focused curricula applied to planetary exploration and writing and earned her an Outstanding Teaching Assistant award from the University of Georgia. Dr. Fackrell is also a member of the Science Advisory Board for the Plant the Moon Challenge, a competition-based outreach program designed to engage students in science.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-fackrell-03491423
VIJETA REVANKAR
SPACE MEDICINE/BIOTECHNOLOGY INTERN
Vijeta Revankar is a medical student at McGovern Medical School where she plans on pursuing her dream of becoming a physician while exploring her interest in Aerospace Medicine. As a Space Medicine/Biotechnology intern at Rhodium Scientific, Vijeta focuses on using her research and project management skills in order to aid in the development of innovative, scientifically relevant solutions. Her extensive experience in the fields of public health, biomedical imaging, and technical writing all make her a valuable asset to the team.