Staff

Alex Hall, Senior Director, Google Lunar X PRIZE Alexandra Hall comes to the X PRIZE Foundation with a wealth of experience in both the private and public sectors in USA and Europe. Ms. Hall will draw on her professional experience and enthusiasm for space exploration to manage all aspects of the Google Lunar X PRIZE. Ms. Hall is credited with breaking new ground in aviation by bringing Zeppelin airships back to the U.S. after 70 years through her position as co-founder and former CEO of Airship Ventures, a company that uses airships for passenger flights, science research, and media purposes, Prior to Airship Ventures, Ms. Hall served as the Executive Director of the Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, CA, where she managed fundraising efforts, developed exhibitions and led major programs with school district, university and agency partners. Ms. Hall is regarded as a leader in bringing space and astronomy to the public, having authored several books for children and adults about space and hosted BBC Television's "Final Frontier." She holds a degree in Astrophysics from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom.

Chanda Gonzales, Manager of Education Chanda Gonzales comes to the X PRIZE Foundation with more than ten years of experience working with K-12 students, University students and teachers from a variety of backgrounds. Additionally, she has directed programs that foster community and partner collaboration. This experience helps Ms. Gonzales oversee the direction of the Google Lunar X PRIZE Education Program, where she is responsible for managing all aspects of the global Science, Engineering, Technology and Math (STEM) program. Prior to joining the X PRIZE Foundation, Ms. Gonzales served as a Program Director with the University of California, Riverside and Davis campuses. During her tenure with these academic institutions, she worked on programs that looked at the importance of reengineering policy to attempt to better serve its communities. She has worked with a variety of entities like the Office of Secretary Defense, Department of Interior, European Union, local governments, 4-H, Boys and Girls Club, Charles Schwab, Accenture and Sears in developing programs that supported environmental, personal finance, citizenship, recreation and science based education. Ms. Gonzales holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Master of Public Administration from California State University, San Bernardino.

Amanda Stiles, Online Community and Google Liaison Amanda Stiles comes to the X PRIZE Foundation with wide-ranging experience in both the space industry and web/online community development. For several years, she worked on the Space Shuttle program, performing a variety of jobs including training astronauts and scripting simulation scenarios related to Shuttle propulsion and guidance systems. Ms. Stiles has also worked on flight software for an innovative NASA lunar spacecraft called LADEE, based out of NASA’s Ames Research Center. Throughout her time at NASA, Ms. Stiles was involved in several participatory exploration initiatives dedicated to getting the public more involved with NASA’s missions. Over the past 10 years, she has also done extensive web work, including managing and building websites for the California Space Education and Workforce Institute and the Conrad Foundation. Ms. Stiles holds a Bachelor of Science in Aero/Astronautical Engineering from the University of Washington and a Master of Science in Space Management from the International Space University.