My Journals

Who am I?

I am a project engineer who designs and develops hardware that supports life science experiments on the space shuttle and the Russian Mir space station. We try to design equipment that will provide data and successfully complete experiments for scientists, as well as operate within the restrictions of spaceflight. Even simple hardware designs are often more complex to operate properly in space.

In my position I must be a self-starter and be able to figure out ways to solve problems. It's good to have a broad background, be practical and find simplified ways of doing things.

My Career Journey

I have worked as a project engineer in space life sciences for almost seven years. Before working on the MIR project, I was involved in the Space Lab Japan mission as a lead engineer. However, I originally came to NASA to work in the wind tunnels as a project engineer, which I had originally done at Grumman Aerospace.

I had hoped to be either a pilot or an aeronautical engineer. I went to college and studied aerospace engineering to understand how aircraft are designed and operate. After working for several years, I wanted to combine my engineering interests with my strong environmental interests. I found that atmospheric science was a good combination of the two. So, right now I am studying for my master's in meteorology. I just need to finish my thesis and then I will be eligible for the degree.

Influences

My father worked for Pan-American Airlines and we would fly to many places. I was always interested in and intrigued by flight and I considered a career in aerospace when I was younger. There was a certain grace to flight that attracted me. I enjoyed drawing because it allowed me to visualize and express what I imagined. I also liked building things with construction sets like Legos. I think an active imagination is important for doing work like mine.

Personal Information

I am married and have a four-month-old son and two dogs. I have a passion for biking and human-powered vehicles. I often dream of having my own bike shop. I also like to play Ultimate Frisbee because I think it is an extension of the fascination I have with flight. I am a strong supporter of environmental causes as well.

Likes About Career

Seeing something work after giving a lot of effort and providing original ideas for solving problems are fulfilling parts of my job. We are also involved with the hardware from start to finish so we are involved with the hardware the entire time. That's not something all engineers are able to do. The hardware we produce can be very specialized so it's nice to be able to work with the equipment for the entire project.

Many times, once the hardware is delivered, we are not as involved with the remainder of the project. There is still much more that needs to be done. But by the time the project is flying in space we may have already begun work on a new project. We are like the lead-off runners of a relay race, never able to break the tape at the end of the race.

I consider any design that I have built that operates properly in space and fulfills the science objectives of the experiment an achievement. It is an achievement because there are often many problems that must be overcome before it can work.

Working on a project as a team is important because maintaining your own interests over the team's doesn't accomplish a lot. I enjoy working on projects with good team spirit because the team members support and respect each others' responsibilities.

Seeing a shuttle launch was a positive experience and very satisfying knowing that it was carrying something I built. I think there is a mystique involved in the space program, particularly when I was growing up. I have found that it's actually a job and a workplace, more or less like many others.

Dislikes About Career

The most frustrating part of the work is that the hardware designs must often be compromised due to indecision and design by committee. Sometimes we have to design something that is only "adequate" due to scheduling and cost. I also spend a lot of time on bureaucratic matters and not as much time on actual engineering.

Advice

I would say not to be locked into one area. Be open minded and look into the areas that interest you to decide if they are what you want to do. Visit a workplace, take career surveys to help you consider what may be ahead, or take other opportunities to look into your areas of interest to see what the real world is like. Things may not always be what they seem like from the outside.

I would also say to take different courses in college in order to get a general view of things. When I was in college I was very focused on aeronautics and aerospace engineering. There wasn't very good guidance at my high school for students going to college. Locking into engineering was easy for me to do because doing so was easier than searching for something different.

I think it is important to have a physical life in order to get the stress out of your system. My kind of work can be stressful and make high demands of your patience since we do not always get immediate responses from others. The turn-around time, from design to hardware, is pretty quick but still requires patience and focus on the end goal.

I enjoyed the initial years of college because the coursework was general. But the later years were more difficult for me because I felt I was moving away from the big picture. But I was determined to finish my degree because I always try to finish what I've started, and I was pretty determined to go into aerospace. But if I were to look back, I think I would try not to be as locked in to one area, be more open minded and consider different things.

The opportunities in my work originally relied on defense, but things are different now. You also need to know the job market and be practical about what you are doing. How engineering is applied is an important thing. It's a matter of always being able to adapt while maintaining your interests and principles. As you proceed and change through your life, so will your interests and career.