Undergraduate Experience Undergraduate Preparations –B.S. Computing Science –Minor in Mechanical Engineering Southwest Research Institute –Summer hire Decision to pursue a Masters

Graduate Experience Advisory Committee –Dr. Dara Childs (Chair, Mech Eng) –Dr. John Vance (Mech Eng) –Dr. Sallie Sheppard (IE/Comp Sci) Graduate Research Assistantship –Dept. of Mechanical Engineering Thesis: –“A Rotordynamic Analysis of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) High Pressure Oxygen Turbopump (HPOTP)

Lessons Learned Degree Planning Relationship w/ Advisor Graduate Research Assistantship Masters Degree Skill Set

Interviewing Experience Interview w/ JSC rep Interviews w/ other companies Working directly w/ JSC Human Resources

Lessons Learned Marketability Hiring Trends Persistence

NASA Experience Flight Control Team STS-41G – ERBS Deploy STS-51L – Challenger STS-26 – Return to Flight STS-31 – HST Deploy STS-37 – GRO Deploy STS-49 – Intelsat VI Retrieval STS-61 – HST Repair

NASA Experience Mission Evaluation Room (MER) As SVS Project Management  STS-74, 80, 85, 89, 95 – SVS Flight Testing  STS-88 – ISS Assembly Flight 2A  STS-92 through STS-110 – ISS Assembly As MER Manager –STS-111, 112, 113 – ISS Assembly –STS-107 – Columbia –STS-114 – Return to Flight –STS-121 – 1st Aggie Undergrad to fly

Lessons Learned Operations vs. Engineering Civil Service vs. Contractor Supervisory vs. Technical Career Path

Backup Charts

STS-31 Hubble Telescope Deploy

STS-49 Intelsat Retrieval

STS-61 Hubble Repair

STS-88 ISS Flight 2A