|
JSC co-op profile: Jennifer Beall
What is your major? Bachelor's of science in mathematics; minors in Spanish and business
What school do you attend? Duke University
How many tours have you done at JSC? Two
Where do you work? Institutional Procurement. My first tour was in Human Resources and Education.
Why do you want to work at NASA? Before I stumbled upon the co-op program at a career fair, I had never thought of working at NASA. But once I got here I realized what an amazing place this is. Everyone is so excited about their work and feels like they make a contribution to the space program and is inspiring the next generation of explorers. This enthusiasm is contagious. During my first co-op tour this spring, I attended tours of every building and lectures by every famous NASA person that I could, trying to take it all in and learn as much as possible about this place. My favorite thing about working here is that the management makes employees feel safe, valuable, and that there are constantly events going on in the Teague and at the Gilruth. Between all that and life as a co-op, there is never a dull moment!
What do you like about JSC? I love the community feeling that you get at JSC. Everyone here is a big family, all working together with a common mission. I also feel like it's easy to meet people from all different backgrounds and professions.
What has been the best experience for you so far? The co-op program has provided so many amazing opportunities for me since I started working here. From the tours, lectures, social activities and friendships made, I truly thank the co-op office for exposing us to so many aspects of JSC and allowing us to work in a real environment before we even graduate college. It's also exciting to be a business co-op because most people think that only engineers can co-op at NASA, but I have been able to gain many valuable skills during my time here that will hopefully help me attend business school one day.
What is the biggest difference you have found in living in Houston versus living where you are from? I am originally from Austin, so the Texas weather is no big surprise to me, and was actually a welcome change from the cold winter in Durham, N.C. The biggest and best difference between Houston and Durham is that here I have my choice of good Tex-Mex, barbecue or seafood. Dorm food was definitely starting to get old, and North Carolina barbecue is an entirely different subject.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
NASA bats 1.000 with All-Star fans
Standing in the Main Concourse of Minute Maid Park, the Mars Rover Replica from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory basked in the attention it received from eager All-Star fans.
One such fan was none other than Astros owner Drayton McLane, who made it a point to stop by and look at the exploration masterpiece. Johnson Space Center volunteer Chuck Welch jokingly made McLane an offer than many would not have been able to resist.
"We offered to sell it to him, and he asked if it cost as much as a baseball player. We said 'little more' so he decided not to!" Welch said with a laugh.
However, the Mars Rover was not the only NASA exhibit receiving so much attention. From July 9-13, JSC furnished a large, interactive exhibit at the George R. Brown Convention Center for the All-Star Fan Fest. The exhibit included the 20‚ x 20‚ Shuttle Launch Experience display, which allows visitors to feel as if they steps away from an actual Shuttle launch. A Shuttle EVA Photo Opportunity Spacesuit provided many smiles during the day as fans took turns suiting up. Photo backdrops also presented magnificent views of the International Space Station, Shuttle, Moon and Mars. Astronauts were a huge draw to the exhibit, as they were close by signing autographs for the visitors.
"The fans took in the exhibit and the sound part of the Shuttle Launch Experience, but there was a lot of anticipation to meet a actual astronaut,‰
Paul Miller, Exhibits Shop Foreman, said. „There were long lines of people at least 30 people deep waiting to get an autograph.‰
At the All-Star Diamond Clinic, JSC and Major League Baseball provided an interactive exhibit called the NASA Skills Obstacle Course. This particular clinic compared the rigors of astronaut training with the complexity of baseball training. Fans had the opportunity to navigate the specially designed obstacle course to get a sense of what it takes to, in essence, "play baseball on the moon."
Approximately 60 JSC scientists, engineers and support personnel were also able make a special contribution to the Homerun Derby festivities. While the national anthem played in the background, JSC employees helped carry a giant United States flag onto the baseball field. It was an impressive sight that captivated the audience and instilled memories in those that were able to be a part of the performance.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Apollo era comes to life through stories, spirit
The enthusiasm, energy and excitement of the Apollo era were apparent when Chief of the Flight Director Office Milt Heflin, former Deputy Center Director Randy Stone and Chief Engineer Jay Greene gathered in the Teague Auditorium to share their stories during the Apollo 11 35th Anniversary Celebration. Throughout the event, current NASA employees were encouraged to continue the NASA tradition and to strive toward accomplishing the next great steps with the same energy and enthusiasm.
"It really is important to enjoy and celebrate the events that happened 35 years ago," said Johnson Space Center Director Jefferson D. Howell, Jr. "It gives us a better understanding and confidence that we can achieve this vision given our legacy and what has happened before us."
Howell took the opportunity to honor the "Apollo veterans" for their dedication at the beginning of the event. The audience provided an overwhelming applause as they stood for recognition.
"We have in our presence a group of men and women who were here in the very beginning and helped contribute to the incredible accomplishments of the Apollo era and what we did at that time," said Howell. Heflin, Stone and Greene shared several light-hearted stories from the Apollo era that conveyed the tremendous energy, motivation and drive that it took to get to the Moon. Today's young employees were encouraged to be motivated and to continue the success of the space program.
"Doing something great is hard no matter what era you do it in," said Stone.
"You've got to be dedicated to the task to get it done. The people who lived through the Apollo era all flourished and worked together as a team. They were technically motivated," said Greene. "We wanted to get to the Moon, and that's what we did."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Apollo memorabilia takes
JSC employees back in time
"I feel like I'm at the Smithsonian!"
That was one employee‚s reaction to the amazing assortment of Apollo memorabilia on display at the Teague Auditorium. The items, all of which were provided by Johnson Space Center employees, were showcased as part of JSC's Apollo 11 35th Anniversary Celebration.
The historic items ranged from signed crew photos to Apollo action figures; from models to medallions; from trading cards to magazines. 1969 newspapers from dozens of different cities were on display, each with headlines like "Men Walk On Moon" and "The Eagle Has Landed" taking up half the front page.
There were figurines, coin banks, watches, golf balls and lamps, each in the shape of the Moon or an astronaut. Employees teemed around tables and displays for hours, taking in all the tangible history around them. In some cases, the employees who brought the items were nearby to tell the stories behind them.
Tex Ward of the Engineering Directorate brought in many of his treasures, including a tether hook that was used on the Moon to lift bags of rocks. Ward was a training coordinator for Apollo 14 and Apollo 17. Gary Johnson of Safety and Mission Assurance displayed his "switch list" from Apollo 13, where he and his team had worked out which toggles the endangered crew needed to switch, in what order, in preparation for their successful reentry into Earth's atmosphere.
Dennis Waggett, a Radiation Safety Officer in the Bioastronautics Office, brought a large collection of lithographs and photos, and eagerly told stories about each to the crowd assembled around his table.
The highlight of the display was a lunar sample from Apollo 11. The sample was estimated to be 3.6 billion years old, and was at one time displayed in the Oval Office. But even the more humble relics left an impression -- large or small, they were treasured mementos of an exciting moment in American history.
|
