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My STEM Journey:  Yenny Cubides, PhD

4/26/2021

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My passion for science started when I was in high school back in my hometown, Bogota, Colombia. I was fascinated with my chemistry, biology, physics and math classes. I was particularly impressed by learning how chemistry and physics can be used to make products that surround us every day in our lives. Besides, I loved learning how machines work and being able to explain natural phenomena such as weather, evolution, metabolism, etc. It was at that time when I realized that I wanted a career in STEM; however, I had my doubts of what specific career to follow, I remember considering chemistry, chemical engineering, biomedical engineering and even food science. Thanks to the support and help of my teachers and my desire for being able to produce materials and products that can bring value to our society, I finally decided that I would like to pursue a career in chemical engineering. 

Even before deciding on a specific major for my career, I already knew which university I would like to attend: The National University of Colombia. The National University of Colombia was and has been one of the most prestigious universities in Colombia for STEM education, so, I took my admission exam for their chemical engineering program and sadly, I was not admitted. I was completely devastated by this; however, my family and friends supported me and help me understand how difficult the admission process was with thousands of people taking the exam for the same major and with only 1% of them being admitted. This failure was my driving force to continue my journey and prepare better in a way that I was able to be admitted in the next term. 

Being in chemical engineering was an incredible experience for me, I met amazing teachers and classmates, I took very interesting and insightful classes and it was a great platform for developing my passion for doing research. For my bachelor’s degree thesis, I had the opportunity to come to the United States to conduct my research on chemical inhibitors for preventing internal corrosion in oil and gas pipelines in the department of chemical and biomolecular engineering at The University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. This experience strengthened my love for doing research and my desire for pursuing graduate studies. I decided then to move to the US to start my master’s program in chemical engineering at The University of Akron. I have to admit that it was a difficult decision leaving my family and coming alone to another country but it has been one of the most rewarding experiences, both personally and professionally, and I do not have any doubt that it has been one of the best decisions of my life. 

Up to this point, it seemed that I would become a scientist in chemical engineering, however, after a year of being in chemical engineering, another opportunity appeared in my career: Materials Science and Engineering. I transferred to Texas A&M University where I did my master’s and Ph.D. in materials science and engineering focused on designing coating technologies and magnesium alloys with enhanced mechanical and corrosion resistance properties. Once again, this was a tough decision; switching careers, moving to another city and essentially, start all over again. Nevertheless, this was another of those best decisions in my life, I love materials science and bring me joy every time that I learn something new about it. 
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My background in materials science and engineering brought me to where I am today, working at Dow as a senior research specialist in the product development team of advanced silicone elastomers. With less than a year since I started, my experience at Dow and in my current role has been amazing surrounded by an exceptional team and working together to develop high quality products that bring value to people and our planet. This entire journey of becoming a materials scientist has been a compilation of successes, failures and challenges but most importantly, it has been possible thanks to the help and support of my family, friends, colleagues and mentors and it is beyond words to express how grateful I am to all of them. I am excited to continue with this journey in materials science and to become a mentor for younger STEM generations. 





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April 19th, 2021

4/19/2021

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Careers in Materials Science

Material scientists are at the forefront of research in developing new materials for applications in infrastructure, transportation, technology, and much more.  A degree in materials science allows for a career in sectors such as manufacturing, research, aerospace, coatings, biomedical systems, and technology.  Changes in the chemical and atomic structure leads to new materials with improved properties such as toughness, flexibility, hardness, etc.  Materials science research also pushes the processing and synthesis of materials to make them more reliable, sustainable, and economic.  

Since materials science combines the study of chemistry, physics, engineering, mathematics and biology, careers in materials science include product/process development scientist, design engineer, and technical sales engineer.  

According to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, industries with the highest levels of employment in materials science are Scientific R&D service and chemical manufacturing.  The mean annual wage is $104,450 with the highest materials scientists employed in Massachusetts and Washington.   

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Consejos:  Advice from a Biomedical Researcher

4/12/2021

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What is the most difficult part of the job?
As veterinary pathologists, we are trained to examine tissue in a microscope and provide a definitive diagnosis. Sometimes we are not able to give a definitive diagnosis. Although this aspect may be a little frustrating at times, it is what makes it, in my opinion, an intriguing and life-long learning career.
 
What is your favorite part about your job?
The most exciting aspect of my job is working with infectious diseases and animal models. At Texas Biomed, we work in BSL2, BSL3, and BSL4. These represent different levels of containment of infectious diseases. There are few places in the world with BSL4 containment laboratories. TxBiomed is one of the few places in the world you can work with infectious agents such as Ebola and Tuberculosis. The best part is there is always something new to learn.
 
Stephanie, 24, asks: 
How did you know this is what you wanted to do? I’m majoring in medical/molecular biology and I haven’t decided what I want to do career wise. There are so many things involved in the world of biology, it makes it hard to pick something. 
 
Hi Stephanie, That is certainly a great question. Number #1 find a mentor by reaching out to your professors. I would highly recommend exploring research opportunities in your local university during the semesters and explore internship opportunities at the center for disease control (CDC) during the summer break. This is time to build your resume and learn new skills that can only be gathered with hands-on experience in the laboratory setting.
 
From Ilia on Facebook:
I saw in the news that vets are vaccinating primates for Covid-19.  What can you tell us about how Covid-19 affects primates?  Do you have any experience or have any colleagues in your industry researching if Covid is just as lethal in primates as it is in humans?
 
Hi Ilia, at Texas Biomed, we have worked with primates as animal models for Covid-19. I can tell you from experience that monkeys get infected with COVID19, but do not tend to develop the lethal outcomes seen in humans. Monkeys were used to test the safety and efficacy of our current Covid-19 vaccines. 
 
From Ilia on Facebook:
Will scientific research ever reach a point when we no longer have to experiment on live animals?  (I’m a rabbit rescuer)
 
Research in animals is a highly regulated industry. All research follows the three Rs, which represent: Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement. The current pandemic has shown how animal models save lives.
 
Submitted anonymously:
What does a day in your current role look like?  Do you get to do the hands-on lab work? 
 
A typical work week consists of performing necropsies at different level containment laboratories, collecting tissues, spending many hours at the microscope, and writing pathology reports. Pathologists are also involved in scientific manuscript write-ups.
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What is a piece of advice you would give to a young girl who wants to pursue a career in STEM?
 
Number #1 and most important step is to find a mentor by reaching out to your teachers or professors. I would highly recommend exploring research opportunities in your local university during the semesters and explore internship opportunities throughout the US or abroad. Your time as an undergraduate student is the perfect time to build your resume and learn new skills that can only be gathered with hands-on experience in the laboratory setting.
 
 
You now work at a research institute; did you have prior research experience?  Do you have any advice on how to find a research opportunity when in college?
 
Number #1 and most important step is to find a mentor by reaching out to your teachers or professors. I would highly recommend exploring research opportunities in your local university during the semesters and explore internship opportunities throughout the US or abroad. Your time as an undergraduate student is the perfect time to build your resume and learn new skills that can only be gathered with hands-on experience in the laboratory setting.
 
Is research at your institute collaborative?   Do you have opportunities to publish in journals?  
 
Yes, absolutely. Veterinary pathologists are also involved in scientific manuscript write-ups of research projects. We are also able to pursue our own research interests and publish on those topics.
 
We have had a rough year dealing with the pandemic and the road to vaccines.  What is the most impressive scientific advantage that has come out of it?  
 
 The most impressive scientific advances, in my opinion, have been how quickly researchers throughout the world have been able to develop, test and deploy a vaccine for a novel virus in record-breaking time. I think this sets a very positive precedent for the treatment and vaccine development of other infectious diseases.
 
 
 
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My STEM Journey:  Olga Gonzalez, PhD

4/12/2021

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​Early on during my childhood years growing up in Puerto Rico, I focused on the idea of becoming a veterinarian. Opportunities to study veterinary medicine in Puerto Rico were non-existent at that time, requiring me to look beyond the island setting and exploring veterinary professional schools in the US mainland. However, at the time, the idea of moving far away from the family for many years was daunting. I understood this was the only way.
As an undergraduate student at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras campus, I worked as a research assistant at a parasitology laboratory led by Dr. Sharon File. We worked with animal models of bilharzia to understand transmission and pathology associated with this endemic parasite. I also volunteered at the local veterinary clinic to gain contact hours working with domestic species. With my family's support and the help of many mentors who selflessly opened their doors to their clinics and research laboratories, I finished my Bachelor's degree in Biology and fulfilled the experience requirements to apply and be accepted into veterinary school. I completed the veterinary program at the University Of Wisconsin Madison School Of Veterinary Medicine, and then I decided to specialize in veterinary pathology. After completing my veterinary pathology residency and completing board certifying exams, I worked in multiple settings, including academia, veterinary diagnostic laboratories, and primate centers.  
As a veterinary pathologist at the Southwest National Primate Research Center, I have the privilege to work with laboratory animal models of infectious diseases in a research setting. This opportunity has been the most rewarding experience of my professional career. Looking back at the path that landed me in San Antonio, Tx, I will be eternally grateful for the academic mentors that provided career-defining experiences.
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Resources in Biomedical Research

4/6/2021

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U.S. News and World Report Best Biomedical Engineering Programs:
https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/biomedical-rankings
 
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/biomedical-engineers.htm
 
US Dept of Health and Human Services biomedical resources for parents and teachers:
https://www.nibib.nih.gov/science-education/parents-teachers-resources
 
US Dept of Health and Human Services biomedical resources for students:
https://www.nibib.nih.gov/science-education/students-resources
 
California Biomedical Research Association:
https://ca-biomed.org/
 
New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research:
https://njabr.org/
 
North Carolina Association for Biomedical Research:
https://www.ncabr.org/
 
Northwest Association for Biomedical Research:
https://www.nwabr.org/
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Careers in Biomedical Sciences

3/29/2021

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Biomedical sciences combines the study of human physiology, human pathology, and pharmacology to advance health problems facing society.  Biomedical science encompasses biochemistry, cell biology, and medicinal chemistry to name a few disciplines.  Those who pursue a career in biomedical sciences go on to develop new prosthetics or the next cancer treatment.  

While pursuing a degree in biomedical sciences, one will take courses that include genetics, nutrition, microbiology, human anatomy, and kinesiology.  A degree in biomedical sciences opens the doors for careers in the fields of science and medicine as well as positions that combine the two.  

A degree in biomedical sciences can also be used for a career as a forensic technologist.  A forensic technologist is an expert in DNA, hair, etc. and consults with legal officials on crimes.  Many toxicologists have studied biomedical science.  Toxicologists study the safety and biological effects of drugs, chemicals, and substances on living organisms.  A degree in biomedical sciences can serve as a launching point for an advanced degree in public health.  A Masters in Public Health can lead to a position in developing and implementing health policy at all levels- local, state, and federal.  

Biomedical research is an important career for those who pursue a degree in biomedical sciences.  While many people picture a scientist in a white coat when they hear biomedical research, current research takes place not only in the lab of colleges and universities, but in the community.  Researchers work with schools and community clinics to conduct research in communities.  Biomedical scientists are also vital in medicinal chemistry.  They conduct research to create chemicals and compounds that are used in drug development and how they behave in the human body.  Additionally, this research is also conducted in the field of zoology to study how drugs and diagnostics can be used in animals.  
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A degree in biomedical sciences opens up a variety of career options from research in a university setting to health policy and pharmaceutical sales.  It is a versatile degree that can lead to a job in a broad number of industries. 

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Consejos- Advice from an Aerospace Executive

3/13/2021

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Questions for Aerospace- Diana
 
Is there any advice you would give young girls about going into your line of work?
 
Growing up I had very little aspirations about working in the aerospace industry. As a matter of fact, I actually dreamed of being an architect, so that one day I could design my own home. I even took drafting classes in high school in preparation of that goal. What has always guided my goals and aspirations has been my desire to keep learning and stay curious. I would tell young girls that aspire to work in the aerospace industry, in particular space exploration, to read up on the latest trends in the industry and stay curious. There are great companies like SpaceX, Maxar, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Virgin Galactic, to name a few that are doing amazing work today to enable the future of space exploration. NASA also has great resources to keep up to date on the latest exciting news like the recent landing of the Perseverance Rover, which NASA also recently broadcasted in Spanish for the first time under their NASA en Españolplatform. 
 
I’d also encourage young girls to dream big and consider things not yet possible. There is a lot of innovation needed in space exploration that requires new approaches, new thinking, and that in turn willcreate new industries and products. We need new future innovators that will not only help us solve today’s problems, but will also help us create new groundbreaking solutions for tomorrow’s biggest challenges.
 
How did you know you wanted to go into your line of work?
 
As I’ve mentioned, I originally had dreams of becoming an architect. However, during a summer program after my junior year of high school I was introduced to the field of engineering. It was then that I realized that I had a greater passion for understanding not only how to use technology, but also how it was conceptualized, designed and created. After college, I expected to work in a lab or a semiconductor company designing microchips, but instead had an opportunity to work as an antenna design engineer of spacecrafts. This was an unexpected opportunity that I seized that has led to a long and very rewarding career in the aerospace industry. My advice is to be open to new and unexpected opportunities as they present themselves to you – you to have to ensure that you are prepared and ready to take that leap of faith into the unknown.
 
What is the most difficult part of the job?
 
In my current capacity, part of my responsibilities include overseeing and managing Independent Research and Development (IRAD) of new and enabling space technologies. One of the biggest challenges of this role includes ensuring that projects stay on schedule, on budget, and that support is provided to help overcome technical challenges as work is being done to develop new technologies. This work requires significant amount of coordination across different teams to ensure the success of our funded IRAD projects. The challenge becomes ensuring that the broader organization understands what we are trying to accomplish and how they are critical to our success.
 
 
Did you start as an individual contributor, how did you pivot towards the executive path? 
 
Yes, I started my current tenure as an individual contributor mainly responsible for the design of antenna subsystems of spacecrafts. The antenna subsystem is best described as the ears and mouth of a spacecraft, and the means by which it communicates back to earth from space, and is understandably a critical component of the spacecraft’s payload capacity. After being a lead designer for about five years, with escalating responsibilities, I became a manager of our antenna subsystem’s testing facility. I then moved on to other roles, including; In-Orbit Test (IOT) Director, where I was responsible for the in-orbit testing of our spacecrafts before formally handing them over to our customers, Product Manager of one ofour key products, and Technical Partner to our Vice President of Systems Engineering mainly responsible for the technical direction of the directorate. In my current capacity as Director of IRAD and Cost and Schedule Team (CAST) I am now focused on executive level managerial duties. I have been very fortunate to work for an organization that has provided me with opportunities for growth and that continues to encourage and support me as my career evolves and transforms. As you grow in responsibilities, it is important to learn how to be comfortable with being uncomfortable, with embracing new challenges, with making the best of opportunities provided to you, with delivering on your promises, with asking a lot of questions, and most importantly with always staying curious with a growth mindset. 
 
 
What other jobs can you have with your degree?
 
My actual degree is a BS in Electrical Engineering and Sciences with a concentration in analog. I expected to work for a lab or a semiconductor company designing microchips after graduating from college. However, after interviewing with Maxar and learning that I could also design antenna subsystems for spacecrafts a completely new career became available.
Other current options include, but are not limited to:
• Engineer in Energy Sector – designing and/or managing power plants or improving electric power generation sources
• Electronics Engineer – designing of electronic components for equipment requiring power (like cellphones and computers)
• Automotive Engineer – designing the electrical power interfaces of cars, particularly those ofelectric cars
• Oil and Gas Engineer – designing and maintain electrical systems for refineries
• Biomedical Engineer – designing the electrical interfaces for medical equipment (like pacemakers, or robotic arms that can assist surgeons during surgery)
• Telecommunications Engineer – designing of transmission information systems via a cable or optical fiber 
What are possible next steps in your career?
 
I would like to continue working on new product and technology development in the next steps of my career. I enjoy working on new cutting edge development and being at forefront of out the box problem solving for some of our most complex challenges. It is more important to me that my work is meaningful than for me to have a specific title or to be in charge of a specific organizational function. 
 
 
If you could do it all over again would you still go into Aerospace?
Yes, working in the aerospace industry has been extremely rewarding. Over the years I have had the opportunity to work on over 27 spacecrafts that have been launched or are still in space. I find that extremely remarkable and beyond my wildest dreams! We are also at a very exciting time of space exploration as evident by the recent Perseverance rover landing on Mars and NASA’s current commitment to go back to the moon by 2024 via the Gateway lunar command module. 
 
What is the biggest misconception about what you do?
 
The biggest misconception about what I do is that because I work in the aerospace industry that I have a deep understanding of how airplanes are designed. It’s almost similar to people assuming that because I have an Electrical Engineering degree that I know how to do perform electrician work. I can have an intelligent conversation about how drag and friction affects airplanes and I can likely spend some time reading electrician schematics and understand them, but I would not volunteer to design an airplane or do extensive electrical work at home.
 
Would you say your career path into this field was traditional? If not, why?
 
No, my career path into the aerospace industry was anything but traditional. I actually come from a very humble home where I was the first one in my family to graduate from high school and attend college – a very typical first generation experience. I did not have a network of college educated family members to learn from or lean on and did a lot of trial and error learning along my STEM journey. However, I did try to learn as much as possible from others and seized opportunities as they presented themselves. 
 
Through a lot of hard work I was admitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering. My tenure at MIT was challenging, but I created a support network that encouraged and supported me along the way. This support system became my family away from family and I would not have graduated without their unwavering and unconditional support.
 
After graduating from college, I worked at a small startup that focused on designing batteries power by the thermal gradient temperature difference created between a room and a person’s body temperature – the very early stages of wearable technology.  After being at the startup a little more than year, I interviewed at Maxar where the antenna directorate leadership team took a chance on me based on two classes, Electrodynamics and Electromagnetic Wave Theory, I took in college that I found very interesting. From there I took every opportunity to learn from senior engineers willing to teach me and mentor me, and as they say the rest is history. 
 
I would like to add that many times we have an expectation on how things are expected to work. My advice is to keep an open mind and be willing to pivot as new opportunities and challenges present themselves. Let me be clear, I’ve had many challenges, many failures and many setbacks, but my determination to keep going, to make my parents proud and all their sacrifices worth it, grounds me every day and motivates me to push forward even when I’m not sure that I can or will succeed. 
 
What is your favorite part about your job?
 
My favorite part of my job is working on new technologies and being surrounded by very smart and capable people that challenge me to bring new ideas forward and be the best that I can be. I also get a lot out of mentoring recent college graduates and early professionals. I, unfortunately, did not have many role models that looked like me when I started in my career and as a result I try to make myself visible for woman of color in my industry. I also try to advocate for equitable distribution of job assignments and of growth opportunities for diverse candidates in the spaces, and discussions, I am invited to be part of. I have been very fortunate to have sponsors and advocates that have propelled my career forward, and now I have deep sense of responsibility to pay it forward with the new and up and coming generation of leaders. 
 
How many years of school does it take to become an engineer?
 
Traditionally to become an engineer it takes four years of lower and upper division classes. However, there many higher learning institutions that have a five year engineering track. In some instances these higher learning institutions also allow for a Masters in Engineering option for an extra year of study. I would encourage anyone in a traditional four year college track to not feel rushed to complete their studies, unless there is financial hardship. In the end, completing an engineering degree in four or five years does not actually impact anyone’s prospective career trajectory.
 
 
 
From jazisscience on IG
Cuales crees que son la carreras para el futuro en la industria espacial?  

 
Esta es una excelente e interesante pregunta. En mi opiniónmuchas de las futuras carreras de la industria especial aun no existen. Una pregunta muy importante en la exploración espacial del futuro es como vamos habitar nuevos planetas. Estas son preguntas éticas que debemos empezar a preguntarnos para no cometer los mismos errores que exploradores de las Américas cometieron. ¿Cómo vamos a decidir quiénes serán los primeros habitantes en marte u otros planetas? ¿Quién tiene la autoridadde decidir y cuáles serán las normas que los nuevos habitantes deberán adoptar? Estas son preguntas fascinantes que tenemos que empezar a contemplar.
Por la parte técnica, habrá necesidad de decidir cómo se establecerá vida en marte u otros planetas. ¿Cómo nos aseguraremos que podrá existir vida humana en otros planetas?¿Cuáles serán las fuentes de energía y de agua? ¿Cómo nos aseguramos de una exitosa transportación humana a otros planetas?  ¿Cómo se producirá la alimentación para los nueves habitantes en otras planetas? Esta son las razones por lo cual tenemos que explorar marte: para poder empezar a examinar cómo vida humana podría no tan solo sobrevivir, pero vivir abundantemente en marte y en otros planetas. Cosas básicas como agua, comida, y vivienda se complican cuando debemos empezar de la nada. Los primeros habitantes de marte u otros planetas tendrán que estar dispuestos a vivir sin muchas comodidades para avanzar la exploración espacial – claramente un sacrificio que no cualquier persona estaría dispuesta hacer
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March 02nd, 2021

3/2/2021

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Careers in Aerospace Engineering
 https://www.aiaa.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/careersinaerospace.pdf
 
Aeronautical Engineer: Educational Requirements
https://study.com/articles/Aeronautical_Engineer_Educational_Requirements.html
 
Best Aerospace Engineering Programs
​https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/aerospace-rankings 

US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Handbook for Aerospace Engineers
 https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/aerospace-engineers.htm
 
 
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
 https://www.aiaa.org/
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My STEM Journey: Roselin Campos, Mechanical Design Engineer for Solar Arrays

2/24/2021

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I grew up in South Central Los Angeles. My parents immigrated from El Salvador with no money, searching for a better life in the U.S. They met in Los Angeles and decided to start a family. So that made me first generation for, well, everything. Since my parents did not come from wealth, they always told me that as an inheritance, they couldn’t offer me any riches or property but what they could offer me was an education. They always pushed the importance of school and going to college because they believed it was the only way I could have a better life financially than they did. My dad worked as a security guard and my mom was a stay at home mom with many side hustles (cooking Salvadoran cuisine for events, cleaning houses, working in thrift shops etc.). On my dad’s day off he would often take me to the library because he wanted to cement a love for books.  At that library in Compton, was the first clue, the very first seed planted for my future career as an Aerospace Engineer. 


I always gravitated toward the section full of science books that specifically covered celestial bodies. The titles were Saturn, The Moon, Comets & Asteroids, Jupiter etc. I was hooked. Every chance I got, I chose to do school reports on space and it’s celestial bodies, but I was never told or encouraged to pursue science in elementary or middle school. In fact, I didn’t know what an engineer was until I was 16 years old. 
I was an incoming senior getting ready to submit my college applications. That summer, I attended the UCLA SMARTS (Science and Mathematics Achievement and Research Training for Students) program. SMARTS was a program to get students interested in STEM. I took a Statistics and a Robotics class for college credit through the program. It was my first exposure to coding, building and making something with my own hands. I was hooked, we built tiny robots using breadboards and I wrote my first computer program that summer.


I was riding the robotics course high, so I searched for the Robotics Club when I went back to school that fall. I joined Team 1692, the Crenshaw Cougarbots and participated in my first FRC (First Robotics Competition). There, I met two of the earliest influences on my decision to pursue a STEM career. Mr. Reyes was the robotics club facilitator & the school’s only computer science teacher. Tim was an actual engineer from The Aerospace Corporation who volunteered his time to mentor our Robotics team for FRC. 


I took on a design role within the team, I spent most of my time drawing on the white boards thinking about what mechanisms we could put on the robot to make it accomplish certain tasks. I spent so much time at the Robotics Club that fall semester, I often brought my college applications so I could work on them. One afternoon, I was debating out loud what major to mark on my college applications. Mr. Reyes took one look at my scribbles on the whiteboard and said “You’re always around here talking about space, why don’t you apply for aerospace engineering?” I looked at him stunned. What the heck was aerospace engineering? I had never heard of it. He went on to explain that engineering was basically what I was doing in the robotics club and aerospace engineering meant I could do the same thing but what I built would either fly or go to space. I could not believe what I just learned. I quickly switched all of my major selections to aerospace engineering wherever it was available. I received my acceptance to UCLA for aerospace engineering that Spring, I had made it. I was off to pursue my dream of building things that would someday work in space. 


I was 100% not prepared for what UCLA had in store for me. It’s no secret that engineering is hard, but the UCLA engineering program was on another level. I struggled quite a bit during my time there, all of my friends who were first generation students in STEM did. We weren’t prepared, there was definitely a gap in our basic math and physics education but we kept going because we knew we deserved to be there and we would just have to work a bit harder. While at UCLA, I was part of the Center for Excellence in Engineering & Diversity. I made lifelong friends there. CEED was an essential support system to get me through engineering. I met other engineering students of color from backgrounds like mine and it made me feel less alone in engineering. It was BECAUSE of CEED that I found my next leap opportunity to take a leap forward into my dream career. One of my friends had just finished an internship at Intel, in one of the group chats she joined,  there was someone encouraging people to apply to The Brooke Owens Fellowship. She sent me a link to the program and application because I was the only Aerospace Engineering major she knew (she was an electrical engineering major, shout out to Justine!). As a rising senior in college, I decided to apply. 
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The Brooke Owens Fellowship is an aerospace fellowship that aims to increase the number of gender minorities in the aerospace industry. The fellowship offers a 10 week internship at many startups and big aerospace companies, a summit in DC to meet with the founders and other fellows, and access to a network of professionals in the industry ranging from scientists to engineers to space policy experts. The Brooke Owens fellowship was life-changing. I had the privilege to become part of the inaugural class. I had never met so many women my age, so passionate about aviation and space. Even in my classes at UCLA, I was often 1 of 3 women in a class of 60 and almost always the only person of color. Now, I suddenly knew 40+ young women just as excited about aerospace as I was.
It was through becoming a fellow that I landed an internship with Space Systems Loral (now Maxar Technologies Space Division). Maxar is a satellite manufacturer located in Silicon Valley. We make satellites for space exploration, imaging and GEO applications. I now work full time for MAXAR as a Mechanical Design Engineer for Solar Arrays. I’ve learned SO much in the past three years about space hardware, the industry, what it takes to take a design from concept to test and finally to flight. I am currently working on qualifying (testing phase of a new design) a solar array wing and it is expected to launch later this year! 
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My journey to become an Aerospace Engineer wasn’t easy, it wasn’t linear, it was hard, frustrating and sometimes lonely but it was also fun, exciting and inspiring. I want to help other first generation students realize that they have the option to go into a career in aerospace. I want everyone to know that aerospace now,  more than ever before, is for everyone. 

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Careers in Aerospace Engineering

2/18/2021

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Aerospace engineers develop new technologies specific to the fields of spaceflight, aviation, and defense.  Aerospace engineers are at the forefront of research and development of high-speed vehicles such as aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, satellites, and lunar vehicles.  Those studying to become an aerospace engineer will take courses such as Propulsion, Thermodynamics, and Aerodynamics to name a few.  According the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Aerospace engineering jobs are projected to grow 3% from 2019-2029.  

Most aerospace engineers work directly in the aerospace industry.  Some jobs include working as a commercial Aerospace Engineer where they focus on designing and building commercial aircrafts that are used in the airline business.  In addition to designing aircrafts for commercial travel, aerospace engineers are critical to designing aircrafts for space travel.  Aerospace engineers also design satellites that are sent into space and handle voice, data, and video transmission tasks daily.  


A degree in aerospace engineering can also be used to be a modeler- these engineers design equipment on computers, run simulations on the equipment, and make changes for more efficient and effective equipment.   Aerospace engineers are also needed as inspectors and compliance officers.  They use their expertise to enforce laws and regulations and they can work for the government or for private companies to detect faults and violations before inspection.  Aerospace engineers are also in charge of drawings for missiles, spacecraft, and aircrafts.  They draft drawing and specification sheets so that the equipment can be built.  

One of the most common careers that people think about when they hear aerospace engineering is mission or payload specialist, or astronauts.  They are crew members on space missions that collect data and run experiments on space missions.  
Aerospace engineers held about 66,400 jobs in 2019.  Of those jobs, 36% were in aerospace product and parts manufacturing, 16%  were in the federal government, 15% were in engineering services, 10% were navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instrument manufacturing, and 8% were in research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences.  
A bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering or another field of engineering related to aerospace systems is required to become an aerospace engineer.  Some universities offer a 5 year program which will allow a student to receive both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree.  

Aerospace engineers are at the forefront of technology. This career requires analytical skills, critical-thinking skills, and problem solving skills.  


Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Aerospace Engineers, at
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https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/aerospace-engineers.htm
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