 Jennifer Pulley HOST, NASA CONNECT Langley Research Ctr |
 Hector Soto AEROSPACE ENGINEER Langley Research Ctr. |
 Mike Logan AIRCRAFT DESIGNER Langley Research Ctr. |
 Marta Bohn-Meyer AEROSPACE ENGINEER Dryden Flight Research Ctr. |
 Kevin Krigsvold NASA CONNECT ASSISTANT PRODUCER Langley Research Ctr. |
 Carolyn Morgan MATH PROFESSOR Hampton University |
 
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 I am the project manager for the Projection Moiré Interferometer system (PMI) at NASA Langley Research Center. This task includes the procurement of all parts, the construction and installation of these systems in the appropriate facilities. Also I conduct Research and Development (R&D) to find optimization techniques for the hardware and software of these systems. One other area in which I am breaking new ground is in biomimetics. We are researching ways to mimic biological organisms. Early on in life I had made a decision to obtain the American dream (car, house, wife and children). It should be easy enough; all I had to do was get a good job. So the summer before my senior year in high school I acquired my first paying job in a retail store in Puerto Rico. Yep, I felt as if I was on my way to that American dream. I was a teenager, and I thought I knew it all. I was on the road to success, or so I thought. Little did I know what life had in store for me. A simple thing as a challenge changed the course of my life. One day I was listening to a conversation between two coworkers who had decided to drop out of college. They felt it was very difficult for them to balance work, school, and social life at the same time. Still being the "know it all" teenager, I stepped into the conversation and told them, "All you have to do is to rearrange your priorities and make some sacrifices so you can find time to continue school." Again the "know it all" in me preached, "My dad use to tell me, that with desire and dedication one can overcome any obstacle." They both got mad at me for saying this so they challenged ME to attempt college for one semester. I accepted their challenge, and I found myself with a dilemma. I did not know where or how to enroll in a college. What subjects should I take? What was I even interested in? The following fall semester I went to my high school advisor. She was helpful in guiding me through a series of tests to see what profession I might be best suited for. The tests concluded that I should concentrate in being a Social Worker. I liked the profession, but I felt as if I would be better suited if I could use my math skills. After some brainstorming, I chose engineering because of my ability to tinker with toys, electronics, and electrical systems. I enjoyed taking them apart and putting them back together or fixing them if there were broken. |
In my job, I am responsible for designing new aircraft. I develop requirements for these new aircraft. First, I look at what technologies are available and/or what new ones may be needed, and then try to design and study the best airplane that meets the goals. When I was in middle school (we called it Junior High back then), NASA was just starting to think about whether an airplane-like thing could be used to get to and from space. I went to the library and read books, magazines, and the newspapers to learn about aircraft at high speed and tried to design my own vehicle. It turned out looking very much like the way the Space Shuttle does now. I figured I must have learned pretty well so I decided maybe airplane design would be the right kind of work for me to do. I've enjoyed making airplanes ever since. |
 I'm from Long Island New York. Since February 1999, I've been the Director of the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. Outside of the workplace, I enjoy building and flying aerobatic airplanes. I also enjoy building and constructing things , and sewing , because I consider building and constructing intellectually challenging. Besides loving to fly and building things, I like to run, read and write in my spare time. I like to give back to the community and my profession by speaking to local schools and interested groups about my unique experiences in my aerospace career. I attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering. While in college, I participated in the university-NASA cooperative education program at NASA's Langely Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. Upon graduation, I began my professional career at NASA Dryden as a junior engineer. |
My job as an Assistant Producer for NASA CONNECT includes many different and fun activities. One major part of my job is working "behind the scenes" of the show. What you see on the show is the finished product, but It takes months of hard work to get a show together. We must contact the researchers and scientists, find locations for videotaping, identify the celebrity guests, get all of the equipment ready, etc. Another big part of my job includes contacting people about the show. I have to contact all of the PBS stations around the country who will air the show. I also keep a large database of all of the schools around the world that carry the NASA CONNECT program. This is important because we often have to contact these schools to let them know about upcoming events. Needless to say, I have many responsibilities on the show, but it's definitely a really fun job. The one teacher that inspired me more than any other was Mr. Ed Mercer. When I was in school I had quite a bit of self doubt. I went to a small school in the middle of nowhere. It was hard for me to imagine actually working for an organization like NASA, because everyone I knew worked on farms or cut timber for a living. Mr. Mercer always told me that I could do anything I wanted; I just had to try hard and study. Now I feel like I have the best job in the world because of my efforts. Mr. Mercer always told me that, " It doesn't matter where you start, it matters where you finish." I think this is true. You can succeed in life if you try hard enough. It doesn't matter if you start with nothing or have everything. It's within your power to make your life great. |
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I am chairperson of the Mathematics Department at Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. As chair, I must interact with students, parents, faculty and administrators. Some of my duties include organizing and supervising the mathematics curriculum, distributing teaching assignments to faculty members, and supervising the departmental budget. I am also responsible for recruiting, selecting and evaluating faculty and recommending promotions and salaries. Chairs serve as the departmental leaders. In this role, I must provide long-term direction and vision for the department and represent the department at professional meetings. I am also a faculty member. Hence, I must teach classes, counsel and advise students, maintain an active research program and obtain grants. I first became interested in mathematics and science in middle school. While in middle and high school, I had several excellent teachers as role models. For each year of high school, I had an African American female mathematics teacher. The chair of the Mathematics Department and my chemistry teacher were also African American females. In each case, these ladies were talented and gifted individuals who motivated my interest in mathematics and science. I was a dedicated student and graduated as valedictorian of my high school class. I received a full scholarship to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee where I majored in mathematics. |