Jennifer Patton is an information technology specialist in the Office of the Chief Information Officer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Born in Fairbanks, Alaska, to a first-generation Thai American and an African American officer in the U.S. Air Force, Patton grew up in Huntsville. Today she supports NASA’s Agency Applications Office, helping develop new applications and procedures that will carry NASA into the next great era of exploration.
What sparked your passion for NASA and your career in the space program?
We moved to Huntsville when I was 6 years old. My dad switched career tracks from the Air Force to the U.S. Army, and we’ve been here ever since. My mother went to work for NASA Protective Services when I was in elementary school, so Redstone Arsenal and NASA were a crucial part of our lives. I started my NASA career at Marshall in 2007 as an administrative assistant. Those early years sparked my interest in all things NASA, and I made it my goal to become a full-time NASA employee. There’s just something about being part of this mission — to return human explorers to the Moon and send them beyond, unlocking the mysteries of the cosmos and improving life here on Earth for all humankind. What could be more exciting than that!
How did you manage to keep school, full-time work and motherhood in balance?
I went to Calhoun Community College in Huntsville, where I graduated with an associate business degree in 2012, and then Faulkner University in Huntsville, where I earned my bachelor’s degree in business in 2013 — all while juggling parenthood and full-time contract work at Marshall, first as an administrative staffer and then an analyst. It was tough, taking on so much at once, but it taught me a lot. What really made it possible was the support of my husband, Brian, and my primary NASA customer in the Office of Center Operations back then, George Cruz, both of whom encouraged me to go back to school. George saw that I could do more than I was doing at the time at Marshall, and he really went out of his way to help make it possible for me to pursue my degree. That encouragement and camaraderie are evident everywhere at NASA.
What has been the highlight of your NASA career to date?
It’s definitely been supporting major program and project management endeavors across all the centers, helping to document and define what we identify as “7120 work,” based on our numbering system for NASA documentation — developing program formulation and management policies that will meticulously record and guide the work of the agency to pursue its most ambitious programs and projects. It’s the creation of a legacy of know-how and experience, demonstrating for future generations how we go from a drawing board and sketch paper to new rockets lifting into the atmosphere, new journeys into space. I love documentation, building that roadmap to how we do the work of the nation.
And it’s more vital now than ever, as we continue to see a big transition in our workforce. A whole generation of engineers and managers is retiring — people with 30 years or more of practical experience and know-how. We need to retain their knowledge! I’ve enjoyed being tapped to rotate across our organization and consult with team members tied into all our business lines, gaining expertise and documenting insight about program and project management from longtime veterans, establishing that continuity for generations of up-and-coming engineers, the project leaders who will forge the next era of human achievement in space. I just love this work. I’m always learning, and to do so from the people of NASA is awe-inspiring and so fulfilling. This team is incredible!
What advice would you offer to the Artemis generation, particularly young people of color?
It’s simple: Step outside your comfort zone and never stop learning. I was a lucky child, growing up in a multiracial family in a fairly progressive community. It was like growing up in a bubble; you find yourself thinking it’s the norm. Obviously, for a lot of kids, it’s not like that, and everyone faces roadblocks and tough experiences. But I was lucky to have parents who taught us to be loving while also teaching us to be aware. To be compassionate and vigilant. I’m grateful to be able to pass on these things to my own kids. To encourage them to treat everyone as equals. Now is a crucial time to teach them that, to remind them how crucial it is to be kind and helpful to one another. We are all in this together and kindness can go a long way.
How do you incorporate your multiracial heritage into your working life?
It started early in my Marshall career. A friend of mine invited me to a diversity event sponsored by Marshall’s Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity. I just fell in love with the community, with the whole gamut of diversity initiatives honoring people of color and all those seeking stronger representation in the community and across Marshall. Any time I could contribute, I’d do it. Then the Federal Asian Pacific American Council brought its annual conference to Huntsville in 2019. That was huge for us, a great way of uniting people and making NASA part of that vital cultural conversation.
Speaking of uniting the team, what makes you proudest of the Marshall team during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis?
I’ve been most impressed with how smoothly we’ve transitioned to telework and remote operations during the crisis. We do our best to keep up one another’s morale, sharing personal moments and laughing together during video conferences. And the work we do sustains us. We’re a strong team, no matter how long we’re separated.
But we work in the space program. Wherever we send our explorers, for however long they’re up there, our hearts go with them. And with one another, until we’re all together again.