On Monday, a group of freshman engineering students entering Old Dominion University this fall got an insider’s look at projects happening at NASA’s Langley Research Center.
Through a tour, arranged by the school’s Engineering Early Advantage Program, 10 young women saw SAGE III/ISS, an atmospheric measurement instrument heading for the International Space Station next year; peered inside an acoustics lab where researchers look for ways to lessen the affects of aircraft noise; and heard about NASA Langley’s role in shaping agency plans for a human mission to Mars.
In the photo above, NASA Langley’s Karen Berger talks to the students about aerodynamic testing that takes place in the 31-Inch Mach 10 wind tunnel.
“It all seems really interesting,” said Danijela Celar, who graduated from Grafton High School in Newport News this year and plans to study mechanical engineering. “It seems like working here would never get boring.”
The Old Dominion University Engineering Early Advantage Program is designed to prepare female engineering students for the rigors of the school’s program. It’s part of the engineering college’s effort to attract and retain female students in a traditionally male-dominated field.
Over lunch, NASA Langley women gave the group encouragement and advice. Sarah Waechter, who was recently named Scheduling Analysis and Risk Management Lead in Langley’s Flight Projects Directorate, told the students that their careers may including twists and turns. Waechter said she’s done as many as six different jobs over her 13 years with the agency. “I find motivation by being challenged,” she said. “I always want to do something new.”
Sam McDonald
NASA Langley Research Center