Sharmila Nimbkar

Hello! My name is Sharmila Nimbkar. I am a rising junior majoring in mechanical engineering at Arizona State University. This summer, I am working as an intern at the Katherine Johnson IV&V Facility on a project called Solar Energy Solutions. My role is to identify opportunities to implement solar energy around the Katherine Johnson facility and practice the engineering life cycle to provide plans for solar implementation.

I was born and raised in the Phoenix region, meaning I’ve always had lots of Arizona State pride. Go Devils! My passion for cars, enthusiasm for math and science, and nascent interest in robotics made mechanical engineering a good fit for me.

As an engineering student, I firmly believe that every piece of engineering has a spirit and a purpose that reflects the ambitions and values of the society which builds it. I am attracted to NASA because it is a unique organization with goals and motivations driven by innovation, curiosity, and discovery rather than purely profit.

The main reason I applied to the Solar Energy Solutions project at IV&V is because it is a project that reflects the values of my generation: Sustainability, a focus on renewable energy, and a willingness to redesign the status quo for a better future. Additionally, I hope to gain an appreciation for the history of NASA and IV&V as well as technical experiences with the customer-based design process, documentation, and the engineering life cycle.

To any students wanting to intern at NASA, I would say to just apply even if you feel uncertain. As my mentor always reminds me, “I’m 100 percent certain you won’t get it if you don’t apply, so apply.”

Also, getting involved in projects and research on campus that are specifically in your area of interest is a great steppingstone to grow the skill sets and experience needed for internships.

Outside of work, I volunteer part-time in a soft robotics lab on campus. In my free time, I have a passion for sand and indoor volleyball. I love to play the piano and guitar, listen to music way too loud, build random projects with my friends, and hang out with my engineering fraternity.

I’m so excited to be interning at NASA and I hope to learn and grow through everything this experience has to offer!