Undergraduate Profile

My landlord is in space: life as a NASA intern

Jeff Zehnder — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 19:22:21 +0000

My landlord is in space: life as a NASA intern Jeff Zehnder Wed, 10/02/2024 - 13:22

Jeff Zehnder

Above: Storm in Flight Operations at Johnson Space Center.
Header Photo: Storm and other NASA interns at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory astronaut training facility.

Anthony Storm is hard at work at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, developing plans for upcoming tests that will support astronauts in future missions.

An aerospace junior at the ��ϳԹ�, Storm is gaining hands-on experience through the NASA Pathways Program, an internship where participants collaborate with front-line NASA engineers and astronauts.

“I’ve gotten to do training with astronauts going up to the International Space Station, and you get on a first-name basis with them,” Storm said. “For Crew 6, I went to their cake cutting when they were certified for space flight, which is a NASA tradition.”

Across each internship, participants spend time in three different areas at NASA. The locations vary depending on student interests and availability, but for Storm, he began in flight operations at JSC, then moved to White Sands doing propulsion testing, and is now back at JSC in pyrotechnics.

As students often come long distances for the program, NASA helps participants find a place to live, with landlords who are literally out of this world.

“JSC has an internal website called Space City Housing. NASA certifies employees who have rooms available and you can rent directly from them. I’m renting from Tracy Dyson and her husband. She just came down on the Soyuz MS-25 after six months in space,” Storm said.

Although many internships take place during the summer, NASA requires a portion of Pathways be completed during the fall or spring semesters, which means participants must delay college graduation, typically by a year.

Storm playing basketball with astronaut and former Navy SEAL Jonny Kim.

“It was a hard decision, but the opportunities Pathways gives me, the career building and resume building is absolutely incredible,” Storm said. “It is absolutely worthwhile to work in this environment.”

Most pathways students also subsequently earn full-time jobs at NASA.

“Half of the civil service employees at JSC came through the Pathways program. It's a huge deal at NASA. Basically everyone you work for in the program has the opportunity to send you a job offer,” Storm said.

Storm is a non-traditional student. Now age 26, he joined the Marines after graduating high school.

“When I graduated I wasn’t really going anywhere. I didn’t have the best grades, but I am pretty patriotic, so I enlisted and became an 0351 Assaultman, which is an infantry man specializing in demolition and rocket launchers,” he said.

He spent four years in the Marines and after his term was up in 2021, enrolled at ��ϳԹ�. Although a native of California, his family has long ties to Colorado – he is a fourth generation ��ϳԹ� student. His great-grandmother, grandfather, and father all are Buff alumni.

“��ϳԹ�’s aerospace program is really good, and I’ve always been a space nerd,” he said.

Storm has also become the third generation in his family to work or intern at JSC, after his grandfather and uncle.

Storm is a strong advocate for the Pathways program. He and two peers have started CU Gateway, a student organization to help students with applications and the interview process.

“I applied to Pathways because another student came on a whim to talk to our class about it,” Storm said. “Now I’ve been through it, and the application and interviews are hard, so I wanted to show people the opportunities that are available and how cool this program is. During breaks, I get to play dodgeball with astronauts. It’s amazing.”

Storm during his service in the Marines.

Anthony Storm is hard at work at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, developing plans for upcoming tests that will support astronauts in future missions. An aerospace junior at the...

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From building Legos to aerospace engineering

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 22:43:42 +0000

From building Legos to aerospace engineering Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 04/24/2024 - 16:43

We sat down with fourth-year aerospace engineering student Ada Forsner, who is also minoring in space and engineering management, to share about her CU Engineering experience!

Ada serves as the Internal Coordinator for the Women of Aeronautics and Astronautics (WOAA) at ��ϳԹ� for the 2023-2024 school year.

What inspired you to pursue a STEM-related major?
In high school I enjoyed taking vehicle shop classes and introductory engineering courses which really got me interested in what engineering could be. Growing up with Legos and playing with trucks and tow cars got me really interested in STEM in general.

When did you know that aerospace engineering was meant for you?
I always loved space, but I never knew to what extent until I took an astronomy course in high school back in Illinois and fell in love with the idea of space. That’s how I knew I would go try to pursue aerospace engineering.

What are some of your future plans after graduating?
I hope to be a systems engineer, which is a kind of engineering that requires a top down view of the entirety of any project. I love airplanes, spacecraft and space itself, as well as studying atmospheric effects and other planets. Becoming a systems engineer allows me to pretty much work on any aspect of aerospace.

What has been an eye opening experience as a student leader of WOAA?
Our first conference we organized in the Aerospace Building during the fall semester was one of the biggest memorable experiences. Being a part of planning the conference opened my eyes to what we can provide for other students and how I can help them grow in ways that I want to grow, as well. Hosting that conference allowed us to learn how to communicate and interact with professionals working in industry, which are important for all of us to gain.

Why should someone join WOAA?
We create a really open community to all women in STEM, not just those studying aerospace. This might be cliche, but literally joining a club, any club, does make a difference and it helps you gain leadership experience. Most freshmen may not have too much on their resume, but being part of WOAA and other clubs can help you build your resume. We make sure to provide opportunities for students to put themselves out there by talking with professionals and getting in contact with them. It can be scary at times, but it doesn’t have to be!

What are other campus organizations you’re a part of?
I used to be a part of the Hiking Club, which I highly recommend anyone join. That club inspired me to do more of my own hiking. Being a course assistant for a freshman engineering projects course has helped me become a leader in the classroom and provide guidance for younger students.

What has been an intriguing engineering class you’ve taken so far?
This one was hard to answer! I would have to say engineering economics, which is part of my engineering management minor. At first, I thought I was not going to enjoy it, but I've actually ended up learning so much from it. It’s encouraged me to do my own research on finance, sustainability, business and how it connects with my personal life and engineering.

Anything else on your ��ϳԹ� bucket list you hope to check off?
This one’s embarrassing, but I haven’t been to a CU football game yet! I have one more fall season to figure it out.

We hear you’re an avid reader. Any shameless plugs on a book you recommend for others?
Last semester, I read “True North” by Bill George. The book has helped me find my path in life and I’ve learned to follow a path no matter what other people make you think. That really opened my eyes and has made me more confident with who I am.

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From international acrobat to ��ϳԹ� aerospace engineer

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 15:00:00 +0000

From international acrobat to ��ϳԹ� aerospace engineer Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/01/2023 - 09:00

Jeff Zehnder

Sasha Gladkova during her internship at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Astronaut Scholarship winner charts her own path

Sasha Gladkova has always loved science and space, but she never imagined work in those fields could become her career.

She had done well in high school math, completing multiple levels of calculus, but was dedicated to another future: gymnastics and acrobatics. It was an area where she had excelled to the highest levels competing internationally for the United States as a teenager.

“I’ve been a gymnast my whole life. I was super serious. The last five years of it I was traveling around the world for competitions,” Gladkova said.

In 2019 – during her senior year of high school – she applied to the ��ϳԹ�’s aerospace program. She did not really expect to attend here, planning intending instead to continue training at her local acrobatics gym in the Washington D.C. metro area while attending the University of Maryland.

“��ϳԹ� was the first place I toured though and I instantly fell in love with the campus. This was my top choice, but in a dream, in a life I didn’t have. Then COVID happened and everyone’s life changed. I could see acrobatics wasn’t going to return to normal any time soon and I decided to retire from gymnastics and come here instead,” she said

Today, as an undergraduate senior in aerospace engineering sciences at ��ϳԹ�, Gladkova is equally passionate about the world of aerodynamics, space missions, and astrophysics research. Over the last three years, she has been part of internships and jobs at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, ��ϳԹ�’s Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, and the Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy.

“I’ve done research in a lot of different areas in the space field. I have so many interests. Space is just really crazy,” Gladkova said.

In 2021, she applied to the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation – an organization founded by the Mercury 7 Astronauts and sustained by successive generations of NASA astronauts. She was recognized with their scholarship award in both 2022 and 2023, which provided significant tuition assistance and outstanding professional development opportunities.

“It’s overwhelming,” she said. “All of a sudden you have all these resources and a new branch of your life opens. They have a mentorship program where each scholar is paired with an astronaut. I’ve gotten to meet so many astronauts I can’t keep track anymore.”

As she has advanced in her education, Gladkova has only found more things to love about aerospace engineering.

“Every place I’ve worked you have the people you work with directly, but I also talk to everyone else there to find out about their job and what they do. That is how I found out I’m really interested in mission operations,” she said.

Mission operations is the only most recent on a growing list of future job tracks Gladkova is considering. Graduate school is also a possibility as are other options in industry or research. One position not immediately on the list: astronaut. Despite being an astronaut scholar, she plans to keep her feet on terra firma, for now

“I had a nightmare where I was an astronaut and was all by myself, everyone was really far away, and it was the most gut-wrenching lonely feeling I’d ever had. It’s stuck with me,” she said. “I have more things to do on Earth first.”

Sasha Gladkova has always loved science and space, but she never imagined work in those fields could become her career. She had done well in high school math, completing multiple levels of calculus, but was dedicated to another future: gymnastics and acrobatics. It was an area where she had excelled to the highest levels, competing internationally for...

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A winding road to aerospace excellence

Anonymous — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 18:06:11 +0000

A winding road to aerospace excellence Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 06/27/2022 - 12:06

Name: Liza Graybill
Hometown: Lititz, Pennsylvania
Major: BS in Aerospace Engineering Sciences
Year: Sophomore

Where did you grow up, and when did you first show an interest in aerospace?

I grew up in Lititz, Pennsylvania, and I fell in love with aerospace when I visited Kennedy Space Center after I graduated from high school. Seeing Space Shuttle Atlantis in person was the first time I can definitively say I became interested in aerospace.

I loved space growing up and spent many nights stargazing, but I had never considered aerospace, or engineering in general, until that moment in Cape Canaveral.

How did you come to the decision to major in aerospace?

The decision to major in aerospace took quite a bit of time to reach. The major I had chosen right out of high school was not as good a fit as I had imagined, so I left after a semester and restarted with some community college classes. I took my time, taking just one or two classes a semester while I figured out what I really wanted to do.

I started tutoring math at my community college and tried an introductory engineering class at the suggestion of a professor. Long story short, I graduated with my associates in pre-engineering from Pima Community College in Arizona and transferred to ��ϳԹ� to continue in aerospace.

I finally combined my childhood love of space with engineering and made that a reality here at ��ϳԹ�.

Why did you decide to come to ��ϳԹ�?

I decided to come to ��ϳԹ� because I knew this program would challenge me.

The faculty is incredible, there are so many resources available to support students, and I knew that ��ϳԹ� would show me new opportunities and possibilities that I otherwise would not have thought to pursue. That support and encouragement led me to applying and earning a spot as a 2022 Brooke Owens Fellow.

What do you love about ��ϳԹ�?

I love that people care. There’s passion and collaboration among peers to reach success, and students are excited to learn.

The atmosphere in the aerospace building is unlike anything else on campus. It’s an incredible environment to learn in and be a part of.

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Division 1 student athlete and ��ϳԹ� aerospace engineer

Anonymous — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 16:09:11 +0000

Division 1 student athlete and ��ϳԹ� aerospace engineer Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 06/15/2022 - 10:09

Babcock-Chi on the soccer field.

Name: Jade Babcock-Chi
Hometown: Del Mar, CA
Major: BS in Aerospace Engineering, Minor in Computer Science
Year: Senior
Mentor/Lab: Dennis Akos

I grew up in Del Mar, California, which is a city in north San Diego. From a young age I have always been very interested in science and math, and always looked forward to those classes the most.

Math came the easiest, and from 5th grade on I was always a year or two ahead. I finished high school having completed Calc I-III and Linear Algebra as well as having taken two to three years of computer science (CS) classes. For the longest time I thought I was going to do Bioengineering, or something related to biology because I loved it and didn’t enjoy computer science or physics as much at the time.

I am a D1 Women’s Soccer player on scholarship for ��ϳԹ�, but when I committed to this school for soccer, I knew that my academics actually came first.

��ϳԹ� has a strong bioengineering program, but my mom works in this field, so it inspired me to branch out and consider other majors. That led me to seriously consider the aerospace engineering program.

When I committed here for soccer, I had just finished my sophomore year of high school, but I was already confident that doing aerospace at ��ϳԹ� was going to be a good fit based on my high school background and academic interests.

My coaches still don’t really understand what it’s like to be the only engineering major on the team, let alone aerospace engineering, but I am more than grateful they are able to accommodate me.

Babcock-Chi on the ski slopes.

Being able to play D1 soccer as well as get an amazing education is more than I could have hoped for.

I also love Boulder because I can be very active, and I usually go skiing most weekends in the winter and hike all the time in the summer and fall all around Colorado. The location of Boulder and the atmosphere here was something that definitely drew me in.

What’s made this experience extra special is being able to work with such great classmates and professors in and out of the classroom. I have been doing undergraduate research with Dr. Dennis Akos in the Radio Frequency & Satellite Navigation Laboratory for over a year now and he has helped me find what I am interested in as well as give me amazing opportunities outside of class.

I am going into my Senior (4th) year and planning to begin my MS this fall through the Bachelor’s Accelerated Master’s program (BAM).

Being able to get a BS in Aerospace Engineering, a minor in CS, and an MS in Aerospace Engineering all within five years of coming to ��ϳԹ� is an amazing opportunity and I know it will prepare me for success, whether I go into industry or pursue a PhD.

I grew up in Del Mar, California, which is a city in north San Diego. From a young age I have always been very interested in science and math, and always looked forward to those classes the most. Math came the easiest, and from 5th grade on I was always...

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Sophomore lands full-ride SMART Scholarship and post-graduation job

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 16:48:17 +0000

Sophomore lands full-ride SMART Scholarship and post-graduation job Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 10/26/2020 - 10:48

Jeff Zehnder

Teagan Browne

It was mid-March and stress was high at the ��ϳԹ�. Due to the COVID pandemic, courses had transitioned online and students were moving out of the campus dorms. As one of her newly Zoom-based classes let out, Teagan Browne’s phone rang.

It was a Florida number. She did not know anyone in Florida, but decided to answer the call anyway.

On the other end was an Air Force official, with news that Browne was a finalist for the prestigious Department of Defense SMART Scholarship.

“Who would call me from Florida? Eglin Air Force Base in Destin," Browne said. "They wanted to talk to me about being a SMART Scholar there. It was good news in a bad week."

SMART Moves

Browne, a sophomore aerospace engineering sciences student, has now been officially selected for the exclusive program, which provides a full-ride academic scholarship, summer internships and a job commitment upon graduation.

The program is designed to create a highly skilled pipeline of STEM graduates for the Department of Defense workforce. Honorees get all college costs covered and make a commitment to the DoD – for each year of education funding, they agree to work a year at a federal facility as a civilian employee.

Although Browne is just a sophomore, it effectively means she already has a job lined up once she graduates.

"It means a lot for job security. I’ll be a flight test engineer, which I want to do anyway. I'll be working on the Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft," Browne said.

The program provides a clear career trajectory for Browne, but she has had a strong interest in engineering for a long time - at least since age 4.

"When my parents would put me in a stroller, instead of looking at the scenery, I would look over the side to watch the wheels turn. I really like the way things move," Browne said.

Browne is particularly interested in using aerospace engineering to make a difference.

"Working with the military, that means keeping our pilots safe and improving fuel economy on jets so they can fly longer," she said.

Aerospace Dreams

She would also like to improve civilian aviation. Growing up, she spent many an hour squished in the middle seat on airlines and is interested in making such experiences much, much shorter in duration.

"I think a lot about ways to improve commercial airlines. It impacts travelers, businesspeople, everyone," Browne said. “I really want to bring back the Concorde.”

A new supersonic jet could cut flight times on long trips in half, and as an aerospace engineer, Browne would be able to contribute to plane designs to tackle the bane of breaking the sound barrier - loud sonic booms.

“NASA has done research on sonic booms to pick or better project where to have them happen," Browne said. "That could make a real difference. And on a San Francisco-to-Asia flight, which is 16 hours right now, it’s over the ocean, and you can fly there without dealing with sonic booms.”

As a student, Browne is also aiming to make a difference as a member of the TORUS project, a multi-university initiative that uses unmanned aerial vehicles to better understand supercell thunderstorms and tornadoes.

She has been serving with the team as a lab assistant and was looking forward to spending part of summer 2020 with TORUS chasing storms across the Great Plains. Unfortunately, that dream was delayed to 2021 due to COVID.

“We think tornadoes are getting stronger and more frequent, so this research is important to saving lives,” she said.

The pandemic has put a damper on things for now, but Browne is looking forward to the future and all that she can do as an aerospace engineer.

"I want to be hands-on and have things that I can hold and touch and see work. It's part of why I chose aerospace over other majors," she said. "And I really want my work to do something for the world."

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Undergraduate Profile

My landlord is in space: life as a NASA intern

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From building Legos to aerospace engineering

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From international acrobat to ���ϳԹ� aerospace engineer

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A winding road to aerospace excellence

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Division 1 student athlete and ���ϳԹ� aerospace engineer

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Sophomore lands full-ride SMART Scholarship and post-graduation job

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From international acrobat to ��ϳԹ� aerospace engineer

Division 1 student athlete and ��ϳԹ� aerospace engineer