Whether you are an aspiring robotics engineer or astronomer, a space exploration aficionado, or a casual observer of NASA’s developments, you cannot help but be in awe of the scientific activity that goes on at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in nearby Pasadena, Calif.
A group of Whittier students recently had the opportunity to visit and explore JPL with a private tour and discussion hosted by former College Trustee and JPL Deputy Division Manager of Mission Systems and Operations Elizabeth Kay-Im ’89.
During the tour, students got up close with some of the robots used for space exploration, including the Mars rover Curiosity, which has the letters JPL in Morse code cut out on its wheels as a nod to its creators.
“Space has always fascinated me and I attended the tour to learn in person what it’s like to work for a company which performs dozens of missions in space,” said Bryceton Scurr ’19, a 3-2 engineering major. “I also wanted to see if there were any opportunities for civil engineers that I can watch out for in the next few years.”
Overlooking a sterile zone through a glass pane, students observed engineers wearing white suits that covered them from head to toe as they worked on a spacecraft that will explore the red planet, as part of JPL’s upcoming mission, Mars 2020.
“My mind was blown multiple times, and I left feeling very inspired,” said Spencer VanDerStarren ’20, who is majoring in Sustainable International Business through the Whittier Scholars Program.
At the end of the tour, Kay-Im spoke with the students and shared her journey from Whittier to JPL. She told the students that it was her liberal arts education that taught her to think outside the box—a skill that helped her carve her career path.
Kay-Im has been at JPL for more than 25 years, focusing on developing the new generation of science data systems that are scalable and reusable across earth, planetary, and astrophysics missions, reinforcing and expanding JPL’s core competencies in science data collection, processing, analysis, archiving, and distribution. She has worked on many missions, such as Mars Exploration rovers, Mars Pathfinder, Cassini, Galileo, Mars Express, and Magellan.