Michelle Amos

One of the most exciting things about being an Electronics Engineer is that I have the opportunity to work on projects that require the use of these different technologies and sciences. Because today's technology is constantly changing, I am constantly taking training courses to keep my skills current. While much of my knowledge comes from "on the job training", to become an Electronics Engineer requires a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Engineering from a college or university. I received my BS in Electrical Engineering in 1989 from Southern University A&M College located in Baton Rouge, LA. To prepare for college, I suggest while still in high school take courses like Algebra I & II, Trigonometry, Calculus, Physics and Computer Programming. These courses are necessary to understand the properties of matter and the laws of the universe. NASA uses this knowledge to benefit the quality of life on the planet earth.

Because the Space Program is so unique, our projects require creativity, innovation, state of the art equipment, past knowledge, teamwork and respect for others. Many of the things that you enjoy are a direct result of the work we do at NASA. My current project is NASA IVHM Technology Experiment for X-vehicles (NITEX). The NITEX-34 experiment is designed to demonstrate an advanced health monitoring system that performs real-time fault detection and isolation for the X-34 Technology Testbed Demonstrator. The system tracks the state of components and can isolate failures to an individual component and when appropriate, recommends a recovery response. These tasks will be performed by an avionics box on the vehicle and a ground based health monitoring station. I'm responsible for the hardware design and development of the Ground Station. The Ground Station will perform health analysis of the telemetry measurements and receive, record and playback the X-34 telemetry. The purpose of this project is to make our space vehicles smarter by detecting their own problems. This will help reduce maintenance time and cost of space vehicles.

To show the variety of electronics engineering, I will briefly discuss a few projects of interest. I designed a Redundant Multi-volt Power Supply for the Operational Television (OTV) Modernization Project. OTV was an upgrade of over 200 video cameras that monitor the Space Shuttle and the Payloads during launch, landing, recovery and testing.

I designed a VMEbus printed circuit board for the Page and Area Warning System. The main function of this card was to normalized the volume level of all incoming voice signals. I also designed a video switcher card for the shuttle tracking system. As I stated earlier, engineering projects vary and require knowledge of the sciences and constant training. However, it is most fulfilling to see your design transform from a thought to a tangible useful solution.

I am the youngest of ten children. In my home we didn't discuss "if you were going to college" but rather "what to study in college". In high school, I knew I wanted to major in a scientific field so I took the hard courses like calculus and physics. These courses were not easy for me. But I studied to make the grade. I've learned from my college professors that you can understand any subject better if you know how it applies to real life. I now focus more on learning than on the grade. Before I graduated high school, my three older brothers who are also engineers encourage me to pursue a career in engineering. Engineering is a time demanding curriculum. It demands many hours of study but the rewards are increased knowledge, smart friends and more money.

The two main benefits of my job are first, my family is allowed to come first and second I have the opportunity to make a difference. My husband, John Amos, and I have been married for ten years. We have been blessed with two children, Alexandria (8yrs old) and Austin (5yrs old). As a wife, mother and engineer, I have to choose between family and work often. Because of government policies like Family Leave and Flex-time and co-workers who understand the importance of the family, I am still loved and needed at home and at work. Working for the space program is wonderful! I know that the work that I do will in some way benefit others. I always tell people, "We don't make products, we make History." My advice is to find a good reason to love your work.

As a young girl, I didn't have any role models besides my siblings. They we outstanding in scholastic achievements, school activities and community service. Our mission has always been to honor our parents, Dunk and Dorothy Wright. So whatever success I achieved, I made sure that my parents were acknowledged also. One of the proudest moments in my life occurred when I was graduated from Southern University. My parents were recognized because I was their seventh child to graduate from the university.

Outside of work, I spend most of my time with my children. We swim, bike and play tee-ball together. I watch Alexandria practice gymnastics and Austin play basketball. By the end of the day, they put me to sleep. John and I are both engineers so we keep each other current on technology and share computer tips over dinner. We also volunteer at schools during Engineering Week and Career Days. Our family attends church every Sunday where I serve as president over the children's organization. I'm also interested in African-American History, Nutrition and Leadership.

I strongly recommend that young women pursue careers in math, science and technology. There is much yet to be discovered. I believe the greatest inventions will occur when men and women combine their intelligence and creativity. The female influence makes everything better! Be heard. Be seen. Make a positive difference. I challenge you to Learn the knowledge already discovered. Be apart of the discoveries of the future and appreciate the universe for what it gives man. The Power is Within You to Achieve Your Dreams!