As SDO Project Manager, I am responsible for the entire mission, from the building of the satellite, to overseeing that the technical requirements are met, to making sure that everything is running on cost and schedule. I pretty much spend most of my time in meetings - that's where I find out how things are going. But when the hardware starts being put together, that's when I get out of my office and onto the floor - where the action is!
My favorite part of my job is getting to work with a lot of different people. There are over 300 people working on SDO, 200 of whom work here at Goddard alone! It takes many different talents and skills to accomplish a successful mission. I feel privileged to work with the best.
I decided I wanted to work for NASA when my college roommate got an internship here. I would listen with envy as she talked about her work on spaceflight missions. Since then, all I've wanted to do is work for NASA.
In college, I got my undergraduate degree in Economy from Duke University and I received my Masters in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins.
The first job I ever had was as an accounting clerk for an electrical utility. Back then, we had to do EVERYTHING by hand, now we do (almost) everything with computers!
I started at Goddard after college with a contractor working on LANDSAT 2 and 3. I worked for several different contractors, on GSFC missions, until I ended up working on the Hubble Space Telescope with a company called OAO Corp. At that point, there was a government opening and I applied. That was my first job as a civil servant, and what an exciting job it was! I worked on Hubble through its launch and first servicing mission.
I have been working at NASA since 1981. One of the best things about NASA is that you work in any field, from graphic design to computer science, from astrophysics to engineering. The opportunities are endless.
SDO Project Manager
Undergrad: BA in Economy, Duke University
Masters: Computer Science, Johns Hopkins