SpaceX Dragon Mission Status Center

For readily updated information on the upcoming launch of SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Dragon to the International Space Station: http://spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/003/status.html

The next launch attempt will be Tuesday, May 22 at 3:44 AM EST.

For all you space nerds - tune in to watch this historic launch!

STEM Gal Introduction

My name is Kerri, and I am one of the two STEM Gals writing on this page. Before I begin blogging away about all things STEM, I wanted to first provide readers with insight into who I am, where I came from, and why a colleague and I created this STEM Gals blog.

I probably should first clarify that “STEM” stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, so when I refer to STEM careers I am talking about topics related to those fields.

I am going to start at the beginning to give some perspective on why I find myself very fortunate to have been able to pursue the career that I did. I grew up in the small steel town of Weirton, West Virginia, and I found myself interested in math and science at an early age. As I entered high school I had a general idea that I wanted to pursue a math or science field but was unsure of which one I would be best suited for. I knew engineering or medicine might be a good field for me, and it took me until my senior year of high school to really start to hone in on my interests. I attribute that to my parents being great role models that were extremely supportive of my academic endeavors and having excellent math and science teachers at my high school.

So why do I call myself lucky? At this critical juncture in my life, I was fortunate to have had supportive parents who pushed me to set high educational goals for myself and to have had such great teachers who believed in me when I did not even believe in myself. Many kids are not so lucky for one reason or another.

I attended West Virginia University (WVU) and pursued dual degrees in mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering. Following four and a half years of hard work, I was accepted into the direct track Ph.D. program at West Virginia University where I obtained my doctorate in aerospace engineering in 2011. During my time at WVU, I made lifelong friends and networked with groups such as the West Virginia NASA Space Grant Consortium. I am proud of the education I received at WVU and all of the opportunities it afforded me. It helped me land the job I currently hold today – which is nothing short of my dream job. I also recently decided to continue my education, so I am pursuing a Master’s degree in systems engineering at the Johns Hopkins University.

Sure, I am an engineering nerd. I love astronomy, space exploration, and aircraft design. I love to constantly learn new things, which is why I decided to go back to school part time. There is one thing that I love to do, though, that I hold as a priority: educational outreach. Education is one of the most important things a person can obtain – whether that is through a high school, university, trade school, or their everyday life. I am best suited for discussing STEM education, but I want to make sure that I clarify that I believe ALL types of education are important.

As a student who came from a small town where there were virtually no aerospace engineers for me to talk to while I was in high school, I am passionate about STEM outreach. Students live in a variety of different areas (i.e. urban or rural) and may not necessarily have access to directly communicate with people in many of these specific STEM career fields. This blog is being established so that students (young and old), teachers, and parents may readily access the information discussed or linked here. It is my hope that our blog can become a place where parents can find cool links to NASA videos, fun science experiments, or just general information on different STEM careers so that they can discuss it with their kids. Also, students can read and provide comments on what items they are interested in learning about so that one of the STEM Gals can try their best to answer it or strike up a discussion. Also, feel free to “Like” our Facebook Page “STEM Friends”. Through that avenue we are connecting students with STEM professionals via social media in hopes that conversations will be sparked about different STEM careers.