NASA Retains Standing in “2018 Best Places to Work in Federal Government” Score


For the seventh consecutive year, NASA increased its Best Places to Work in Federal Government score and has retained its standing as the number one large Federal agency. NASA’s employee satisfaction score is 81.2%, a 0.3-point increase from 2017.

For a breakdown by Centers: Best Place to Work in Federal Government.

Thanks for another great infographic, Patrick Feeney!

Black Engineer of the Year Awards at Ames Research Center


Proudly announcing Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) for Ames Research Center (ARC) Employees:

Dr. Wendy Okolo has been selected to receive the Most Promising Engineer in Government Award at the 2019 BEYA STEM Global Competitiveness Conference. She will be honored at the BEYA Gala on Saturday, February 9.

Dr. Marcus Johnson was selected as a 2019 Modern-Day Technology Leader.

Mr. Kevin Jones was selected as a 2019 Science Spectrum Trailblazer.

Mr. Kenneth Freeman was selected as a 2019 Science Spectrum Trailblazer.

Marcus Johnson, Kevin Jones, and Kenneth Freeman will receive awards at the BEYA STEM Conference Technology Recognition Luncheon featuring Modern-Day Technology Leaders and Science Spectrum Trailblazers on Friday, February 8.

Congratulations, all!

Johnson Space Center Hosts High School Student Tour and Info Session


On Thursday, December 6, 2018, Johnson Space Center (JSC) invited high school students from the Vocational Rehabilitation Services program of Texas Workforce Solutions to tour the Neutral Buoyancy Lab (NBL). The students learned about the 6.2 million gallon pool from NBL scuba divers, used virtual reality to glimpse what an astronaut in underwater training sees, and even got to participate in a few science experiments!

The students also heard from a number of representatives regarding student programs at JSC, including High School Aerospace Scholars, the Pathways Internship Program (including a testimony from a current Pathways Intern), Schedule A Hiring, and the JSC No Boundaries Employee Resource Group.

NASA’s Associate Administrator for Diversity and Equal Opportunity Visits Stennis Space Center


On Nov. 8-9, 2018, Steve Shih, NASA’s Associate Administrator for Diversity and Equal Opportunity, visited the Stennis Space Center (SSC) to engage SSC leaders (including SSC Director Rick Gilbrech and EEO Director Katrina Emery) and personnel on Diversity & Inclusion and Equal Employment Opportunity. During his visit, Steve delivered anti-harassment training to the SSC workforce.

Associate Administrator for Diversity and Equal Opportunity Steve Shih Visits NASA Shared Services Center


On Nov. 8-9, 2018, Steve Shih, NASA’s Associate Administrator for Diversity and Equal Opportunity, visited the NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC) to engage NSSC leaders (including NSSC Executive Director Anita Harrell and EEO Director Katrina Emery) and personnel on Diversity & Inclusion and Equal Employment Opportunity. During his visit, Steve delivered anti-harassment training to the NSSC workforce.

ODEO Associate Administrator Steve Shih Visits Michoud Assembly Facility


On Nov. 7, 2018, Steve Shih, NASA’s Associate Administrator for Diversity and Equal Opportunity, visited the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) to engage MAF leaders and personnel (including EEO Director Loucious Hires) on Diversity & Inclusion and Equal Employment Opportunity. During his visit, Steve gave a keynote speech at MAF’s Unity Day event, and delivered anti-harassment training to the MAF workforce.

NASA Associate Administrator for Diversity and Equal Opportunity Steve Shih Visits Marshall Space Flight Center


On Nov. 5-6, 2018, Steve Shih, NASA’s Associate Administrator for Diversity and Equal Opportunity, visited the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to engage MSFC leaders (including MSFC Center Director Jody Singer, EEO Director Loucious Hires, and Diversity & Inclusion Director Susan Cloud) and personnel on Diversity & Inclusion and Equal Employment Opportunity. During his visit, Steve gave a keynote address at MSFC’s Career Readiness Mentoring Day event, and delivered anti-harassment training to MSFC leaders.

STEM Girls Night In on November 2-3


From Friday to Saturday, November 2-3, about 50 high- and middle-school girls and their chaperones from local public high schools will participate in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) Girls Night In, to be hosted by various Centers across NASA.

At Goddard Space Flight Center, each girl will have at least one woman as their mentor throughout the event who is a NASA employee plus a university engineering/science student, as a near-to-peer mentor.

The purpose of this event is to invigorate, inspire, and engage high school girls who may be struggling with, or are not fully engaged in, STEM education. STEM Girls Night In will provide the girls an opportunity to completely immerse themselves in NASA activities that challenge and promote knowledge and discovery, such as by designing and testing a Mars rover.

STEM Girls Nigh In allows NASA women to share and demonstrate the STEM work they do and to connect all participating Centers through an inspiring interactive activity.

For more information, contact Amy Grigg, amy.grigg@nasa.gov.

Let’s Break Boundaries! Society of Women Engineers 2018 Conference


The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) 2018 Conference’s theme, “Let’s Break Boundaries,” is based on the idea that women engineers are breaking personal and professional boundaries across the globe. SWE is the largest annual conference of women engineers.

NASA attended SWE again this year, with about 40 employees representing the Agency from various Centers. Attendees participated in panel discussions (with standing room only!) and a very large career fair – communicating NASA’s mission and commitment to STEM education and internship and employment possibilities to countless women.

Thank you – to the NASA employees who made this year’s event a tremendous success!

Panel Discussion for National Disability Employment Awareness Month Hosted by Stennis Space Center and NASA Shared Services Center


The Stennis Space Center (SSE) and the NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC) are hosting several events in October to celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM).

The first event is a lunch-and-learn to educate NASA employees about disability etiquette. Secondly, SSC and NSSC have planned a panel event on October 25 at 11 a.m. CST, to educate the NASA community on disability awareness. Scott Howell, NASA OCHCO, will be speaking along with other individuals with disabilities. Participants plan to talk about the work they perform at NASA and why they like working for NASA.