Meet the STEM Women of Space
At a.i. solutions, we are committed to empowering our employees, who consistently provide SPOT ON performance for our customers. A large part of our workforce consists of hard-working, dedicated women who inspire the next generation of female engineers and explorers, each and every day. The importance of encouraging young women to join science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, is greater than ever. At the rate the Aerospace Engineering and Manufacturing Industry is currently growing, there is and will continue to be a major need for a highly-skilled and qualified workforce.
Throughout the year, the women of a.i. solutions are eager to share their stories and experiences that have led them to where they are today. We hope you follow along with us on this journey in spreading inspiration and encouragement to the future workforce of our industry.
Meet Laquandis Baldwin
Laquandis Baldwin is a Systems Analyst working in the Quality, Safety and Mission Assurance (QS) group in support of ground and flight tests for the a.i. solutions Mission Assurance Division. As a graduate from Alabama A&M University in Computer Science, Laquandis’ curiosity of computers is what pushed her into a STEM field. Growing up she was always reminded that the way we do business and communicate would change in the future and that technology would be the driving force behind this change. She was always fascinated about different technologies and how everything worked, and how to take computers apart and then put them back together. The complexity of how software programs operated made her interested in computer code development and the execution of those programs for input and output.
What are some of your daily responsibilities and basic skillsets used within your position?
“Some of my skills are a lot of reading and some investigating. Working in Quality, we ensure that processes and procedures are being followed per the Missile Defense Agency guidance.”
What extra-curricular activities outside the classroom would you recommend to further a student’s interest and education in STEM fields?
“I would recommend getting involved in professional organizations such as National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Society of Women Engineers (SWE), IEEE Women in Engineering, etc. Involvement in these organizations in your present and past collegiate years mold and prepare you for your professional career development. Also, many of these organizations offer conferences for career building practices that prepare you for job interviewing skills and assist you with your career path development.”
Where do you see the trend heading for women entering STEM fields over the next 5 years and why?
“I see a lot of women in leadership as well as more women business owners than we have seen in the past. Women are taking the lead and coming up with innovative ways to change the world as well as technology.”
What is your advice to women students trying to enter STEM fields?
“The technical environment is a male-dominated field. To help overcome this obstacle, try to interview as much as possible in order to obtain an internship. Interning lays the foundation for you to enter into your potential career path and can help you to develop professional exposure for your future.”
Meet Susan Good
Susan Good has been with a.i. solutions since July 1998—almost 20 years! She is a Senior Systems Engineer and currently the Task Lead for the Earth Science Mission Operations Flight Dynamics team at NASA GSFC, where the company provides flight dynamics operations and analysis support for the three Earth observing spacecraft: Aqua, Aura, and Terra. About a year after high school, Susan decided to pursue higher education and started taking college courses locally via the University of Virginia division of continuing education program. She was inspired by her calculus professor to pursue a degree in Physics at Mary Washington University. Her professor taught her how mathematics explained the physical world we live in. She was hooked from that moment on.
What are some of your daily responsibilities and basic skillsets used within your position?
“As the task lead I am responsible for ensuring that all the required task work is completed successfully and is of superior quality. Our task provides daily operations, analysis, maneuver planning, and risk mitigation maneuver planning. We also provide software support including development and testing. On a day-to-day basis, I attend a lot of meetings. I work with multiple GSFC customers to ensure we are always meeting their needs. I lead the weekly customer status meetings and provide monthly task reports. Communication skills are critical, as are technical skills. I draw on my technical skills and experience to make decisions and mentor team personnel. I have written operations concepts, developed procedures, and verified flight dynamics systems for mission support. I have provided launch and early orbit support for multiple missions as the flight dynamics lead, and performed maneuver design, analysis, and routine operations for many others. I have also generated vehicle performance estimates and reviewed and verified launch contractor-provided analyses to ensure launch vehicle requirements are met.”
Where do you see the trend heading for women entering STEM fields over the next 5 years and why?
“I don’t really have any perception of a STEM ‘trend.’ I never felt that any field or position was out of my reach when I entered the workforce; there were always many women in engineering and management positions at NASA GSFC, even 30 years ago.”
What extra-curricular activities outside the classroom would you recommend to further a student’s interest and education in STEM fields?
“I would pursue whatever interests you, even if not specifically STEM-related. If you have opportunities to learn how to work as part of a team and/or learn leadership skills these will be invaluable, no matter what field you end up entering.”
What is your advice to women students trying to enter STEM fields?
“Pursue what interests you in school even if you don’t know exactly what you want to do post-graduation. This was my case. I would suggest that you seek out internships to make contacts and gain exposure to different types of work related to your studies and interests. Or look for volunteer opportunities. I always wished I had done this. It took a while, but I eventually did find that entry-level physics-degree position at NASA GSFC, doing flight dynamics, and have never looked back.”
Meet Jennifer White
Jennifer White is a Flight Dynamics Engineer for Landsat 8, a polar orbiting weather satellite, in the Missions Operations Center at Goddard Space Flight Center. Jennifer has been with a.i. solutions since November 2017. She, along with her teammates, ensures the safety of the spacecraft by determining where it is in its orbit on a daily basis. Jennifer has always had interest in math and science and until she was a freshman in high school, she wanted to be a zoologist. Her interest in space was sparked by the movie “Apollo 13”. It inspired her by allowing her to realize that she wanted to be a part of a team that could pull together such an amazing accomplishment under the harshest of conditions. Both Aerospace Engineer and Astronaut became her “What I want to be when I grow up”.
What are some of your daily responsibilities and basic skillsets used within your position?
“In addition to verifying the orbit of the spacecraft each day, I use software to help calculate potential maneuver possibilities. This requires analysis and problem solving skills. Even though the physics for determining the orbit is always the same, the effects of space weather when propagating the orbit forward in time plays a very impactful role that needs to be accounted for. I also use programming skills to understand existing computer programs and scripts and to create my own to help solve problems.”
Where do you see the trend heading for women entering STEM fields over the next 5 years and why?
“I believe that it will continue to become easier for women to go into STEM fields. There are so many programs and so many women in STEM helping to work to increase overall awareness. From the many new engineering toys being designed for girls to the powerful women becoming successful entrepreneurs and CEOs, there is increased exposure to what women can do. I see a bright outlook for more girls and women to explore whatever their interests may be and become hugely successful.”
What extra-curricular activities outside the classroom would you recommend to further a student’s interest and education in STEM fields?
“Any extracurricular activities can prepare you for a career in STEM. If you are passionate about something, you will give it your all to succeed, and that will benefit you greatly. Taking on leadership roles in anything will help you learn how to work with a variety of people who may or may not agree with you. Participating in multiple activities will help you with time management skills. Groups, sports and clubs outside of the STEM fields will allow you to develop communication skills with people who may not be as technically minded as you while participating in STEM related activities will help you develop your technical skills. Be on the lookout for internships in your area of interest, and try to do as many as you can. Networking is incredibly beneficial for future opportunities.”
What is your advice to women students trying to enter STEM fields?
“Figure out what interests you and do whatever you can to further your education in that direction. Read books and articles, join clubs, pursue internships and grant opportunities (NASA and the NSF have a variety of these at all education levels). Understand that people may not always be supportive, but if it’s something you want, keep going and prove them wrong.”
