Designing for
life beyond Earth.

My Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars coursework brought together mission planning, lunar habitats, EVA equipment, risk, and the challenges of a long-duration mission. I finished the course with a 97.3% score and was selected as one of 180 scholars for the summer academy at NASA Langley Research Center.

These mission-design questions helped lead me toward astronaut health. After Virginia Space Coast Scholars and Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars, I wanted to understand what reduced gravity does to the body — an interest I pursued through bone-recovery research in the Simons Summer Research Program.