Previous Success Stories

Ames Astrogram Article - October 15, 2001
Ames Astrogram Article - October 23, 2001
Erina Birman, July 2004
Ola Cook, June 2004
Tracy Côté, July 2004
Michael Iatauro, May 2005
Michael Liu, June 2003
Lourdes Miyamoto, December 2004
Vladimir Tkachenko, July 2004
Mike Veinott, December 2004
Ed Walker, June 2004
Kay Walter, June 2004
Lianne Wong, March 2004
Jasper Yai, August 2003
Lisa Yeung, May 2005
Andrew Ring, January 2007
Foothill-De Anza Interns Display Their Work, January 2007

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Thanks for the Opportunity - Michael Iatauro
(May 2005)

I was marvelling at how much I owe to the program and the wonderful people who make it possible. During my internship, I worked on a project called PlanWorks, which is a tool for visualizing the execution of planner/schedulers. It was originally designed to work with a plan database called EUROPA (which was used as the back-end for the ground planning software MAPGEN, currently in use by the wonderfully long-lived Mars Exploratory Rover project), but my boss for PlanWorks, Conor McGann, was working on a successor to EUROPA called PLASMA (which has since been renamed Europa2). After my internship expired, Conor decided to hire me on part-time. Shortly thereafter, PlanWorks ran out of money, so he transitioned me to the PLASMA project.

Not too long after that, he and I became involved in developing an autonomy prototype for a project called LORAX, which is a completely autonomous Antarctic rover project, in which we could, conveniently enough apply Europa2. After the autonomy experiment terminated, we both transitioned back to Europa2 development (though if LORAX decides to use Europa2 for its autonomy software, at least one of us will go back until the mission runs). One of my tasks in the development of Europa2 was to design and implement a language, called “Aver” for testing aspects of the planning process so we could have tests that checked the behavior of the planner rather than just whether or not it found a plan.

It just so happens that at the International Conference on Automated Planning and Scheduling (ICAPS) this year, there is going to be a workshop on methods for validating and verifying domain models for planner/schedulers, which is one end to which PlanWorks and Aver can be put. I was asked to write a paper about the two, which I submitted and was accepted. I’ll be presenting it at the workshop in Monterey, CA on Monday, June 6. The title is “Inspection and Verification of Domain Models with PlanWorks and Aver.” I will also be demonstrating PlanWorks/Europa2 at the conference, and PlanWorks has been entered in the Knowledge Engineering competition there. I wouldn’t have been in a position to do that without you guys.

(Michael was an intern with the Foothill-De Anza Community College District NASA Ames Internship Program in 2003-04.)

A Letter of Praise- Lisa Yeung
(May 2005)

I recently had a system upgrade which was delivered to me last week. Granted it took some time to get it on my desk due to delays in the release of a new version of OSX. But that is not why I am writing this note.

In the 18 years plus that I have been at NAS, and have gone through many system changes, this was the first time (ever) that moving to a new system was completely seamless. Everything from the old system was installed and worked completely. I did not have to do any of the usual time consuming tweaks, looking for missing files, or re-entering forgotten account names and passwords. EVERYTHING was transferred and it appeared as if I just moved from one keyboard to another.

This is my note of appreciation for the professionalism of the Desktop Support Group and in particular Lisa Yeung’s knowledge and unfailing attention to every detail in making sure that the new system was completely functional.

This is a perfect example of excellent customer support; a progress that has been accomplished over the past 3 years - that was the last time I went through a system change. Thanks to all of your team members involved in making this happen.

(Letter from Arsi Vaziri, Ames COTR for Advanced Management Technology, Inc., to Cathy Parks, Ames supervisor to intern Lisa Yeung.)

Trial By Fire - Mike Veinott
(December 2004)

I have been working in Code Q as a System Administrator. First off, I'd like to thank my manager, the internship program coordinators and director, and NASA in general for providing us with this opportunity.

This will bring an end to what I have come to think of as my year from hell. You see, between two jobs and school I think I had three days off during the first six months of the year. One friend of mine took me up on my "will computer network for food" idea.

I spent part of this year being tested. I got myself a couple of NASA computer security certifications and became a NASA Certified System Administrator. I spent this year developing my skills, figuring out solutions to problems that just don't come up in class. I spent this year learning, either from the people I worked with, the internship coordinators and director, or those previously mentioned problems that would bother me like food stuck in the teeth until I could find a solution. I spent the year reading textbooks and articles involving those food-stuck-in-the-teeth problems or reading NASA Computer Domain or Security whitepapers of requirements that also double as a cure for insomnia. I also spent the year listening to the people around me like when we were being reminded one of NASA's missions is to inspire the next generation in the pursuit of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

For the last six months, I had been trying to think of projects for myself that I could do and would leave my group with something they could use that would make their job easier. I took it upon myself to upgrade users computers and have obtained equipment to upgrade about 15 users at no cost. I assigned myself a project to automate and speed up the installation of a computer's operating systems and all its applications. This will be able to duplicate the work of thousands of dollars worth of software and save a lot of user downtime for free. I have been pursuing this on my own time as well as at work because of my desire to finish before the end of my internship. My supervisor asked me why I was doing this project. While he loved the idea, he had never asked me to do this. My reply was simple. "What can I say? I was inspired."

A Great Life Experience - Lourdes Miyamoto
(December 2004)

I'm a student at Foothill College, majoring in Accounting. Previously, I worked for several years in Marketing for a computer company.

After I left the company, I was not sure what I wanted to do next. The Internet was the buzz word, so I took classes in internet technology and computer science. I'm glad that I learned the ins and outs of the Internet, but I realized that my interests lie somewhere else. I'm more interested in Finance and dealing with numbers, so I took classes in accounting. I think this is one of the great contributions of community colleges such as Foothill College, because they allow people who are in transition to learn what will work for them, before making a commitment to go to a university, go to graduate school, or work full time.

Another great thing about Foothill College is their Financial Aid Program. When I heard about the NASA/Ames Internship Program, I saw this as an opportunity to jump-start my next career. NASA has made wonderful contributions to mankind, and is a prestigious government agency.

I was even more excited when I was accepted for the Budget Assistant position at the Wind Tunnel Operations Division. The Wind Tunnels at Ames are world renowned. Every major commercial transport and almost every military jet built in the United States over the last 40 years has been tested in this facility. The Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo capsules and the Space Shuttle were also tested in this tunnel complex. More recently, the parachutes for the Mars Exploration Rovers were tested here. This wind tunnel facility represents a unique national asset of vital importance to the nation's defense and its competitive position in the world aerospace market.

I am happy that I was able to learn and contribute something to the group. As Budget Assistant, I helped monitor and track the financial status of the division's resources. Using Microsoft Excel, I prepared various reports, and also learned to use FileMaker Pro database to analyze the financial status for the division. I have enjoyed not just the work, but the people are great as well. They are hard working, good individuals.

Just as important as the work experience, it was great to attend the various internship seminars such as the Search for Life in the cosmos, the Science Payloads and the Mars exploration. It was also fun to visit NASA/Ames facilities such as the Flight Control Tower, and the Vertical Motion Simulator.

I am truly grateful to the NASA/Ames Internship Program for this opportunity to learn first hand about the wonderful work being done here at NASA/Ames, and to meet and work with wonderful people. This has truly been a great life experience!

So, as we continue our journey to pursue our goals and dreams, remember that many things will happen that will be out of our control. But certainly we can control our actions and our attitudes. Be good, and strive to be happy!

My internship Experience-Erina Birman
(July 2004)

In the famous words of Jennifer James, “Success is not a destination that you ever reach. Success is the quality of your journey.” Never in my entire life would I have ever guessed that by age nineteen, I would be working at NASA.

One of my instructors announced, during class, an opportunity to intern at NASA. Every student seemed interested and everyone was encouraged to apply. When I showed up at the information meeting. I felt that my chances were slim due to the large number of students who were applying. Although I initially felt discouraged, I reassured myself that I would regret it if I were to not try. Of these, only 30 got offered positions. I was ecstatic when I was notified that I was one of those 30 people. Knowing that the process was extremely competitive and highly selective, I felt honored that I was chosen.

Coming into this experience, I was excited by the opportunities that awaited me, yet only realized the true value of it as time progressed. As an intern, I am required to be enrolled in Cooperative Work Experience every quarter. Simultaneously, the internship and Co–Op have contributed to my knowledge and continuing growth not only as a person, but also as a career-oriented individual. For example, for the past two academic quarters, I chose to speak in my classrooms, and during information meetings, about my internship experience.

While I am not a shy person, I have always found speaking in front of large groups of people rather nerve racking. Taking this challenge head on has enhanced my public communication skills in a way I considered unimaginable. Additionally, being asked to speak at my coordinator’s "How's It Going"? meeting, reserved for new interns, instilled in me a new sense of confidence as I offered my advice and insight to the group. As an undergraduate student majoring in Business, where communication is key this is a vital skill I have acquired thanks to the internship program.

Starting as an intern, I had a feeble idea of my responsibilities and tasks. Coming into this experience, I had very basic computer skills such as typing papers in Microsoft Word, browsing the internet and emailing. Now eight months into my internship I am able to do so much more such as creating usable forms/templates using Microsoft Word, using basic HTML and UNIX to create and maintain my own website, constructing spreadsheets and applying formulas using Microsoft Excel, producing PowerPoint presentations and much more. As an Administrative Assistant for Automated Software Engineering, I was required to learn all of these necessary skills in order to assist members of the group with various tasks.

When I started this internship, I promised myself that I would show my utmost dedication to this job. I was determined to learn and eager to succeed in everything that I did. I feel I have accomplished all of the goals I set out to achieve and excelled in areas I was given he opportunity to try. From having limited computer knowledge in the beginning of the program to being able to updated my group’s website using HTML, I feel I have matured through the hands on experience I have received.

This journey has probed to be rewarding in every possible way. With the skills I have learned attending seminars to the tasks I was faced with at work, I have gained and immeasurable amount of hands on experience throughout the entirety of this journey. Even though I am not a Computer Science major, rather majoring in Business Administration, I am able to take with me the computer skills I have attained at NASA and apply them to the work force. I give full credit to the internship program for giving me this amazing opportunity to expand my computer knowledge, which in today’s world is essential in order to survive in Silicon Valley. Moreover, I thank them for giving me the chance to blossom in my speaking skills as I can proceed to benefit in my business career with the experience I acquired through my participation.

Internship Experience - Vladimir Tkachenko
(July 2004)

I came to the USA from Ukraine in 1996. Since that time, I’ve lived in Palo Alto. I have a beautiful family; pretty wife and two cute boys, who are 9 and 4 years old. I would say we are a family of students, because my wife is a full-time student at Foothill College too (Respiratory Therapy Program). Strong quantitative and analytical reasoning skills, good interpersonal communication skills, and my fascination with computers, persuaded me to choose my majors. I specifically chose Internet Technology and Speech Communication without hesitating because I dream about management position in the computer industry.

However, it is never easy to become a computer engineer as well as a good speaker, because it requires various talents and a lot of time studying in school. This is an interesting challenging job. In order to fulfill requirements to become a good programmer I’ve taken many computer classes from lower and upper divisions, such as XML, UNIX, SQL, C++, Java, and Java-Script. Now I am taking two speech classes, “Gender and Communication” and “Argumentation and Persuasion.” Ten times I have been on the Dean’s List as an outstanding student. When I became a citizen, I was accepted to the NASA Ames Internship Program as a Web Designer/Developer. I think this is a great opportunity to get work experience and improve my personal, academic and oral communication skills. I aspire to learn more from a real industrial job such as NASA Ames. I would say more, NASA is so famous that even if I have to leave, I will be so proud of having worked for the highest-technical organization in the entire world.

At NASA Ames Research Center I work as a part of the Research Institute for the Advance Computer Science team. During my internship I have mastered technologies such as XML, XSL, and CSS in addition to developing professional speech communication skills through presentations of my work at NASA Ames. I collaborate on development of Spoken Dialog Systems for astronauts on the International Space Station using XML. My responsibilities include developing, maintaining, and improving the groups internal and external web sites. I designed and developed posters for project presentations in Sapporo, Japan and Budapest, Hungary. In general I want to explore what technical skills Web employers are looking for, and to identify “hot” new technologies for Web design and programming.

The knowledge that I acquired at NASA Ames allows me to help other students. For this reason I have worked in a Library and Media Center as a computer tutor. Since I don’t have a full-time job (and neither does my wife), it provides financial support for my family. In Media Center I’ve been helping students to become familiar with MS Word, MS Excel, MS Access and Windows operating system. Also, working in a group environment helps me to acquire oral communication skills faster. After a few years in such an environment, if one does exceptionally well, then I should be able to become a group leader.

The NASA Ames Internship gave me a great opportunity to apply my knowledge from classes into practice. For this reason, I have practiced a lot with programming, which increases my knowledge and gives me more experience. I have also created some programs just to check how well I can use my programming knowledge, and to know what I Have forgotten. I have created several web sites and one of them is about my family and my life in America. The more knowledge I acquire about programming will make me a better programmer in the future.

In addition, I had worked for a computer company in San Jose for six months as a Software Quality Assurance Engineer. Even though I have not experienced what it is like to be a project manager, I know it is a perfect job for me. Working hard with computers, I know that one day I will find an interesting job. I think that professional interest and professional grown are very important attributes in my future career. I hope to enter this high technology industry as a Software Engineer and then rise up in rank through the corporate ladder. I would like to start working for an established company like Sun Microsystems, HP or IBM and gain valuable experience, after which time I may be able to have my own software company.

The Magic of Co-Op/Internship - Tracy Côté
(July 2004)

My internship experience as a Foothill-DeAnza NASA Ames intern over the last seven quarters has been one of the most exciting and rewarding undertakings of my life. It has enriched my studies by affording me a broader context for learning and a depth of understanding that I would not otherwise have at this point in my education. It has given me a wealth of insights into the direction in which I hope to take my education and career. I have been given wonderful opportunities to witness the scientific process in action and been exposed to many diverse areas of research. Most of all, it has deepened my appreciation and enthusiasm for my chosen field of study and for science as a whole.

Working in a microbiology lab, I have had many opportunities to both apply skills I’ve learned in school and learn new ones. Witnessing and participating in the practical applications of chemistry and biology in a research laboratory setting has broadened my perspective of these subjects. I believe this has greatly strengthened my understanding of what I’m learning in the classroom. Biology, which I’ve only begun to study formally during the last two quarters, has so far been immensely more intuitive for me than any other subject I’ve studied up to this point. While this just reaffirms my commitment to my major, I also feel that the efforts I’ve made during my internship to understand the projects we’re working on and the concepts behind them has put me far ahead of the game with regard to my education and afforded me an ease of learning that I might not otherwise have experienced.

Working at NASA has been motivating and enlightening. I’ve been exposed to many different fields of science not only through the projects I’ve worked on firsthand and people I’ve met directly, but through countless opportunities to attend seminars and technical talks by researchers in diverse areas. This has helped me to steer along my educational path by giving me exposure to what’s out there and what interests me. It has shown me not only what’s being done now, but where things might be heading. This exposure has been both instructive and empowering; I have begun to understand how I might fit into the world of research and it has provided me with a more informed standpoint from where I can begin to carve out my own niche. It has also given me a broader appreciation of the many diverse ways in which science is being employed to explore our universe and the opportunity to be witness to exciting projects and brilliant research.

Through my internship, I was able to attend a 10-day research cruise in the Bahamas last summer. A five-year study is being conducted there to track the populations and behavior of microbial marine rock-forming communities called stromatolites. Having read much literature on the subject previously, it was amazing to be able to see these structures in their natural environment and to study them under a microscope. The work was exhausting and at first intimidating, but I was able to work closely with the head researcher on the project, and by the beginning of the second week, I was performing the work on my own. I cannot recall an experience more rewarding than this trip; I not only witnessed research being done firsthand, I participated in it and contributed to the project. The experience solidified for me my previously-tentative plans to go into this field of research. It also deepened my understanding of, and renewed my enthusiasm for, my work back in the lab at NASA.

My internship has strengthened my determination and deepened my commitment to reach my educational and career goals. I have come to know and work with many people who have been where I am and beyond. I have found encouragement to continue along my educational journey, however long and arduous the path seems at times. More than anything else I’ve gained through my experience in this program, I value the deep love and reverence that I’ve developed for science as a means by which we, as humans, seek to explore our world; to try to understand who we are, why we’re here, and where we’re going. It is in this most noble existential quest for knowledge and truth that I find hope for the future, both my own and that of humanity as a whole.

The Magic of an Internship at NASA - Ola Cook
(June 2004)

Today I saw Air Force One; not the movie, the one the real President uses, and yes, he was there too. I am seeing new things every day as I explore a new career working as an intern, but I never thought I would be doing this.

Until two years ago, I was happily employed in my chosen field. That all ended abruptly after September 2001. Several months of uncertainty, confusion and disappointment ensued. I had worked so hard to obtain the skills I had, and now it was all gone. How could I ever get back on track? I needed to find a new path to move forward. To do this, I looked backward.

As a child I had always wanted to be an astronaut or oceanographer, a scientist, but my path led me in a different direction. To gather more information, I spent last summer visiting various research centers. I surfed the net for colleges to see what courses I would need to study to move into a scientific career. After I got all the information, I was a bit overwhelmed. I wasn't sure I could start all over again. Although I like a challenge, I felt like I was planning to climb Mt. Everest.

I knew I needed to return to school if I was going to become a scientist. I also knew that I needed exposure to the scientific community. When I saw that NASA was offering internships, I really didn’t think I would qualify since I had just started, but I applied anyway. It was the best decision I have made. After a few weeks of anxious waiting, I was invited to interview. I was so excited I could barely wait the two weeks for the day to arrive. When it did and I completed the interview process it was an agonizing wait before I got the good news. I am now realizing a dream as an intern with NASA at Ames Research Center.

I have always worked while going to school at night and consider it an advantage to be able to apply the knowledge right away. This reinforcement helps to solidify the education. Schooling today is lengthy and costly and an internship program adds enormous value by enhancing the academic career. Internship programs are excellent opportunities for people to explore a potential future career. Everyone should take advantage of the experience to discover who they are and what they want to be; and more importantly, what they do not want to be. Until you have lived each day in your chosen field you do not really know what it will be like.

Internship programs are a win-win for the employer and intern. The intern gets to test the waters of a new career and the employer gets an eager employee. When the expectations are matched, it is a wonderful experience. It is like an exchange program. I get to bring skills that I have and in return I get the exposure to new possibilities. One of the most important parts of the internship is the contact made with people who are doing what you want to do. These people may become colleagues in the future. One of these scientists conducted a seminar I attended and after a corresponding with him, I decided to visit Arecibo in Puerto Rico where SETI conducts research. My co-workers and superiors have been very supportive and from the very first day, I have been able to be involved. I am participating in a lecture series where I once was only an attendee. I was invited to attend the grand opening of the Visitor Center and now that Spirit and Opportunity have successfully landed on Mars, I explain the Mars mission to the visiting public.

I had dreamed about working in the space program for years and now because of the internship program I'm am a small part of it. In just my first two months I have helped conduct tours for visiting scientists, sat in on a meeting about the physiological impact of space travel on the inner ear, watched supercomputers do climate simulations, been inside a 747 simulator and a fully operational air traffic control simulation of LAX. I also participated in voice recognition research for the International Space Station.

A friend called me up yesterday to congratulate me, “You found water on Mars! You’re doing a great job.” Of course, I didn’t find water on Mars and in fact have had nothing personally to do with the project, but as an intern at NASA, I’ve become something of a celebrity among my friends. I had dreamed about working in the space program for years and now because of the internship program I’m doing it. Please don’t wake me up.

The Magic of Co-Op/Internship - Kay Walter
(June 2004)

A few years ago, I decided that I needed a career change. I had been on teams that designed and built large-scale enterprise computer systems for Fortune 500 companies as well as startups, but I felt the need to do something more for the greater good. Then the excitement of the Human Genome Project captured my attention and I knew that biology held the key to fulfilling my quest to benefit humankind. Bioinformatics was the perfect combination of biology and computer science, the latter field being the one in which I already had practical work experience. Since I originally studied engineering as an undergraduate, I returned to school and enrolled in the bioinformatics program at Foothill College. When I heard about the highly competitive Foothill-DeAnza NASA Ames Internship Program, I immediately applied. I knew that acquiring valuable work experience was essential to making a career change. I was thrilled when I landed an internship as a bioinformatics assistant in the laboratory of Dr. Sigrid Reinsch. The workplace became my classroom, new avenues of learning were available to me, and the entire experience gave me the means to grow as a scientist.

The Reinsch lab uses the frog Xenopus tropicalis as a model vertebrate system to identify genes that may have direct human counterparts, or homologs. We study frogs with defects that may affect their ability to sense or respond to gravity. In my new classroom at NASA, I have been busy mastering molecular biology techniques and learning how to interpret bioinformatics data with biological insight. I’ve also learned about animal husbandry, laboratory safety and hazardous waste. Although these topics were discussed in my laboratory classes, I found that there were many details that could only be learned from on-the-job training. Dr. Reinsch and her colleagues have provided me with a lot of tools in this classroom. These tools range from impromptu biology lectures, which often preceded a class lecture on the same topic, to tips and tricks in experimental techniques that were not covered in a traditional classroom. Yet even more important is the skill of thinking like a biologist, which is really only learned in the workplace laboratory. Each day, I learn what questions need to be asked, what information can be found, what experiments can provide the information I need, what the results tell me, and the limitations of those results. I am constantly impressed with how working on one set of techniques or ideas in the lab can help me synthesize seemingly unrelated information in my courses.

I have also learned the importance of working as a team and the joys of team discoveries. I am pleased to see the work of my own hands and mind making visible contributions to the progress of this challenging scientific research project. It is quite gratifying to hear my work presented in scientific seminars and to know that it is critical to future publications in which I will figure as a co-author.

Working in Dr. Reinsch’s lab at NASA has reinforced my interest in a career in biological research. While I originally began schooling in bioinformatics, working in the lab has helped me to understand that bioinformatics is just one of many important skills needed to perform research. My internship has provided me with training in the additional skills necessary to succeed in a research environment, as well as the opportunity to use this training to further the biological knowledge base. More importantly, my experience in the research lab has helped me to understand the questions that a scientist needs to ask. With this training, I hope to one day contribute to finding a cure for a major disease or a type of cancer. In the meantime, it is extremely satisfying to make a contribution to science while I gain the valuable skills I need to accomplish my career goals.

The Experience Of A Lifetime - Ed Walker
(June 2004)

When you think of an internship, pouring coffee, answering phones, and refilling the copy machine immediately come to mind. My experience at NASA Ames has been the complete opposite. I have been extremely fortunate to have a supervisor who believes in preparing interns for the real world and molding them into future employees. With a background in Computer Science and Computer Networking, I couldn’t have asked for a better position than in the Intelligent Mobile Technologies lab under Richard Alena. While hoping just to get hands-on experience with routers and servers, I was bombarded with exposure to all kinds of new technologies, including one of the most exciting areas of space exploration research going on today.

As a member of the mobile agents team, I had the opportunity to travel to the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Hanksville, Utah to support crew #29. The MDRS is a mock-up of a lander module placed out in the desert as a Mars analog environment. The Mars Society provides the MDRS to researchers for testing new systems and solving potential challenges for future Mars explorers. The mobile agents team is a group of such researchers from various NASA agencies and universities around the world. The project began as an afterthought to the Apollo 11 mission where astronauts exploring the moon were in continual contact with mission control back on Earth. During a mission to Mars, the crew will not have the luxury of instant communication to Earth, so a new model for communications, mission planning, and data gathering needs to be devised.

The mobile agents model replaces mission control with personal agent software running on a laptop computer mounted in the astronaut backpack. These agents monitor everything on the astronauts from their current location to their blood oxygen content and report back to the habitat lander module. The agents also enable the astronaut to command a rover, send pictures from a digital camera back to Earth, and record detailed notes of interesting geological samples they encounter all by issuing voice commands in a natural dialog. An integral part of this new model is the wireless network communications link.

Communications between the astronauts, to their rover, and back to their habitat are all done over a wireless network very similar to the one in your local Starbucks. Over the past year, I have spent a lot of time learning about wireless technologies and how to operate the system in use for mobile agents. One of my primary responsibilities at MDRS was to assist with setup of the networking components and optimization of the wireless links to ensure everything would run smoothly. During crew #29’s rotation lasting two weeks, all of our wireless links were solid and dependable over a distance of almost 5 miles. The rover and astronauts pushed the distances that they traveled to the very edge of network coverage and because the network remained so stable, the team was able to meet and exceed their goals for field-testing the mobile agents system in a Mars-like environment.

In order for the field test to be such a success, there were a million things that needed to be taken care of. Some of my responsibilities as an intern were to assist with benchmarks and performance tests of the wireless network in the Ames parking lot. We spent a lot of time perfecting the setup to approximate the performance we could expect when the system was setup out in the desert. I set up a base station, repeaters, and our wireless-enabled ATV using laptops and PDAs to monitor the network and take performance measurements. In order to make the transition from testing at Ames to real operations in the field, I developed a completely redesigned network structure for the lab, and was responsible for making sure it remained stable and functional. By far the most enjoyable task I was assigned was design and fabrication work on the astronaut backpacks. The suit and pack used last year in the field were to be redesigned to accommodate new laptop computers and the new pack frame we obtained from Johnson Space Center in Houston needed to be modified to fit our needs. I ended up doing a significant portion of the fabrication and wiring on the main astronaut backpack used in the field, and as a result I took the lead role in suiting up “Astro2” as well as configuration of her pack. We discovered that having spare batteries to run the astronaut packs was not enough. The computers had to keep running while we changed batteries, which meant devising a way to hot-swap them. Between two interns, we had to be on top of everything for our respective week in the field. To quote my supervisor Richard Alena:

“The interns provided design validation by performing extensive testing of the wireless LAN before the field season. They provided system and network administration in conjunction with NASA engineers for the Operational Readiness Test and the MDRS Field Simulations. They initiated new capability in PDA-based wireless LAN monitoring and configuration that significantly extended our real-time monitoring and recovery capability. Without their help, we could not have accomplished our ambitious goals!”

Being a member of this project has allowed me to learn countless new things, to appear on the local news, travel to a remote and beautiful part of the country, and make new friends that I will remember forever. I have since been offered a chance to extend my internship for an additional year, and am looking forward to continuing work on the mobile agents project and perhaps other exciting projects that are in the works right now.

The Magic of Co-Op Internship - Lianne Wong
(March 2004)

"Having a passion for what you do, a sense of mission that comes from the heart, gives you energy, drive, and enthusiasm that is contagious and essential for leadership" Senator Elizabeth Dole

When my engineering position became a casualty in the economic downturn in 2001, I knew in my heart that I yearned for the sense of passion and mission Senator Dole describes. The loss of my steady income and what had become a draining work schedule forced me to reevaluate my goals and career interests. After working over ten years as an engineer, my career had reached a plateau. It was time for change and a new direction.

I have a Bachelor of Science in Physics with Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and have worked primarily in RF/microwave and medical linear technology. Since 2001, I have been seeking to supplement my technical background by strengthening and developing some skills which would build on my science and engineering background but also be transferable into education and business. With my physics background, I have had the opportunity to gain some teaching experience in mathematics and science. While I was taking statistics and financial accounting courses at Foothill Community College, I applied to the Foothill-De Anza NASA Ames Internship Program and was accepted as an intern in the Office of Technology Partnerships (OTP).

The opportunity to work at NASA Ames in the OTP has been revitalizing. It is exciting to be working in an environment where the space program has not only inspired many to go to new heights in exploration and discovery, but has given people a new awareness of the world, the cosmos, and even our place in the universe. I hear the passion people have for their work as I talk to the researcher about the mission to Mars, the scientist about the international space station, or astronaut who has returned from a successful shuttle mission. My work at the OTP has exposed me to many new/interesting technologies, and shown me different ways in which I can apply my previous work experience. Currently, I’m learning about the business side of technology as I work on projects that transfer and commercialize space-related technologies into the American public through the patenting and licensing processes. I’m also learning how to “harvest” new inventions and technologies that have potential commercial applications and to foster academic and commercial partnerships in new innovative fields such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, and information technology.

My interest in education has also been stimulated through my internship experience. The fact that NASA has a vested interest in education and is also developing a research park on Moffett Field had sparked my interest in applying to the program. To supplement my internship stipend, I have also been tutoring junior high and high school students in math and science. Therefore, it was validating to see math and science concepts that I had recently been explaining to my students being brought to life in the “Aerospace Encounter”. In early December 2003, I also had the opportunity to serve as a volunteer in the “Aero Expo IV: Centennial of Flight” event where over 4000 5th through 8th grade students explored exhibits, viewed demonstrations, and participated in hands-on educational activities related to aerospace technologies. I was assigned to the “Smart Skies” exhibit which used the distance-rate-time concepts students were learning in school as they participated in a hands-on simulated air-traffic control experience. It was a rewarding and enjoyable experience.

Since my internship started, I have applied to a Master’s Degree program at Carnegie-Mellon West, located at Moffett Field. I have been accepted into the program in Information Technology and Learning Sciences and am grateful to be able to attend graduate school at this time. I am excited to be able to participate firsthand in the academic partnerships that have been developing between the Ames Research Center and some of the universities and local community colleges. I am grateful for my educational experience at NASA Ames. It has renewed my interests in technology and education, provided me experience in business, and given me a new vision as I launch into the next step of my career.

Find the Dream, Chase the Dream - Jasper Yai
(August 2003)

I always wondered how people could devote so much of their time into one area of their lives. Whenever I watch the Olympics, after watching the stories about how some of the athletes made it to the Olympic Games, I ask myself, “Could I have done that?” I used to marvel at the men and women who could pour hours and hours of their lives, spending it solely on advancing their careers. This passion that I've seen in people over the course of my short life, has been a substance foreign to me until now. I clearly see how the root desire to accomplish something, the TRUE desire from within to achieve one’s goals, can be a passion that drives any person to devote not only hours of time, but their lives to turning their dreams into reality. My internship here at the NASA Ames Research Center has not only helped me to find my passion in life, but also to fine-tune my life goals over the next 10 years.

Fresh out of college, I accepted a job working with a startup company. Many of my fellow UC Berkeley grads also signed contracts and accepted various positions with a wide range of companies, working in a wide range of fields. My title was Business Analyst. But what my job really had in store for me was to wear a wide variety of hats, as was the case for many people in the startup world. I did some work in marketing, some work in business development, and I even did some work in the QA department working with software engineers. Within 6 months I quickly discovered a critical personality characteristic about myself. I can not sit behind a desk, working with a computer 60 hours a week. So I started to look long and hard for another career path. One that would satisfy not only my thirst for challenges, but also my desire to find a field that would require the use of my mind, as well as my motor skills. And this is how I came across the world of machining.

I have served 18 months in the NASA Internship Program as a machinist. I have been making a wide variety of prototype parts that have been assembled in several different engineering projects throughout all of NASA. I’ve manufactured precision parts out of aluminum, brass, delrin, nylon, carbon steel, and even some stainless steels. When I started the program I had about 3 months of prior experience with some manual lathes and manual mills. Today I am handed a print, and I hand back a completed part. Sometimes in order to make a part I need to create a program using G-Code a program that runs a computerized numerically controlled machine to execute precise cutter paths creating complex parts with dimension requirements of plus or minus 0.002 inches. As I learn and my skills continue to grow, I do have visions of much more than machining in my dreams.

My life-long goal has always been to start my own business here in the Bay Area. That goal has become crystal clear in the last 18 months. My shop will target prototype development. In the early stages of Yai Inc., I envision servicing biotech, high tech and pharmaceutical companies. In the mid-stage growth of my company I plan to incorporate design engineers so that I can provide customers with a more comprehensive service. I want to create a place where a customer can come in with just an idea, and leave with a product. And finally, I want to design and manufacture my own products. Using the skills and the resources I should have at that point, I want to patent some innovative ideas, and eventually revolutionize the way the machine design and manufacturing business is done! Always shoot for the skies.

A lot of my friends ask me, “Jasper, why learn machining? What about your college degree?” My answer is very simple. I tell them I have a dream. And following that dream has been much more rewarding than sitting behind that desk.

Success Story - Michael Liu
(June 2003)

I attended De Anza College starting the fall of 1977 until the spring of 1979, I was in the Foothill-De Anza program from the fall of 1977 through the summer of 1978.

I worked in Space Sciences for Bob Boese as a Math Aid. In this position I assisted with running atmosperic models for the planet Venus. In the lab they had test cells that contained gases to reproduce planetary atmospheres, they took spectra, and used math models to try and match the spectra. I adjusted various input parameters, fed them into the CDC 7600 computer, and exmained the results looking at how well the model fit the actual data.

After this intership position, I was able to work during the subsequent summers on a couple of contracts continuing on with the modeling work. After I left De Anza, I transferred to U.C. Berkeley and graduated in 1981 with a Bachelor’s degree in Astronomy.

I started working full-time in 1981 as a Contractor for Informatics, I worked as a Computer Programer in the Arcjet Facilities. I was involved with installation of the Standardized Wind Tunnel Data Acquisition System (SWTDS) in the Arcjet facilities.

In 1984, I transferred to the 40x80 Wind Tunnel area and worked as a task manager for SWTDS support. In this position I managed a group of 4 people. During this time I was involved with the Integrated Systems Test (IST) to bring the 80x120 facility on-line.

In 1990, I applied for a NASA position as the Project Manager for the SWTDS data system replacement. In October of 1990 I was hired onto NASA to work on the replacement data acquisition system. In 1996 I became the Development Group Leader for the Wind Tunnel Systems Branch, in April of 2000 I became the Deputy Branch Chief for the Wind Tunnel systems branch. Currently, I am the Acting Branch Chief for the Wind Tunnel Systems branch. I am also the chair of the Native American Advisory Committee at Ames, and President of the California Professional Chapter of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES).

Ames Astrogram Article -
(October 23, 2001)

SENATOR FEINSTEIN CONGRATULATES NASA/AMES FOR UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP WITH FOOTHILL-DE ANZA INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

“It is with great pleasure that I extend my congratulations to Dr. Henry McDonald and all NASA Ames employees who have provided leadership, counsel and a unique educational experience to nearly 3,000 Foothill and De Anza College students. The Internship Program has provided students of all backgrounds with invaluable learning experiences outside the traditional classroom.” Dianne Feinstein, United States Senator.

Here are some examples of this partnership and how it benefits NASA Ames and the interns of the Foothill-De Anza Internship Program:

Victor Rundquist, a De Anza student, has been a part of a unique project here at NASA Ames. He works for the Intelligent Mobile Technologies (IMT) Team headed by Rick Alena. The project is to create a “mobile Internet” by mounting Internet and server hardware on an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV). The Internet gear mounted on the vehicle consists of a web server, application server, webcam and video server, and radio communications gear. The ATV is utilized in two ways: a test bed for wireless computer networks, and a simulation tool for remote planetary explorations. The primary focus of the project is to discover what work practice would be involved in exploring remote locations, including Mars. Victor is the System Engineer for the project, and his main role is to make all of the different elements work together. He inherited this project from a previous employee and had to investigate the ATV and all of the computing equipment. Victor is also co-author on a research paper for the IEEE Aerospace conference next year.

Marianne Shelley is a West Valley student working as a Purchasing Agent for Ronnee Gonzalez in Code JAZ. She was one of two 2001 Ames Honor Award recipients in the student category. Here is an excerpt from her nomination: "During her first few weeks of work in the Acquisition Division under the Foothill-De Anza Internship Program, Ms. Marianne Shelley demonstrated exceptional motivation, aptitude and skill for the Purchasing Agent position she holds. Although Marianne had no previous experience in the acquisition arena, in the past eight months she has quickly mastered the very complex Government Acquisition Process as well as the regulations that govern that process. Her knowledge and ability was displayed by her command performance of analyzing, negotiating and preparing all necessary documentation for the award of an SBIR Phase II Contract valued at $600,000 within a month of her arrival. As a result of continuously working successfully through challenge after challenge on a broad spectrum of requirements, Marianne predominately processes purchases over $25,000 with little or no assistance. Marianne is self-motivated, quick to learn, truly enjoys her work and has proven to work well with co-workers, technical requesters, and vendors.”

Muh-Tian Lee and Romona Czichos also received Ames Honor Awards this year as members of the Aerospace Education Development Team lead by Susanne Ashby with Quantum Services, Inc. Muh-Tian is a De Anza student and works as a Graphics Assistant. When asked how he contributed to the team, Susanne said “He has worked tirelessly for the Ames Educational Technology Team to learn Director and Flash software. He then utilized his new found skills to create animations and interactive graphics that demonstrate science concepts regarding aviation weather, air traffic management, aeronautics and rotorcraft flight. He has put to creative use his Photoshop and Illustrator skills to create the main page graphics and their corresponding interface buttons for such Web sites as Planetary Flight: Mars Airplane and Virtual Skies.”

Romona is a Foothill student working as a Web Developer. Susanne had this to say about her: “Romona has been putting her creative energies and Web development skills to use for the Ames Educational Technology Team working on the Web sites Virtual Skies and Robin Whirleybird on her Rotorcraft Adventures. Romona not only learned new software (Flash 5), but also put her newly acquired HTML skills to use developing Web pages, creating graphics using Photoshop software and designing interactive multimedia activities. One such activity she has developed includes the “Know your Airspace” interactive piece in which students using geography knowledge and air traffic management system clues identify each airspace over the U.S.”

Ames Astrogram Article -
(October 15, 2001)

FOOTHILL-DE ANZA INTERNS ARE MAKING AN IMPACT AT NASA The Civil Servants and contractors who sponsor Foothill-De Anza interns have found their interns to be incredibly dedicated and their work often exceeding their expectations. For example, Charles Rutherford has been an intern since January 2001. He works as a Science Logistics Assistant for Laura Pacini-Selig, the Science Logistics Project Lead in Code SLO. According to Karin Perkins, the Science Logistics Lab Lead, he has performed exceptional work during his time here at NASA/Ames, including researching and reporting the safety training requirements for laboratory personnel, preparing laboratory baseline surveys and reporting on the utility requirements for the laboratory equipment at the Dryden Flight Research Center. “He has done so many good, incredible things for our group. Needless to say, he is very much appreciated by everyone.”

Claudine Herbelin has been an intern since July 2000, and just left the program this September. She was the Assistant to Farid Haddad, the Facility Engineer for Future Flight Central. Here is what her supervisor had to say about her: “I have always been appreciative of Claudine, because her presence at FFC [Future Flight Central] allowed me to share my duties between FFC and the wind tunnels more easily. Today, however, I truly felt proud of her when she was able to replace corrupted data files with archived files retrieved from the backup system she had set up. Retrieval of the files allowed the FFC development team to continue work on a time critical project, after having reached a dead end. I am elated with her performance."

Jannette Paksee works as an Administrative Assistant for Tom Aiken in Code FOW. She has been an intern since April 2001. Herb Finger, Wind Tunnel Systems Branch Chief for Code FOI, gave her a special assignment to create an employee database so that his team could send e-mail to groups of individuals easily. He was very impressed with her work. “Jannette required little tutoring even though she had never even used a database,” He said. “She read the manuals and learned by doing. Her first product was nearly perfect right out of the box. Her second database queried 3 existing databases and created summary reports for budget tracking. She again took little tutoring and finished the database last week. I’M USING IT THIS WEEK.”

A Wonderful Experience - Andrew Ring
(January 2007)

Over the last couple of months, I have had the honor of working with the Collaborative Decision Systems (CDS) team working on Human-Robotic collaborative activities. Between the two Operational Readiness Tests (ORTs), and multiple full demos of the systems involved, I have become exceedingly impressed with the amount of effort and teamwork that goes into projects such as CDS.

I am an Engineer/System Administrator working in the Intelligent Mobile Technologies (IMT) lab, which includes work on the Mobile Exploration (MEX) systems. Among these systems is the MEX Informatics Pack, which includes mobile communications, computing, differential GPS, and voice recognition systems, to name a few. Leading up to the CDS ORTs and demos, I aided in improving the design, and building the new version of the MEX pack. Throughout the experience I have learned tremendous amounts about several of my areas of interest, while getting the practical use of the new knowledge that commits it so well to memory. From the design of the MEX pack, to the field exercises, and finally to the demos and press day (where I had the honor of wearing the pack for the reporters, and being presented both in print and on television), everything I was part of was a wonderful experience. Thank you to everyone who has made this possible!



Foothill-De Anza Interns Display Their Work
(January 2007)

Mutant frogs, robotics education, heat shield testing, human factors research, autonomous rotocraft project... what’s not to enjoy? Over 80 interns with the Foothill-De Anza Community College District NASA Ames Internship Program presented their work in these areas and more on August 25 at the program’s 2nd Annual Intern Poster Display Session at NASA Ames Research Center. With 135 guests representing Ames employees, family, friends, and the press, the enthusiasm and energy was palpable. Guests were wowed by the breadth and depth of the interns’ efforts.

“I’m very honored to be one of the interns and I truly believe that the Internship Program has provided a variety of unique learning environments for all of the students. Thanks for creating the warm and friendly environment to showcase our work,” enthused De Anza student Joanne Li, Research Assistant Intern in the Human Factors Division.

“We had no idea how many Foothill-De Anza student there are [working at NASA Ames]! It was a delight to witness the enthusiasm of this essential part of our work force,” commented Bernadette Luna, Associate Director for Management Operations at NASA Ames.

For 35 years almost 3500 Foothill-De Anza interns have made significant contributions to the NASA Ames Research Center.

(Interns In The News Photo is of Carol Chao, Science Research Assistant Intern and student at Foothill College. Photo courtesy of NASA.)