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NASA’s Dr. Jamesa Stokes Talks Career, Materials Science

Learn about NASA’s Dr. Jamesa Stokes’ path to a career in materials science, as well as the discipline’s importance to the agency's aeronautics and space exploration missions. Stokes received her bachelor’s degree in Physics from Auburn University and a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University. Watch this video to see how she landed at NASA.

Topics:
Materials

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    Transcript

    00:00:00 [ music ] >> The main question I always get when I tell people what I do for a living is, "What is material science "and engineering?" When I was figuring out what I wanted to study in college, I learned this research area

    00:00:33 wasn't as well known as mechanical or aerospace engineering. But material science and engineering permeates these disciplines, which is what made it special to me. Anything you can think of: metals, ceramics, plastics,

    00:00:49 even our own skin, is a material, and my job is to synthesize, develop, and find new ways to improve current materials for future applications. As Dr. Shyne mentioned earlier, NASA's Glenn Research Center has a rich history of materials advancement.

    00:01:07 Having a core competency of developing new materials, protection systems and structures for extreme environments. That means extreme temperatures, pressures, or very corrosive environments. As you can imagine, with our current goals

    00:01:22 of returning humans to the moon, and eventually on to Mars, advanced materials will be equally important in protecting the lives of our astronauts, Earth-based flight vehicles, and human life here on Earth. Unlike most who are inspired by what we do at NASA,

    00:01:38 it wasn't dreams of space or being an astronaut that steered me here. It was NASA's first "A," aeronautics, that got me excited about pursuing this career. I started college as a studio art major with no desire to go into any engineering field.

    00:01:56 But I knew I loved flying. I loved traveling. And I loved how flight made my world bigger and the rest of the world smaller. So when I changed my major to physics at Auburn University, I was left bewildered,

    00:02:10 not knowing exactly what future career I'd want. Then I came to NASA Glenn as an undergraduate intern, and I was able to work on aerogels, which are very unique, lightweight, highly insulative materials for thermal protection systems

    00:02:26 for vehicles like the Space Shuttle and other high-speed flight vehicles on Earth and in space. And at that time, it was like I had found the missing piece of the puzzle of figuring out what I wanted to achieve

    00:02:39 with my life. I wanted to work on advanced materials to protect human flight systems and Cleveland was where I needed to be to accomplish that goal. Once I started graduate school in Pennsylvania, I was awarded

    00:02:54 a graduate fellowship through NASA Glenn and I became an employee as a Pathways intern right before I defended my thesis. That aerogel research that set this once-inexperienced intern on the path to NASA was just one example

    00:03:09 of the vast amount of influential work accomplished at Glenn Research Center, and today, my team and I are continuing that tradition of innovative materials research in a number of ways. Some of our current research involves environmental barrier coatings

    00:03:27 which are used to protect gas turbine engine components from their corrosive environment. It's important to protect these components as our nation's next generation airplane engines will run at higher temperatures to improve fuel efficiency

    00:03:40 and reduce harmful emission products. Decades ago, the first generation of these coatings were developed right here at NASA Glenn in Cleveland. And now, my team and I are pushing state-of-the-art technology

    00:03:54 in current engines today. I'm excited to help develop coatings and lighter weight materials to help replace heavier metallic engine components. During engine operation, we investigate how these coatings and components fail, whether it's by corrosion

    00:04:11 caused by combustion products like water vapor, or by particle deposits caused by ingestion of desert sand or volcanic ash. We collaborate with commercial engine companies to qualify their materials for flight readiness

    00:04:26 in our testing rigs that can reach temperatures above 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. But we also never forget the fundamentals of basic materials characterization and new materials discovery. On the space side, the "S" in NASA, we're investigating

    00:04:44 lunar dust mitigation strategies for structures on the moon and eventually on to Mars. The Apollo Missions taught us that one of the greatest challenges is how to remove very fine, highly charged dust particles from surface materials like solar panels,

    00:05:01 space suits, and helmet visors. Dust compromises the functional integrity of these materials, and so we must develop better removal technologies such as anti-adhesion coatings, brushes, or electric discharge techniques

    00:05:17 if we are to effectively live and work on other planetary bodies in our future I've highlighted just a few of the many technical achievements and challenges we face in our pursuit of pushing the limits of what we can accomplish,

    00:05:32 and NASA Glenn will continue to solve tomorrow's problems today. I am thrilled to be part of the Artemis generation, contributing to that rich tradition of innovation. Working here has been a singular experience for me,

    00:05:45 and I personally take pride in saying NASA is with you when you fly. Thank you. [ applause ] [ music ] >> Whenever I say I work for NASA, people expect exciting tales of space.

    00:06:10 You won't get that from me. I'm here to talk about the first "A" in NASA, aeronautics. Growing up on a tropical island, it never occurred to me that icing on aircraft would be a problem when flying. There is no way I could have

    00:06:24 planned my trajectory into NASA and where I am today. Because I enjoyed math and got good grades in high school, many people suggested I study engineering in college. I didn't quite grasp

    00:06:36 what an engineering job looked like, but the salary was very appealing. So I enrolled in the electrical engineering program at my local university in Puerto Rico. I fell in love with engineering,

    00:06:49 and it fueled a desire in me to work in something impactful, although I wasn't sure how and where. To find some answers, I volunteered for every college activity I could. I pestered my professors for research opportunities. I joined professional

    00:07:05 student organizations like the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. Through my involvement with IEEE, I met a student who had an internship at NASA's Johnson Space Center. I was mind blown.

    00:07:19 Someone in Puerto Rico at my college in my major worked for NASA? That's when I first believed that maybe I could, too. I applied to every NASA position I could find until I got that one, life-changing call. I interviewed for four positions

    00:07:37 over the phone, and that's when I first heard of the Icing Research Tunnel, known as the IRT, located at NASA's Glenn Research Center. I learned that during World War II, the allies delivering supplies flying over the Himalayas

    00:07:52 were losing more aircraft due to icing than to enemy fire. Because of the need to safely study this problem in a controlled environment, the IRT became operational almost 80 years ago. This wind tunnel helped create the blueprint

    00:08:06 for simulating atmospheric conditions that planes encounter in flight. Today, the IRT runs tests for both commercial and government entities on models of airplane wings, engine inlets, rotors, and unmanned vehicles. Using their

    00:08:22 closed-loop wind tunnel, they can create clouds, like the ones we see out the plane window when taking off or landing. The IRT has three main components to achieve a cloud: A 26-foot tall fan to provide air speed,

    00:08:36 a heat exchanger and their own refrigeration plant to produce temperatures as cold as -40 degrees Celsius, and an array of spray bars and nozzles that shoot out deionized water. Customers come to NASA Glenn to learn what type of ice formation

    00:08:52 grows on their models and to test their anti-icing and de-icing methods to get certified. The IRT has its own research branch, too. They are dedicated to furthering our understanding of aircraft icing and help create technologies

    00:09:06 that predict ice formations. All this keeps aircraft and people safe when they fly. Now after learning all that during my interview, I was hooked. I realized that working in flight safety perfectly matched my desire to do something impactful,

    00:09:24 so I gave the interview my all, and it worked. I was selected for NASA's Pathways Internship Program, getting paid work experience at the IRT. After my internship, I went back home and graduated from the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico.

    00:09:39 I was offered a position at NASA's Glenn Research Center, assigned again to the Icing Research Tunnel, and I've been there ever since. As an electrical test and facility engineer, I tackle many disciplines-- controls, data acquisition, instrumentation, calibration,

    00:09:56 power, and what I think is the most fun of all, troubleshooting. Whenever the IRT experiences an issue during testing, we have to think fast and fix it as soon as possible so that the customer can achieve what they set out

    00:10:10 to do with their test. Every test is unique, making every test entry a new challenge. Because the IRT is part of the original six facilities Carlos mentioned, upgrading components is vital to keep up with the demands of a new aircraft era.

    00:10:26 This is a passion of mine. I love to walk around the facility with our technicians and identify systems that can be made to work more efficiently with new equipment or expanded to add a new capability.

    00:10:39 We collaborate and create a design, and together, we bring the IRT into the modern age and prepare it for future demands. My love for all disciplines within electrical engineering landed me in the right place. At NASA Glenn,

    00:10:53 I learn something new every day and work with team members of many talents, backgrounds, and disciplines. They really have become like family to me. I've met and collaborated with brilliant minds in calibration, safety, maintenance, research,

    00:11:09 and facility work. Whenever I get on an airplane now, I think of them and feel safer when I fly. As part of the IRT team, I am honored to contribute to that effort for others. I am so excited about the future of flight

    00:11:24 and being part of the Artemis generation. Thank you. [ applause ]