Summer
Research Project:
This summer’s internship with QSS Group, Inc
has truly been a unique experience for me. I had the occasion
to acquire a genuine flavor of the space industry and know that
I will continue benefiting from the experience in the years to
come. I have definitely begun walking the road to my goal and
am truly grateful that I was given the chance to do so.
My
internship has allowed me to assist engineers as they downloaded
and studied data taken from the Polar Operational Environmental
Satellite (POES). The data was both scientific as well as diagnostic.
The scientific data was used to produce images for organizations
such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
and NASA. This data allows companies such as NOAA to forecast
the weather, but also plays an essential role in conducting studies
such as those of wildfire hot zone and search and rescue operations.
The diagnostic data was used to make sure that the instruments
aboard these satellites were in good working order, calibrated
correctly, and giving data that was appropriate. My duties further
allowed me to close the gap between physical instrumentation and
programming codes. I was better able to understand the way these
programs were used to gather and generate data that could be used
in various studies. Finally, I was able to indulge my interests
by taking a spacecraft design course.
Work
Experience
Southwest Museum of Science and Technology,
Dallas, TX
Exhibit Interpreter – May 2001 - present
· Supervise and train volunteers working on the exhibit
floor.
· Responsible for opening and closing the exhibit galleries.
· Conduct basic program demonstrations as trained for general
visitors and reserved groups.
· Enhance the visitor experience with hands-on exhibits
by informing visitors of their purpose and demonstrating their
use.City of Garland, Garland, TXCommunity Relations Intern – Summer
2000 and Summer 1999
· Assisted staff in basic office tasks such as answering
multiple phone lines, copying, faxing, and data entry as well
as in the printing of advertisement materials, creation of vouchers,
and badges in preparation of Independence Day celebrations.
· Compiled surveys for use in future festivals.
Projects
· Proportional Integral Controller – Designed
and implemented in a team of two a PI controller to provide position
control for the rotational stage based on a reference command
voltage; a ± 10 V rotary position signal was generated
from a single-turn potentiometer and fed into a control circuit
whose output, when connected to an amplifier, would result in
precise rotational motion of the stage.
Computer Skills
· Languages: Limited experience in C.
· Operating Systems: DOS, Windows and Unix.
· Software: Microsoft Works, Word, Power Point, Access,
Excel, and Front Page, with limited experience in MATLAB, AutoCAD,
and Pro-Engineering.
Organizations
· Member of UT-Arlington’s first ever NASA
Reduced Gravity Student Flight Team.
· Member of UT-Arlington’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Team.
· Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
· Participated in Texas Christian University’s Air Force
ROTC program.
Honors
· Duncan Robinson Award for Excellence in
writing.
· University of Texas’ Freshman Honors Scholarship.
· Garland Industrial Technology Education Exhibit - 1997
Best in District and 1st Place 3-D CAD Model.
· Garland Industrial Technology Education Exhibit - 1997
1st Place Desktop Publishing.
Communication Skills
· Understand some basic Spanish.
· Work well in teams and individually.
· Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Outside Activities
· Music leader at church meetings, both
adult and youth.
· Plan on obtaining a pilot’s license and SCUBA certification
in the near future.
· Reading, sketching, and playing the violin.
· Traveled to Mexico during the summers of 1999 and 2000
for mission trips.
· Tutored students in Physics and music (violin classes).
