National STEM Day

STEM Day Presenter – Karly Liebendorfer
2023 Astronaut Scholar
Florida Institute of Technology
Biomedical Engineering

Presentation in Mission Briefing Center at 12:30pm

Karly is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in Bioengineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she uses synthetic biology, genetic engineering, and protein engineering to develop point-of-care diagnostic technologies. She holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Biomedical Engineering from the Florida Institute of Technology and is a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow and an Astronaut Scholar.

She is currently training as an analog astronaut for the upcoming Asclepios VII mission in Switzerland. Outside the lab, Karly is a former NCAA Division II lacrosse player at Florida Tech and continues to compete with Georgia Tech’s Division I club team and Germany’s Heritage Team. Her long-term goal is to advance human health research for space exploration and ultimately become an astronaut, combining her scientific expertise with human spaceflight.

Building Culture the NASA Way:

What does it take to build a culture where people perform under pressure, pursue an impossible mission, and show up every single day fully committed?

Ask NASA.

Through compelling firsthand stories of the people, decisions, and moments that defined the agency’s culture, Pyle brings to life what it actually feels like to work alongside astronauts and engineers chasing the impossible.

Using his NASA framework, Navigate, Assess and Adapt, Strengthen Leadership, and Activate Inclusion and Innovation, Pyle delivers a clear, practical playbook for building cultures of trust, performance, and purpose, whether you lead a team of five or an organization of fifty thousand.

Brady Pyle:

Brady Pyle is Chief Human Resources and Inclusion Officer at Space Center Houston and a two-time recipient of the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal. He is the 2024 HRO Today Learning and Development Executive of the Year for Lifetime Achievement  

Tortillas to Astronauts:

Step into the captivating world of “Tortillas to Astronauts: An Unexpected Journey,” a heartwarming memoir that takes you on an extraordinary voyage through the life of Debbie Ramos Trainor. In this enthralling narrative, Debbie shares her remarkable transformation from an ordinary Mexican-American teenager, raised in a loving but modest family, to a trailblazing professional at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Her journey is a testament to the power of dreams, perseverance, and the belief that anything is possible.

Debbie R. Trainor:

 Debbie Ramos Trainor is a retired NASA international space flight training manager with 30 years of combined federal service from the Air Force and NASA. She served six years in the Texas Air National Guard and worked at the NASA/Johnson Space Center (JSC) for 29 years. She was a proud member of the elite Mission Operations team for over 20 years working in the space flight training program. Her space flight training experience started when she became a space flight training instructor teaching astronauts and mission controllers how to use the computer system for the International Space Station.

From Apollo to Artemis:

From the Apollo missions to the groundbreaking Artemis program that aims to return humanity to the lunar surface, this book chronicles the evolution of NASA through the eyes of someone who lived it. With vivid recollections, the author shares behind-the-scenes stories of the triumphs and tragedies that helped shape the course of space exploration.

Whether you’re a space enthusiast, a history buff, or someone fascinated by the human spirit’s relentless pursuit of the unknown, From Apollo to Artemis provides an insider’s perspective on NASA’s most ambitious endeavors. The author’s personal anecdotes, combined with historical context, create a rich narrative that captures the excitement, dedication, and innovation that define NASA.

Herb Baker:

Herb retired from NASA in 2017 after 42 years of service. He spent most of his career at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) supporting the Space Shuttle, Space Station, and Orion Programs but also worked at the Kennedy Space Center and NASA Headquarters. His last position was serving as the Manager of the Operations Support Office which provided support to the Flight Operations Office at JSC and included support to the Astronaut Office, Mission Control operations, NASA’s Aircraft Operations, and astronaut training. He is currently an Officer on the Board of Directors of the NASA Alumni League-JSC and spends most of his time volunteering for organizations that promote STEM engagement, including the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation and Space Center Houston.

Controlling Risk:

Jim Wetherbee, the only five-time Space Shuttle commander, presents thirty techniques that astronauts use—not only to stay alive in the unforgiving and deadly environment of space, but also to conduct high-quality operations and accomplish complex missions. These same techniques, based on the foundational principles of operating excellence, can help anyone be successful in high-hazard endeavors, ordinary business, and everyday life.
 
Controlling Risk in a Dangerous World shows you how to embrace these techniques as a way of operating and living your life, so you can predict and prevent your next accident, while improving performance and productivity to take your company higher.

Jim Wetherbee:

Jim Wetherbee is the only astronaut to have commanded five Space Shuttle missions. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, he began his life-long journey of controlling risk as a naval aviator, while flying in single-seat cockpits from aircraft carriers on the high seas. Wetherbee’s leadership roles as a military test pilot, astronaut, and safety executive in the oil and gas industry, from the front lines to the executive level – have given him valuable experiences and insights into dangerous businesses.

Making Space for Women:

From the creation of the Manned Spacecraft Center to the launching of the International Space Station and beyond, Making Space for Women explores how careers for women at Johnson Space Center have changed over the past fifty years as the workforce became more diverse and fields once closed to women—the astronaut corps and flight control—began to open. Jennifer M. Ross-Nazzal has selected twenty-one interviews conducted for the NASA Oral History Projects, including those with astronauts, mathematicians, engineers, secretaries, scientists, trainers, managers, and more. Making Space for Women offers a unique view of the history of human spaceflight while also providing a broader understanding of changes in American culture, society, industry, and life for women in the space program. The women featured in this book demonstrate that there are no boundaries or limits to a career at NASA for those who choose to seize the opportunity.

Jennifer Ross-Nazzal:

Jennifer Ross‑Nazzal has spent her career uncovering the human stories behind America’s journey into space. For twenty‑five years, she served as an historian at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, capturing the experiences of astronauts, engineers, flight controllers, and the many people who shaped human spaceflight. She is now the Space Content Research Manager at Space Center Houston, continuing her work connecting the public with the past, present, and future of exploration.

Jennifer is widely recognized for her expertise in NASA history and women’s history. She has interviewed five of the six women first selected as astronauts in 1978—including Sally Ride, who she’ll be talking about. Her essay on these pioneering women, “You’ve Come a Long Way, Maybe: The First Six Women Astronauts and the Media,” was praised as a fascinating, in‑depth look at how the first group of NASA female astronauts handled the sexist media