| "I’m project manager for the Modular Cultivation System, which is a joint facility that NASA is developing with the European Space Agency. The system is an incubator equipped with centrifuges that will allow us to carry out plant physiology research on the International Space Station (ISS). Eventually, we hope to study cells and aquatic life forms on the ISS. This project lets me apply some of my training in biomechanics, which was a focus of my graduate work.
"Ames provides a wonderful opportunity to get great experience early on in your career and immediately apply the tools that you learned at school. Within two years after I was hired, I participated in developing the hardware that was sent to Mir. It was an opportunity to be part of history.
"The center feels a lot like an extension of university life. There are different activities, a casual environment, and flexible hours. Working here has been a very positive experience. It’s a great place for anyone interested in space and also in fundamental science." |
Tina Herrera
Mechanical Engineer
Ames Research Center
University of California-Berkeley
University of California-Davis
Joined NASA as a co-op student in 1992; became a full-time employee in 1994 |
