QuynhGiao N. Nguyen
Lead for Hypersonic: High Temp, Durable Materials
NASA
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
As an undergraduate, I found a mentor who worked at NASA in the field of materials engineering.
I was able to observe his work and started to think about it as profession and then pursued it.
During my first year of graduate school at Cleveland State, I was assigned an advisor.
My advisor ended up being a physical chemist, which was a field I was already interested in.
From there, it was up to me to figure out which specialized field I wanted to pursue.
I got an amazing opportunity from NASA, which was a full-time job offer while in graduate school.
I finished my MS and accepted the job offer. It took longer than my original goal to finish my PhD.
I've been blessed. Working hard, being open to opportunities & challenges allowed for more choices.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Diploma
Diploma
Doctorate
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs
Cleveland State University
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs
Cleveland State University
Career
Lead for Hypersonic: High Temp, Durable Materials
I help NASA accomplish goals by addressing technical challenges, building teams & solving problems.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Engineering
Science
Problem Solving
Day to Day
A great day starts with me meeting with my team in their lab facilities and being lucky enough to witness a test, and perhaps even setting it up. I'll get the opportunity to watch in real-time and see what we’ve worked on developing for weeks, months, and sometimes years, all come together right in front of our eyes. When we see results like that, we're all cheering and smiling, and I get to sit back and feel thankful that I was able to be a part of it all.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for high school students
Talk to people working in this field. Be the feet on the ground. Get an internship, shadow an engineer, volunteer and certainly never stop being curious. I'd also recommend joining organizations. I joined a National Honor Society for Women in Chemistry - Iota Sigma Pi. This non-profit organization helps women (professionals and students); promote / mentor chemistry-related careers and education.
Recommended Education
My career is not related to what I studied. I'd recommend this path instead:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Society in General:
"Go back to your own country. You're stupid. You don't have to be smart to be successful."
Challenges I Overcame
First-Generation Immigrant
Learning Issues
First-Generation College Student
