POP QUIZ: What do Mars, Mohawks and MINI coopers all have in common?

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) hosted the NACE Face2Face on Friday, April 26. Assistant Director of Employer Relations, Emily White and I  jumped on the southbound 101 bright and early destined for Pasadena. We were eager to connect with SoCal colleagues and recruiters as well as learn more about employment opportunities at JPL for UCSB students. We spent the first part of the day with Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director, who shared interesting trend data and insights on the future of college recruiting.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a federally funded research and development center and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) field center, has been recruiting at UCSB for several years. JPL is managed by the nearby California Institute of Technology (Caltech) for NASA and its primary function is the construction and operation of robotic planetary spacecraft, though it also conducts Earth-orbit and astronomy missions.
 
You may have heard of JPL’s recent Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. The Curiosity Mars rover, the most technologically advanced rover ever built, landed in Mars' Gale Crater the evening of August 5, 2012 using a series of complicated landing maneuvers never before attempted. View JPL team member’s riveting account of the Curiosity Mars rover's final minutes and the challenges faced with landing on the surface of Mars. ‘Challenges of Getting to Mars: Curiosity's Seven Minutes of Terror’ [VIDEO]. Curiosity's mission is to determine whether the Red Planet ever was, or is, habitable to microbial life. The rover, which is about the size of a MINI Cooper, is equipped with 17 cameras and a robotic arm containing a suite of specialized laboratory-like tools and instruments.

From inside the mission control room in the Space Flight Operations Facility, we got a glimpse of all that was involved in the tremendously complex Curiosity Rover mission. We sat in the seat where JPL Director, Dr. Charles Elachi, collaborated with rocket scientists and project managers and saw where MSL Flight Engineer Bobak “Mohawk Guy” Ferdowski played an integral role in the Curiosity rover’s landing sequence. It was truly an eye-opening experience and a wonderful chance to learn more about exciting job & internship opportunities for UCSB students.
 
Pursuing a non-technical degree but interested in a career with JPL? Aside from a pool of talented scientists and engineers, they also have positions like business analysts, facilities specialists, human resource practitioners, public outreach communicators, and administrators to ensure their success. Check out the JPL website for job information specific for college grads and check GauchoLink to find out when they’ll be on campus again.

 Ignacio Gallardo
Director, Career Services