NASA engineer will soar among the stars

Marta R. Metelko
Headquarters, Washington May 14, 2004
(Phone: 202/358-1642)

RELEASE: 04-161

NASA ENGINEER WILL SOAR AMONG THE STARS

NASA engineer Jose Hernandez remembers exactly where he
was when he heard the first Hispanic American was selected to
travel into space.

"I was hoeing a row of sugar beets in a field near Stockton,
Calif., when I heard on my transistor radio Franklin Chang-
Diaz was selected for the astronaut corps," Hernandez said.
Hernandez was a senior in high school when he heard the news.
Today he is a NASA Astronaut Candidate.

"I was already interested in science and engineering,"
Hernandez said, "but that was the moment I said I want to fly
in space. And that's something I've been striving for each
day since then," he added.

One of four children in a migrant farm working family from
Mexico, he spent much of his childhood on what he calls "the
California circuit." His family would travel from Mexico to
southern California following the crop season.

Hernandez recalls one constant in his life, even at the
height of the harvest season, "It didn't matter where we
were, our parents always had us in school in the spring and
fall." he said. "It wasn't if we went to college, it was
when. That was motivation," he remarked. He didn't learn
English until he was 12 years old, but that did not slow him
down.

While in high school, one of his teachers recognized his
strength in math and science. She encouraged his parents to
settle in order to stabilize their children's schooling. In
1971, the family made Stockton their permanent home.
Hernandez attended the University of the Pacific in Stockton.
He studied electrical engineering, thanks to a scholarship
program for local students who couldn't afford tuition. He
was required to work in a student co-op job, which helped him
gain experience in a real-world professional environment,
while paying his own living expenses during college.

To his delight, Hernandez found a co-op position at the
prestigious Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in
Livermore, Calif., a U.S. Department of Energy laboratory
operated by the University of California.

He graduated from Pacific in 1985 with a degree in electrical
engineering. Hernandez was awarded a full scholarship to the
graduate program at the University of California in Santa
Barbara, where he continued his engineering studies. He
finished the graduate program with a master's degree. In 1987
he accepted a full-time job with Lawrence Livermore, testing
the physical properties of various construction and
fabrication materials.

"I think my co-op experience with them was the key," he said.
"I was a low-risk hire, because they already knew what I was
about. And thank heavens for the co-op program; without it
I'm not sure where I would have ended up."

His research also helped forge new medical in-roads. In the
early 1990s, his work at Lawrence Livermore with a commercial
partner led to development of the first full-field digital
mammography imaging system. It was an innovative solution for
early detection of breast cancer using digital imaging
technology instead of standard X-ray film.

Throughout his career at Lawrence Livermore, Hernandez
continued to chase his dream of soaring to the heavens. In
2001, his longtime dream came closer to reality. He was
concluding an assignment for Lawrence Livermore in
Washington, when an engineering position opened at the
Johnson Space Center (JSC), Houston. "Everything seemed to
fall into place," Hernandez said.

At JSC, Hernandez managed nearly 60 civil service and
contractor employees who provide technical materials analysis
and scientific support for Space Shuttle and International
Space Station missions. Hernandez's team plays a key role in
returning the Shuttle to flight, developing repair-kit
materials for the orbiter's thermal protection system,
including wing and tile components.

Hernandez hasn't forgotten the lessons his parents taught
him. After joining JSC and moving to the Houston area, he
founded the local chapter of the Society of Mexican American
Engineers and Scientists (SMAES). He is the SMAES national
president. In 1999, Hernandez was honored with the Medalla de
Oro or the Medallion of Gold, the highest recognition given
by the organization for professional and community
contributions.

For information about NASA astronaut selection and training,
visit:

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/...actsheets/asse
ltrn.html


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Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info