Women of NASA Langley Profiles
Monica H. Barnes
![[Monica's photo (3/00)]](larc-mhb.jpg)
Hello Everyone! My name is Monica H. Barnes and I am an Electronics Engineer
at the NASA Langley Research
Center (LaRC) in Hampton, Virginia. I work in the Systems
Development Branch (SDB), a part of the Airborne Systems Competency.
We have our very own Boeing 757 aircraft (B-757), which is currently utilized
as a flying research laboratory. It contains state-of-the-art instrumentation
for collecting various flight data for research and industry partners. Can
you imagine…a flying laboratory? Well, it's true. We travel to many exciting
destinations to conduct our research and to gather the necessary data to
support our internal and external customer's theories and solutions.
The part of this research system that I integrate is the Video Subsystem,
which contains several video cameras, video cassette recorders, video switchers,
a control computer, and lots of display monitors! The system changes based
upon the research needs at the time. There are about 16 research stations
onboard the B-757 Airborne Research Integrated Experiments System, which
we call 'ARIES' for short. All of these stations are integrated together
to provide a fantastic research tool for improving airborne systems and
providing new and innovative aerospace research.
I started my college education by attending Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University, otherwise known as Virginia
Tech (Go Hokies!). I earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering
in 1986. During my undergraduate studies, I participated in many activities
during the school year. I enrolled in the Cooperative
Education Program (Co-Op) with NASA LaRC, which afforded me the opportunity
to explore my options within the Electrical Engineering career field. It
also gave me the opportunity of a lifetime, and a tremendous amount of practical
experience. WOW! It was truly exciting! I then decided to continue my education
part-time at Old Dominion
University, where I obtained my Masters Degree in Engineering Management
in 1991. In addition, I furthered my education by completing various courses
in the Engineering Management Ph.D. program.
As a co-op student working at NASA LaRC, I gained an extraordinary insight
into the work culture in general, and I had the opportunity to work on a
variety of projects with engineers, scientists, and researchers in applying
theoretical principles to the real world. This experience taught me the
process of identifying and solving problems, applying them to a real-life
application, and the importance of working as a team to accomplish a goal.
I also learned to really enjoy my work, and that a career in Electrical
Engineering could be extremely rewarding!
In High School, math and science were my favorite subjects. I knew I wanted
to explore a technical field, but I wasn't quite sure what it would entail.
My Dad suggested that I go into engineering, and that it could be an extremely
lucrative career. He also told me that it would be a challenge, requiring
lots of hard work and dedication, and that I would have to persevere if
I wanted to be successful. My Mom guided me to explore this career field
by attending the Minority Introduction to Engineering Program at Virginia
Tech during my junior year. This was definitely my first exposure to engineering
and the possibilities that followed. Then, during my senior year, I was
accepted into the NASA LaRC Pre-Co-Op Program. The experiences I gained
that summer were so phenomenal that after participating in this program,
I was convinced that engineering was the career choice for me.
I was a really creative person as well, and I enjoyed creative writing and
English composition. I developed this love for technical writing and even
wrote a paper in college on one of my NASA co-op projects, the Pushbroom
Microwave Radiometer, a predecessor to the Large Space Antenna, which won
a 1st place prize at a National Technical Association's (NTA) undergraduate
conference competition in 1983. This paper was later published in the NTA
Journal. It was so great to be a winner!
In addition to my extremely busy work schedule at NASA LaRC, I also participate
in mentoring young people, especially young ladies, through the Cooperating
Hampton Roads Organizations for Minorities in Engineering (CHROME) program.
I enjoy speaking to various Hampton Roads area CHROME Clubs and encouraging
female students to pursue engineering and other technical careers, since
these are still predominantly male career choices. I also work with the
NASA Summer High School Apprentice Research Program (SHARP), and support
the Langley's Federal Women's Program Committee (FWPC)
members in their efforts to further recognize the accomplishments of women
in the Federal workforce. I have fun participating in the Langley Athletic
Association's Aerobics program, and I enjoy participating in many other
exciting activities throughout the year. My career is extremely rewarding!
Outside of my work at NASA, I'm an extremely busy person as well. I have
a wonderful husband and very close-knit, huge family, an exciting and interesting
social schedule, and an active church life as well. I also teach skin care
and make-up artistry with a leading cosmetic company, which allows me to
do 'the girl thing' and help many women look and feel great! Isn't it encouraging
to know that all engineers aren't geeks?! That is where balancing your career
and your personal life really pays off! I truly believe that with God, all
things are possible, and I believe that we can be successful at anything
we choose! So, I guess you should just go for it!!! You'll be glad you did!"
Philosophy "Live and work by the Golden Rule, treating others
as you wish to be treated. Remember if you can believe it, then you can
achieve it!!! "
MARCH 2000 |
