Although worldwide attention will focus on NASA for the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing this summer, NASA Glenn Research Center Director Dr. Janet Kavandi says the center’s work on aeronautics has been an equally important contribution. “A lot of what we do is less-known work that is responsible for the safety of all people on the planet,” says Kavandi of NASA’s work with all major jet engine developers in developing safer, more energy efficient engines. “We’re always trying to figure out how things work, how to make lives better.”
EARLY INFLUENCE: While growing up in Missouri, Kavandi’s parents fostered her love of science from an early age. “My father would give me doctor kits instead of dolls to help broaden existing gender roles,” she says. “My parents were very supportive in my belief that I could aspire to be anything I wanted to be. I never thought there was anything
I couldn’t do.”
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: Kavandi was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1994 and flew three shuttle missions, logging over 33 days in space. She oversees a staff at the Glenn Research Center, displaying the same teamwork that made those spaceflight missions a success. “We work for a very special agency,” she says. “We’re not driven by money or personal ambition. We work together to achieve great things.”
STAR SEARCH: As scientists, Kavandi and her colleagues have the power to shape the lives of future generations. “I would use the word influence instead of power,” she says. “In the 1400s in Europe, people thought they could fall off the edge of the Earth…It’s mind-boggling how far we’ve come. Without discovery, we will stagnate as a species.”
NEW ERA: When Apollo 11 touched down on the moon in 1969, NASA was a predominantly male domain. In 2013, NASA’s astronaut class featured a 50-50 split between men and women. “Being a woman astronaut was less commonplace 20 years ago,” says Kavandi. “We want to have the most diverse workforce we can, not just gender but in every respect. As with any other field, we will be happy when we do not need to talk about diversity, since we will have achieved that goal.”