On Monday 9 May one of our NGHS Alumnae, Susie Allen-Sierpinski, joined us in school to deliver a careers talk to the Junior and Senior school students.

Susie is a Flight Systems Engineer for NASA. She is currently working on the lunar mission project “Artemis” named after the twin sister of Apollo. This project aims to put the next man and the first woman on the moon by 2024.

Artemis will travel to the South Pole of the Moon where no one has set foot before. Susie’s role involves supporting the Deep Space Logistics Team, as the Human Systems Integration SME. Currently based at the Kennedy Space Centre which is home to the Gateway Deep Space Logistics (DSL) project, Susie works on the Gateway for Artemis which includes the logistic module which will transport food, fuel, water etc to the moon as well as other components of the Gateway.

 

 

Susie joined NGHS in the Infant and Junior School and left at the end of  her studies in the Senior School in the year 2000. She then completed her BS Aerospace Engineering degree at Florida Institute of Technology followed by her MSA in Applied Aviation Technology, before going on to complete her MS in Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Florida.

Her career to date includes working at Naval Air Systems Command, ASRC Research and Technology Solutions and the United Space Alliance.

Susie works in the International Space Industry in which the number of women employed represents just 20-22% of the workforce, which incredibly is the same number of women as 30 years ago (UN Affairs 2021). Women face obstacles to enter space related careers and contribute to discussions ending this disparity. Within NASA ⅓ of the workforce is female and within this only 28% are in Senior Executive positions and only 16% in Senior Scientific Positions.

 

 

It was great to hear from Susie about her career to date and the girls asked fantastic questions.  Susie was particulalry delighted that the Infant and Junior School has its own Engineering Club – something unheard of during her time here – and they came along to listen to her talk.

It is alumnae such as Susie who are helping to redress the imbalance that still exists largely in STEM releated industries. We are so grateful that Susie found a window in her short visit to the UK to come and visit the school and talk to our students. Truly inspirational.