Grace Cramp...

My name is Grace Cramp and I am a graduate co-op in the Habitability and Human Factors Branch of the Habitability and Environmental Factors Division of the Space and Life Sciences Directorate, specifically working in Space Food Systems. I have a B.S. in Food Science from Penn State and am currently working towards my M.S. in Food Science at North Carolina State University.

I grew up on a small farm in Pennsylvania, about an hour and a half from Philadelphia. I spent a lot of time riding my horse, something I didn't have to give up when I came to Houston. Johnson Space Center (JSC) is on the edge of Houston, so I was able to find a local boarding stable. JSC's location really gives you the best of both worlds. If you drive half an hour north you are deep in a city with nightlife and shopping, but if you drive half an hour west you are in the middle of ranch country.

I am actually the first Food Science co-op JSC has ever had. I got to be a co-op by walking up to the JSC booth at the career fair at Penn State and handing them my resume. Luck was with me, because it was the first year that they were actively looking for Food Science majors. A year later I found myself driving into the Johnson Space Center past the Apollo and Gemini rockets.

Food Science is very specialized, so unlike the engineering co-ops, I spent both of my undergraduate tours in Space Food Systems. I love working for NASA, but I also wanted to get a Ph.D., so I applied for a graduate co-op, and was accepted to continue my work in Space Food Systems. Most of my projects are associated with the development of a food system for a Mars mission. This includes research into ingredients, shelf life, packaging, processing, and radiation and other environmental effects on food in space. Every tour you have a mentor to guide you, as well as coworkers who are always willing to answer questions.

There are also tours and lectures to go on while at work so that the co-ops can learn about the past, present, and future of NASA. Besides hearing lectures from people like Gene Kranz and Chris Kraft, we get to see the shuttle and station mockups, land the shuttle and dock to ISS in simulators, and go to Ellington Field for a tour of the NASA airplanes.

Houston is a great place to live, and being a co-op is a great experience. If you have any questions feel free to contact me at glcramp@unity.ncsu.edu.