So, I want to take you through a bit of my journey the best way I know how: through field photos as a geologist.' 'But of course,' she continued, 'I didn't start here. It is a true honor and privilege to be here with you all tonight,' she began 'It really does feel like coming home, coming back to Caltech.'Īs a postdoctoral scholar at Caltech, Watkins worked on research for the Mars Curiosity rover, doing both science and operations as part of the Mars Science Laboratory mission team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which Caltech manages for NASA. Watkins emerged on stage to a long round of applause from a packed house with many young children in the audience. 'She said, ‘I want to come work in your group so I can learn about Mars because I want to go to Mars someday,'' said Grotzinger. Grotzinger, Caltech's Harold Brown Professor of Geology and Ted and Ginger Jenkins Leadership Chair in GPS, who recalled when Watkins asked to join his lab. The evening began with an introduction by Watkins's former postdoctoral mentor, John P.

On Friday, April 7, NASA astronaut and former Caltech postdoc Jessica Watkins returned to campus to share the story of her career and her experience aboard the International Space Station (ISS).ĭuring her talk in the Beckman Auditorium, Watkins reflected on her time at Caltech in the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences (GPS), described her career trajectory from researcher to astronaut, and shared videos and anecdotes from her time in space.

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