From Alaska to NASA: Devin Hahne puts engineering education to work.

• Author: Hitt, David
• Position: SPECIAL SECTION: ENGINEERING - Interview

While growing up, Devin Hahne was inspired by stories of space exploration. The Alaska Space Grant Program--and a NASA internship--taught him he, too, could work for NASA, where he designs scientific instruments to better understand the universe.

In which NASA student opportunity project did you participate, and how did you get involved in if?

(I participated in) the NASA Student Internship Project through the Goddard Office of Higher Education. I was offered this internship after submitting a flurry of applications--there were many, many different projects and programs to apply for.

As an intern, I (worked) in the X-ray astrophysics (directorate). With my primary mentor, I was exploring new designs of X-ray mirrors, which are used in telescopes that study the X-ray energy bands. With my secondary mentor, I used a (computer-aided design) tool to iterate the design of a proposed small explorer satellite. This satellite was going to use the aforementioned optics to research gravitational waves.

I felt very privileged because I worked with people in a lab that had been initiated in the 1960s, and so they had a lot of heritage and experience to share with me. Also, I participated in the genesis of a satellite mission and iterated its design concepts. My contributions ultimately motivated my mentors to offer me a full-time job.

What is your educational background, and what are your future educational plans?

I have a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. I aspire to pursue a master's degree, but I'm not totally decided in what--I have too many interests.

What inspired you to choose the career field you did?

The Alaska Space Grant Program was the incubator and the motivator of my career. I didn't even know what an engineer was when I started college in 2003. However, at a high school college fair, I was introduced to the ASGP rocket project at UAF and decided that I wanted to participate in that.

Also, looking back, I spent a lot of time playing with LEGOs.

What do you think were the most important things you took away from your involvement with NASA?

Scientists are real human beings with lives and bills and families and problems and joys, just like all other human beings. NASA is not some mysterious entity reserved for the highly privileged and exceptionally brilliant. It's inclusive and opportunities are available. At an ASGP symposium I spoke at in May...