Since early high school I've been interested in the space program. I think the whole idea of traveling into low Earth orbit and beyond is absolutely fascinating. I'm majoring in Aerospace Engineering because I want to assist in the development of space transportation/habitation and participate in space travel.

My plan is to graduate from the University of Texas with degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Geological Sciences. I really enjoyed my work at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX, but discovered that the location and work hours aren't really for me. Now I'm thinking of pursuing a more research-related career path (perhaps in planetary science) or working with private industry on space-related projects (similar to the work done by groups like Pioneer Astronautics).

In the near-term....after I complete my undergraduate work I will go to grad school to get masters degrees in both aerospace engineering and something geology-related. I intend to specialize in Bioastronautics (the study of the impact of the space environment on the human body and the development of life support systems for planetary and low-earth orbit habitats). I will probably go to the University of Colorado at Boulder, but my decision hasn't been finalized yet. After all, I still have two years to make up my mind!

After getting my masters I might work for NASA. I briefly entertained the idea of becoming a Naval Aviator, but I just can't get past the moral dilemma involved in attacking/harming others. No matter what happens, once I spend a few years learning the ins and outs of engineering, I will apply to the Astronaut Corps.

My final goal is to be an astronaut. I believe I have the drive and ability for this to actually happen. I could think of nothing better than to spend my time living and working in space (perhaps on the International Space Station...?). They also say that my generation will be the one to go to Mars. But that's a long way off, so I won't worry about it too much right now.

Geology

In terms of the sciences, geology is my "first love". I think it was around second grade that I started digging around for shiny crystals on the playground instead of playing tetherball. I had a pretty good rock collection going by third grade, though most were shabby specimens I had picked up off the ground.

Now I have what I would call a "real" collection, in that it holds quite a few high-quality store-bought specimens. I especially like geodes and elaborate quartz crystal specimens....so if you've got some nice rock lying around that you don't want, give it to me! I'll accept anything. My only problem with my collection is that I haven't actually gone into the field to get any of the nice ones. Hopefully one day I'll be able to go on a geologic field trip and find something that looks nice and is really *mine*.

I also enjoy the scientific aspect of geology. My favorite areas of study are igneous petrology (volcanic rocks), minerals (mainly crystal formation), planetary geology (as I mentioned above), and glacier/arctic activity (Ice Ages, continental ice sheets--like Antarctica, and the like), etc, etc, etc!

Astronomy, Physics, other sciences

The space program aside, I find the scientific (as opposed to the engineering) aspect of space to be fascinating as well. My particular interests regarding astronomy are numerous. I love planetary geology (of course!) along with cosmology and galactic astronomy. That covers just about all of astronomy, but I guess that's why I love the subject so much!

Theoretical physics is fun too. String theory, inflation theory, the physics of galactic/interstellar interactions, celestial mechanics, particle physics, you name it I like it!

Competitive Cycling

I started cycling just because I enjoyed it. But (as with most things) I can't do anything without being very competitive. So I started racing at the beginning of my freshman year in college. After placing well in a number of collegiate races I decided to upgrade from the Women's B category to Women's A. The problem with this is that I went from racing a against women that were beatable to racing against the reigning national champion and her elite teammates. As a result the best placing I've managed to get has been 3rd. And that 3rd was only after a rigorous 4-month training program and the fortuitous absence of one of the national champ's teammates!

As with my career goals, I have some lofty ambitions regarding cycling. Winning a collegiate national event, most likely a track cycling event or the National Criterium Championships, is becoming the focus of my cycling training.

Japan

"Oh lawd, they made a cartoon about Julie! We don't want to watch a show about some girl eating all day!!"

I noticed how fascinating Japan was back in middle school when the "Sailor Moon" cartoon series began airing on American television. Soon after, I studied Japanese culture intensely, particularly the language. I took two years of formal Japanese in high school. I've forgotten a good bit of it, but most of what I've forgotten is just vocabulary and kanji. I remember most of the grammatical rules and all of the syllabary groups.
I intend to test out of Japanese I and II at UT Austin. As a result I will spend my entire Christmas break studying. Soon after I intend to delve into Japanese III and then move on to Japanese IV. Hopefully my brain won't explode in the process.

Mountaineering

Okay, so I haven't been to Everest or Rainier or the Alps, but because I am poor mountaineering is a sport I enjoy from a distance. I experience it vicariously through reading lots of mountain climbing literature (see the books page), and have that dream that "one day" I'll get to climb something that you need bottled oxygen to get to the top of.

My best friend Lauren afforded me the opportunity to go climbing in the Rockies in Rocky Mountain National Park, an act of kindness I will never forget. While the tallest mountain I climbed was just below 14,000 feet, it was enough to make me realize that hiking and climbing are very very hard. But that is the purpose of sport, and I enjoyed it very much. Hopefully I will be able to go climb some more serious mountains than Mount Meeker in the future.

Artsy Stuff

Well, I like to write. I know, I'm an engineer, which means I should be a crappy writer, but I also want to be an astronaut, which means I have to be a good writer. Fortunately I strike a balance between the two by being a not-bad writer. I wrote a 212 page (212 computer pages, Times size 10 font, single spaced) sci-fi story back in high school, lots and lots of poetry (which I still keep up, though all of that is safely hidden away where no one save myself can find it). I also want to write a 4-part fantasy novel series that I've had floating around in my head for about eight years. One day...one day, I'll write the whole thing!

I also like to draw....in fact, I probably do that better than I can write. I mostly draw people, but I don't go for the whole still-life look. My stuff is more comic-book like, I think. I'll scan some of it and put it on the site at some point.

Here is an example of one of my favorite artistic media: Windows Paint.

AND...here is a patch I designed for the International Space Station life support training group at the Johnson Space Center, both preliminary and final!

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