Stephanie Primeaux ’19 (M.E.M. ’24)
Cost Analyst/Proposal Specialist/Project Manager, NASA Langley Research Center
Stephanie Primeaux never envisioned herself working for NASA, but now that she’s there she wants to be a beacon for others to follow.
As part of the NASA Langley Speakers Bureau, Primeaux volunteers at STEM camps, the Boys & Girls Club of America and charter schools “so that kids, especially in communities where (STEM engagement and outreach) isn’t prevalent can see that anyone can work at NASA,” she says.
“A big part of me doing outreach is just saying, ‘Hey, you don’t have to look like a certain person to work at NASA,’” says Primeaux, noting her Mexican heritage and military family background as well as her piercings and tattoos. She got her start through NASA’s Pathways Internship Program in 2017. The program, which she learned about at an 鶹ý career fair, offers a direct pipeline to full-time employment at NASA after graduation.
Primeaux was a working mom at 鶹ý while pursuing her degree in mechanical engineering. Her daughter was 2 1/2 when she started in 2017 and she had her son in the middle of her senior year, she says. She returned for a master’s in engineering management, which she earned in May 2024.
Part of her job at NASA is ensuring researchers and scientists have met all the requirements of their project proposals with the hopes of being selected for funding. Recently, she was promoted to project manager.
Did you always want to work at NASA?
I was always obsessed with space. I really loved the “Hubble” movie – I used to watch it all the time. (NASA) was very interesting to me but seemed out of reach. I thought only super smart people worked at NASA and it seemed kind of unachievable, but I applied, and my interview went great. The people who interviewed me are still my coworkers today. Now that I'm here, I realize I should have always been here
What’s the best or most surprising thing about working at NASA?
The people. If you ask my team, they would all say the same thing: We think that our team is very special. I've been with the same group of people since I started as a student. They've seen me grow in my position, going from an intern to someone who is considered the go-to personnel within our group. It's affirming that they see what I see in myself, 10 times more.
What’s the coolest or most challenging project you’ve worked on (or one that makes you most proud)?
I am a project manager for a life-test activity supporting an Earth Venture Instrument (EVI) 5 project called GLIMR (Geosynchronous Littoral Imaging and Monitoring Radiometer). The University of New Hampshire (UNH) is the principal investigator Langley is responsible for conducting the cable wrap life test so they can prove that this flex cable wrap will survive launch, orbit and its environment in space and that UNH can use these cables and be confident that they're going to survive mission life.
How did 鶹ý prepare you for what you’re doing now (was there a particular class, professor or experience)?
鶹ý was very supportive. I had great advisors and teachers. I strolled my son (into class) two weeks after having him so I could take my final and my teacher didn't even bat an eye. So, having a good community and being surrounded by a school that was supportive of working parents is why I was able to complete my degree on time and do it without totally losing all my sanity.
What would you tell young Monarchs to convince them to add NASA to their list of employers to explore after graduation?
Apply to every position, even if your qualifications might not be a hundred percent right or it's kind of outside your comfort zone — just get your foot in the door. If you can. I promise you there will be more opportunities.
If you are a hard worker, think outside the box and have a good foundation, anyone can work here, you just have that commitment and passion.