And fought to integrate the teams behind the space program, women who excelled, paving a path building a ladder for the women we you to nasas modern figures. Dr. P ank tatpatel is can the n program and a professor with the Engineering Department at catholic engineer and dr. Crystal johnson. Lakisha hawkins is an Aerospace Engineer and a Propulsion Team lead at nasa. Welcome, all of you. You. Thank y for having us. I know you saw the movie. Yes, yes. What do you think of it . Loved it. Loved it. Was it accurate . It was close. I mean there were quite a few liberties that were taken in terms of some of the details, but the concept behind the unity that we have at nasa and the Challenging Mission that we have was right on point. And are you sured got, ms. Hawkins . Oh, im so excited about that. There are people that you would never think that would get excited about space and Space Exploration and women that i know who are talking about it and asking me about what i do because of the movie. I think its been a great bridge between us in technology and those who thats not part of their everyday conversation. Dr. Gagaraje, it has changed the conversation, hasnt it . It has. For s. T. E. M. And for space women . I think thats my favorite part of the movie. And anytime hollywood takes something, we are kidding ourselves if we think tv does not impact people, and were talking the mass of people, just the average person. Thats who were targeting. I love that people are having dinner conversations about science, about nasa . Thats a winwin. I know you all get asked a lot, but can you explain what you do . Okay. Dr. Johnson, as Deputy Center director for Technology Research investment, what are your responsibilities . Im responsible for envisioning the nextgeneration missions that were going to do, the Science Missions that were going to do. And then i establish an investment portfolio. Developing the next technologies that youre going to need to achieve those incredible, Challenging Missions, and making sure we have all of that mapped out in time to do the missions that were envisioning for the future. So, all Technology Development and research and development. Youre a visionary. I am. Dr. Gnagaraja . I started off being the worker bee, taking her visions and making them into something, so instrument technology, operating mission control, so making sure astronauts in space are safe. And now i get to do communications, so im in the business of being able to take these wonderful things that nasas doing and put them in a way so that people care about it, so theyll listen to us, theyll hear what were what were doing. And i think i read that you used to train shuttle and space i did. Astronauts . Yeah, i did. One of the coolest things ive ever gotten to do. The little 5yearold girl in me could not believe thats what i got to do when i grew up. It wasnt even a job i knew existed when i was little. Its just something that as time goes and you start getting exposed to different things, you realize, huh, thats something i think i would like to do. Ms. Hawkins, i understand that right now you are working on something really big, putting humans on mars. Well, so, in the world of propulsion, my job is a little bit easier to talk about. Its all about smoke and fire, right . So, for the last 20 years, ive been working to help develop engines for the Space Shuttle and now for the space launch system, s. O. S. And since ive been here at headquarters, ive been helping to work strategy for inspace propulsion, and instruments that we need to get us to deep space humans to mars. Im just in awe. Its all about smoke and fire. Thats a fascinating characterization. How close are we to putting someone on mars . Would you say. So, probably in the next decade or more, we will be getting there. In our lifetime. In our lifetime. Tell us about the teams you work with. Big departments . Well, at goddard space flight center, we have 10,000 employees, so its a pretty large organization. Across nasa, nasas a huge team. The team is not just nasa civil servants, but we have a Contractor Community thats a very, very important part of the nasa team. And so, that is a very vast, you know, hundreds of thousands of people that are engaged in the aerospace industry, and all of us have the same passion about what it is that we do. And whats it lik oh, goodness, trying to ensure that everybody is moving in the same direction. The work that ive been doing has been across Mission Directors and plugging in with folks at many of our nasa field centers. And i think that getting everybody focused on what our mission and our vision is, these are professionals that all believe in where were going. Theyre very dedicated to what were doing. And i think a lot of people are motivated themselves to want to Work Together in support. D nagaraja, give you a chance to answer that, too. Yeah, i think its a lot of what other people also see. So a lot at nasa can be related to by other people. So, youll have bumps in the road when youre working with a team. People have different opinions, different ways of approaching the same problem. While those cause problems, they are also our strength, biggest strength, because we have different viewpoints, different backgrounds. Where i may be more resourceful because i grew up in this area, this person may have a completely different way of. U mix of two and have a completely new solution. They are the nasas modern figures. Well take a break and continue ou march is womens history month, and this month, Barbara Harrison talked with one of the women in hidden figures. Catherine johnson was one of the socalled human computers, who proved that her manual math calculations were more reliable than the computers in nasas early this one in the middle. Okay. Thats supposed to be catherine johnson. If they say so. Well, thats what they say. And weve all gone to the movies to s does that surprise you . It does . Yes, very much. You dont know that youre an International Sensation . For what reason . Because of what you did. Did i rob a bank . Catherine johnson has a terrific sense of human, certainly not the introvert some might imagine a mathematics genius to be. We know that you did some incredible things when you worked at nasa. John glenn could not take a trip without you saying it was okay. Yeah, he was like me, he didnt trust that they put everything in the computers. John glenn trusted her telemetry calculations over those from computers that were relatively new at the time. He knew her equations done by hand had worked for some very highstakes missions. How did she feel about so much weight riding o no problem, because math has never stumped catherine johnson. Shes a legend now at nasa, where a lot has changed since her 33 years there. And she was a major catalyst for that change. Her brilliant mind for math led to Great Strides in the race to get to space and back. The fact that you knew how to do it when a lot of people didnt know how to do it. Shame on. Yes. Shame on them. Shame on them, sh how many Catherine Johnsons are there now at nasa . Ooh. There are lots of them, i assume. Lots of them. And lots of careers at nasa for, well, all kinds of careers, not just the science and math and engineering careers, correct . Thats right. Thats right. So, we have photographers, we have attorneys, we have accountants, we have doctors, actually, physical doctors that have to take a look at our astronauts and theyre healthy. Any kind of career that you can imagine, weve got it at nasa. I have to ask you as girls, did you all dream of science and math, or is it something you always wanted to do, or were you encouraged to do it . Ms. Hawkins. I think it was a combination of both. I was always interested in math, always interested in science, but i grew up in a family that just never limited me in what i could and couldnt do. There werent any hard or easy subjects. It really was about getting the tools that you needed to pursue whatever it is that you wanted to do. Did you have mentors along the way . You know, i look back. Ive done this a lot. As ive grown up, ive gone back and looked at why did i get into math and science, because let me tell you, the kids around me did not go into math and science. So i really wanted to know what made me so different, and i think it was the mentors, having people around you long befo i knew was science was, i happened to ask questions, and my sister said shes older than i am, so she knew i honing in on those interests. I saw my mom and dad doing things. We owned a hotel, and we went out, didnt matter what gender you were. My dad said, lets go fix the toilet or the sewer line or whatever it was. So i was exposed to it, i was mentored in it, and that paved the math for me. As far as s. T. E. M. Aptitude goes, some people say its nature, some say nurture. What do you say . I think its got to be a combination of the two. I think you have to start with some very, very basic aptitude, and then from there, you have to nurture it, because for me, math and science were really difficult. Really . They were very difficult when i was really, really young, but my parents required me during the summertime, when some of my friends were out at the pool swimming, i had to do math problems. And so, for me, what i found out is if something is really, really difficult for you, math, science or whatever it is, there is nothing on this planet thats too difficult for you to understand. So, its really just a matter of finding someone that can break it down to the point where it actually clicks in your mind. Once you find the one piece of the puzzle thats missing that is making it so difficult for you, the light bulb goes off. Bing, you got it. Right, and you understand it. And then from there, you have to nurture it and grow it and grow it from there, so. Do you agree with that . Absolutely i agree with that. Growing up, as i talked about, its just a matter of acquiring the tools that you need. Ive heard it called the three es. You need the education, you need exposure, and you also need experience. And so, if there is a subject that is out there that you want to pursue, typically, if youre not able to do it, its one of those three pieces that you need, and that puts power in the learners hands, right . Because that just means its a matter of going out and getting that. So, a combination, dr dr. Nagaraja, of the nature and nurture. Yeah, its definitely got to be a and looking at those people we love, some people just have an aptitude, they have a natural ability towards certain things. It may not be science or math. It could be a natural ability for languages. It could be a natural ability for the written word, but everyone has natural abilities, but it doesnt mean you cant be taught, at least on some level, to expcel at some of these othe subjects. Well continue ouh our modern figures, nasas modern figures, in a minute. St. Welcome back. Despite efforts to bridge the s. T. E. M. Gender gap, the gap, as you all know, is still very wide in the academia, in the workforce, and girls are being left behind in tech jobs, which is one of the Fastest Growing fields in the job market. How would you say we change that . Well, i think that were going to have to one of the things we like to do is to make sure that we get students actually into the doors of n and so, we have focused efforts to get girls in. Internships, we have over 450 at goddard alone, but across the whole agency, there is significantly more than that. But to get the girls in and provide them with women mentors, and were matching Even High School girls with collegeage mentors, and that pairs matched with a nasa woman mentor, to get them exposed and get them in. Ms. Hawkins, does changing perception also matter . When you take the average person, if they close their eyes and picture a scientist, they probably wouldnt see a woman . Oh, absolutely. So, i think perception matters a lot, and thats part of the exposure piece of the discussion, making sure that our young girls know that there are People Like Us that are out there in this field and engaged. And i think it starts at a very young age. I have a young daughter. Shes 13 years old. And i have watched her. Ive watched her mindset change about who should be in math and who should be in math and science honors classes. I think that the more they see it, the more they realize that it is normal and appropriate. Does she want to do what you do . She doesnt. Shes definitely engaged in the other side of the brain. However, i think that in a lot of ways, people who are in technology are engaged in the arts as well. So, well keep exposing. Dr. Nagaraja, one of the challenges for girls is not just getting them into s. T. E. M. , but keeping them in s. T. E. M. As you know, there is a big dropoff rate, especially in school between the ages of 13 and17. Yes. So, i think part of it is engaging them and maintaining interest. And we spend a lot of time focusing on middle school, because we know thats where childrens ideas and their interests dt in that because were focused on them so young, were forgetting to also address the kids as they grow older. But i think we also have a second problem. So, were engaging the girls when theyre young, but also what happen they get older and we have that dropout of the tech sector and women my age who are leaving technology, science and engineering because familyfriendliness and flexibilities, workforce flexibilities arent there. So, i think you have two issues, youve got them when theyre young and older, too. And ms. Hawkins, getting back to your daughter and daughters in general, what would you recommend for parents who want to stimulate their childrens interest in s. T. E. M. , especially girls . Right. Well, pushing them to enroll in the courses, engaging them in extracurricular activities, letting them know that there are clubs and there are afterschool activities that are involved in rocketry and r of that nature, that it can actually be fun. And that early exposure can carry through. Dr. Simmons, you have a great example of a sleepover where all of that happens . Yes, yes. I am really passionate about getting girls engaged in s. T. E. M. And so, so many of the girls in the younger ages are saying, i just, i cant do it, you know. Its not something thats easy for me. And so, for those girls that are not the ab students, i wanted to reach out in Prince Georges County, our local community. We invited 60 of the young girls, high school girls, junioraged girls, that are not doing so well and do not see themselves purg a s. T. E. M. Career so we could show them exactly what it is we do. So, we had challenges and competitions and we did stargazing, and they all had women mentors that stayed with them the entire night. And so, we also connected with the first ladys let girls learn program. So, our girls spoke with the girls in south africa and talked about some of the challenges there. But at the adventure, so many of those girls said, i changed my mind. This is really what i want to do, because its fun i thought you guys were geeks or nerds, and this is not what i wanted to do. But perception is everything. Most of them dont even consider its fun. Theyre now stargazers. Yes. All righty, well take. Nother break and y2ay1y y16fy continuing now with nasas modern figures. What do you recommend in terms of organizations that parents can get their boys or girls involved in . Im familiar with a group called girls who code, and there are others. Yes, absolutely. Yeah. In the local community, there are many. One of my favorites is first robotics, which exposes students to being able to build very simple robots with mentoring of adults who are in field. Again, just being able to expose students to practice with it and know that its fun. Dr. Nagaraja . Id say almost any city in the u. S. Has a school nearby, so if youre looking for a way to expose kids to science and engineering, take them to the labs where there are professors and ask the professors to mentor them or show them or get them involved in an experiment themselves. And maybe taking a tour of nasa, dr. Johnson . We welcome them to come to nasa as well. You can go to www. Nasa. Gov and look at any of the nasa centers. There should be a link that says contract us, and you can call us and ask for a tour and wed be happy to take any group of kids or group of adults on tours of our facilities. Were happy to do that. All right, and you were telling me about Nasas Program working with other agencies to keep women in s. T. E. M. Yes. And s. T. E. M. Jobs. An important program. Absolutely. One of our passions is making sure we sustain women in s. T. E. M. One of the problems is Companies Hire women because we they dont create the environment that sustains them. So, in september, nasa is partnering with several of the privateindustry companies, and well be having another sustaining women in s. T. E. M. Forum, where the focus will be on the role of men in sustaining women in s. T. E. M. And so, really, when it comes to mentoring, how should men and when should men mentor women and think about what they need to do to encourage women. All right, well, according to the group girls who code, by the year 2020, there will be nearly 1. 5 million jobs in computingrelated fields. U. S. Graduates expected to fill about a third of those. Women only about 3 . So, still a lot of work to do. Thank you all for being with us this morning. Thank you. Dr. Christyl johnson, dr dr. Mamta Patel Nagaraja and lakiesha hawkins. Thank you for being with us. Im pat lawson muse. News4 today is nex hes a nascar champion whos shes a worldclass swimmer whos stared down the best in her sport. But for both of them, the most challenging opponent was. Pe blood clots in my lung. It was really scary. A dvt in my leg. I had to learn all i could to help protect myself. My doctor and i choose xarelto® xarelto®. To help keep me protected. Xarelto® is a latestgeneration blood thinner. Thats proven to treat and reduce the risk of dvt and pe blood clots from happening again. In clinical studies, almost 98 of patients on xarelto® did not experience another dvt or pe. Heres how xarelto works. Warfarin interferes with at least six bloodclotting factors. Xarelto® is selective. Targeting just one critical factor, interacting with less of your bodys natural bloodclotting function. Dont stop taking xarelto® without talking to your doctor as this may increase risk of blood clots. While taking, you may bruise more easily, or take longer for bleeding to stop. It may increase your risk of bleeding if you take certain medicines. Xarelto® can cause serious, and in rare cases, fatal bleeding. Get help right away for unexpected bleeding, unusual bruising, or tingling. If youve had spinal anesthesia, watch for back pain or any nerve or musclerelated signs or symptoms. Do not take xarelto® if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. Tell your doctor before all planned medical or dental procedures and before starting xarelto® about any conditions, such as kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. Youve got to learn all you can. To help protect yourself from dvt and pe blood clots. Talk to your doctor about xarelto®. Theres more to know. That breaking news takes us to ohio. A mass shooting at a cincinnati nightclub. Dozens wounded, at least one dead. What police in ohio are uncovering about the latest case of devastating violence. How you going to kill a little boy . I grew up with him. Thats messed up. A teenager taken too soon. Friends mourn the loss as Prince Georges County police try to track down his killer. And on the Positive Side of things, its one of the best sights all year. Thousands heading to the cherry