Scarlin Hernandez
Scarlin Hernandez | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1991 |
| Alma mater | Capitol Technology University |
Scarlin Hernandez is a Dominican-American astronautical engineer and empowerment speaker. She worked as a spacecraft engineer for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD.[1] Testing the ground systems that will direct and control the telescope once it has been launched into space is a crucial aspect of her job as a spacecraft engineer. [2]
Early life and education
[edit]Hernandez was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to Brooklyn, New York, at the age of four. She grew up in Baltimore, MD, and attended high school at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute.[3]
In 2013, she earned a degree in computer engineering from Capitol Technology University in Laurel, Maryland, supported by a full scholarship from the National Science Foundation. She also began to pursue astronautical engineering in her studies while at Capitol.[4] She also started a chapter of the Society of Women Engineers and served as secretary and later president.[5]
While in college, she completed an internship at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, where she was part of the ground control system team for the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite, which operated from 1997-2015.[6]
Career
[edit]Following college, Hernandez worked in various roles for the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, including as mission planning lead, systems engineer, propulsion engineer, and power engineer. From there, she moved to focus on deep space, joining the James Webb Space Telescope mission at the Space Telescope Science Institute. She worked on the flight operations team on the deployment control subsystem.[7] In 2017, Scarlin Hernandez was recognized by the online magazine Remezcla as one of "10 Latinas making their mark on STEM," highlighting her impact as a woman engineer from a minority background in a field striving for diversity.[8]
She supported the Webb telescope during its December 25, 2021 launch, and worked on its console throughout its commissioning. She also worked on its Optical Telescope Element.[3]
While at the Space Telescope Science Institute, she participated in internal projects such as the Women Empowering Women program,[9] the first institute-wide diversity, equity, and inclusion program, as well as recruitment campaigns with the Society of Women Engineers and Capitol Technology University.[3]
In 2022, Hernandez was the National Award of the Youth in the Dominican Republic, and the same year she was also included in Forbes Dominican Republic Las 50 Mujeres Poderosas República Dominicana.[10][11]
Hernandez has been featured in the documentary Orgullo de Quisqueya[12] and the Netflix documentary Unknown: Cosmic Time Machine.[13]
External links
[edit]- Video: NASA Hispanic Heritage Month Employee Profile - Scarlin Hernandez - JWST Spacecraft Engineer (STScI)
- Video: NASA engineer celebrates Hispanic heritage at Cradle of Aviation
References
[edit]- ^ "Being a spacecraft engineer offers a chance to make history, inspire others". www.captechu.edu. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ^ Lewandoski, Jane. "Library: Hispanic and Latinx Scientists: Scarlin Hernandez". esearch.sc4.edu. Retrieved 2025-03-05.
- ^ a b c "Scarlin Hernandez". STScI. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ Lewandoski, Jane. "Library: Hispanic and Latinx Scientists: Scarlin Hernandez". esearch.sc4.edu. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ "National Hispanic Heritage Month". UCSB College of Engineering. 2022-09-12. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ "Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight: Scarlin Hernandez - All Together". 2017-09-26. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ^ "Webb Space Telescope: The Global Village - NASA". Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ "10 Latinas Making Their Mark in the STEM World". Remezcla. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
- ^ Weston, Madalyn. "Celebrating women in STEM: Scarlin Hernandez". Roo News. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ "Dominican rocket scientist wins Youth Award". DominicanToday. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ "Lista Forbes: Las 50 Mujeres Poderosas República Dominicana 2022". Forbes República Dominicana (in Spanish). 2023-01-18. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ Rodríguez, Tito (2023-09-28), Orgullo de Quisqueya (Documentary), Hillary Clinton, Juan Luis Guerra, Zahi Hawass, Grupo SIN, Grupo SIN, Servicios Informativos Nacionales, retrieved 2024-04-29
- ^ Gal, Shai (2023-07-24), Unknown: Cosmic Time Machine (Documentary), Joe Biden, Amber Straughn, Becky Smethurst, Story Syndicate, Netflix, retrieved 2024-04-29
- 1991 births
- Living people
- 21st-century American women scientists
- Dominican Republic women scientists
- Women engineers
- 21st-century American women engineers
- 21st-century American engineers
- Women aerospace engineers
- Dominican Republic women engineers
- Dominican Republic emigrants to the United States
- Dominican Republic engineers
- Hispanic and Latino American scientists
- Hispanic and Latino American women scientists