Inspire, Fall/Winter 2008

overheard 12 fall/winter 2008 Stacie’s role was to work on the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS), a long stick with sensors on the end that attaches to the Shuttle arm. It’s used on every mission to take 3-D laser imagery of the Shuttle’s surfaces, allowing astronauts, engineers, and image analysts to check for damage on ascent and to clear the Shuttle for re-entry. As her skills and knowledge became more necessary, Stacie saw her responsibilities on the project evolve. She was named sub-system manager for one of the laser sensors and led that team from the development phase through successful flight operation. In fact, it became clear, over the years, that Stacie’s strength was in management. She tried design for awhile, but her naturally outgoing and social personality made the isolation of such work difficult. “I’d rather be up and out,” she said, “overseeing technical work and managing the various aspects of a project, including requirements, documentation, budget, and schedule.” While at NASA, Stacie met her husband, Gary, who works in the International Space Station Avionics and Software Office. When she was working as project manager for the OBSS, she gave birth to their son, Taylor. Two months later she was back on the job … this time as project manager for avionics sustaining engineering. That means she manages all of the flight hardware her division maintains for both the Shuttle program and the International Space Station program. “The coolest thing I’ve experienced so far,” said Stacie, “is seeing hardware I’ve helped develop being used in space. The OBSS was the number one ‘return to flight’ project and was featured on the news. I’d see it on CNN and say, ‘I did that.’” Her years at Cedarville provided Stacie with many of the day- to-day skills she needs to be successful. At Cedarville, Stacie learned how to take a design from start to finish, manage a budget, and work on a team. She especially appreciates the team aspect of her schooling. “You don’t always get to pick your team,” she remarked. “You and your project are only as good as the team you’re on and how well you work together.” For Stacie, working on a project means all team members must participate and pull their own weight in order to be successful. Everyone must also be willing to help out the others when they are struggling. “Never let yourself become so important that you aren’t willing to get your hands dirty to get the job done,” Stacie said. “It’s also important to pay attention to the strengths and weaknesses of each team member when assigning tasks.” While at NASA, Stacie has worked on various projects with different products, but she has discovered that the principles of participating as a team are the same, regardless of the job at hand. Stacie is grateful for what Cedarville taught her about ethics and figuring out where people are coming from based on their worldview. Working at NASA has reminded Stacie how much her Christian identity should influence her work environment. “Part of being a Christian is being a good employee,” she said. Stacie pursued her vision of working at NASA. And yes, she saw it realized within days of graduating from Cedarville. But for her, reaching for the stars simply means seeking God’s will for her life. Stacie (Bennett) Cox ’00 lives with her husband, Gary, and their children, Kevin (16), Kayla (14), and Taylor (1), in Houston, Texas. You may contact her at tamuville-2000@yahoo.com. Sharyn Kopf enjoys her role as senior writer for the public relations department at Cedarville. She has worked previously as a newspaper reporter and spent more than seven years as an award-winning radio writer for Focus on the Family. You may contact her at skopf@cedarville.edu. Stacie (Bennett) Cox ‘00, project manager for avionics sustaining engineering at NASA, tries out the commander’s seat of a space Shuttle orbiter. Another NASA Connection Each year Cedarville students compete in the prestigious Ohio Space Grant Consortium — part of the NASA National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program. The Consortium awards scholarships to students pursuing degrees in the disciplines of math, science, and engineering. In order to receive a scholarship, students commit to doing research with a faculty mentor. The content of the research is broad but generally focuses on areas of interest to NASA, such as space exploration, specialty materials, and data collection systems. Naturally, NASA looks for the best of today’s collegians upon whom to bestow this honor. Two groups of Cedarville students took part in the 2008 Consortium, and seven students received scholarships. For more information on the Ohio Space Grant Consortium, visit www.osgc.org . i