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<\/a><\/figure>How are you helping set the stage for the Roman mission?<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m a deputy project manager for resources on the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope<\/a> team, sharing the role with Kris Steeley. Together, we oversee the business team, finance, outreach, scheduling, and more. I focus more on the \u201cdown and in\u201d of the day-to-day team \u2014 helping the financial team, resource utilization across the project, and support service contracts management \u2014 while Kris handles more of the \u201cup and out\u201d external work with center management and NASA Headquarters. Kris and I collaborate on many things as well. The two of us have been together on Roman for many years, and we have definitely become one brain in many aspects of the role. The main goal in the job is programmatics: We need to understand and help along the technical parts of the mission, while also supporting cost and schedule control since Roman is a cost-capped mission. I try to make sure that I partner with our engineers to understand the technical part of Roman as much as possible. I find that I can\u2019t do my job well on the programmatic side without working together closely with our engineers to understand the hardware and testing.<\/p>\n What drew you to NASA? Did you always intend to work here?<\/strong><\/p>\n I think I always knew I wanted to go into the business and finance side of things, but I thought I\u2019d end up at a big investment bank. I interned at one during college, but it just didn\u2019t feel right for me. After graduating, I worked on corporate events for defense contractors in New York City. Then my husband got a job in Annapolis, Maryland, and I took a leap and applied for a resource analyst job at NASA, where some college friends were working. Looking back, as an oldest daughter it probably should have been obvious that project management would be a good fit! Once I got to NASA, I was really drawn in by the missions and work we do. It was so different from the corporate world. Being able to work on some of the coolest missions with some of the most brilliant minds out there is a gift. Almost 15 years later, I\u2019m still here.<\/p>\n How did your career grow from there?<\/strong><\/p>\n After serving as a resource analyst in the Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate at NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, I moved into the center\u2019s Astrophysics Projects Division, where I began working on Roman in 2012, back when it was just a small study called WFIRST<\/a> (Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope). I could never have imagined at the time what that small study would turn into. People at NASA often say they \u201cgrew up\u201d on the James Webb Space Telescope<\/a>, and for me I definitely \u201cgrew up\u201d on Roman. I became the mission business manager, then financial manager, and now a deputy project manager for resources. I feel lucky that most of my career has been spent on Roman. Adding it up, I\u2019ve been on this project for over a decade. I\u2019ve worked with so many amazing people, not just at NASA Goddard, but across the United States. It\u2019s hard to believe we are so close to launching.<\/p>\n What\u2019s been the highlight of your career so far?<\/strong><\/p>\n Becoming part of the management team on Roman, for sure. Working with the leadership team has been incredible. The best part about Roman is the people. It still cracks me up to look at the plethora of people we have in the same room for our weekly senior staff meeting, from the programmatic and finance types like myself, to engineers leading super complicated integration and test programs, Ph.D.s, and some of the most brilliant science minds I will probably ever know. The Roman team is amazing, and those relationships are what keep me excited to come to work every day.<\/p>\n Has your work influenced your understanding or appreciation of astronomy?<\/strong><\/p>\n Absolutely. I\u2019ve learned so much just by being around brilliant people like our project scientist Julie McEnery. I even recently gave a talk about Roman at my daughter\u2019s school! Being able to stand up in front of a group of children and talk about what Roman science is going to do is something I never would have been able to do prior to working here. I\u2019ve learned about how the Hubble Space Telescope<\/a>, Webb, and Roman all build on each other during my time on this project. And it\u2019s really incredible science. I\u2019ve also developed a deep admiration for the engineers who have built Roman. As a business focused person, our engineering team has really helped me understand the different facets of what our engineering team does on Roman. They are so patient with me! It\u2019s really fulfilling to be a small part of something so big.<\/p>\n What advice do you have for others who are interested in doing similar work?<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019re in finance, don\u2019t just learn the numbers \u2014 learn the work behind them. Understand the mission, the tech, the people. That\u2019s what helps you move from analyst to leader. People can tell when you really get what they\u2019re doing, and that\u2019s how you become a better partner and manager.<\/p>\n What\u2019s life like outside NASA?<\/strong><\/p>\n I have three kids \u2014 ages 9, 5, and 3 \u2014 so life is busy! When I\u2019m not working, I\u2019m usually at their sports games or chauffeuring them around to one event or another. It\u2019s a little bit of a rat race, but this season of life is also really fun. Recently, my family and I have gotten back into traveling now that my kids are a little bit older. We took a spring break trip to Europe, which was fantastic.\u00a0 Spending time with my family and friends is everything. Whether it\u2019s going to the beach, spending time at the pool, or hanging out on the sideline of a lacrosse game, just like at work it\u2019s being with my people that I thrive on. And maybe one day I will have time for more hobbies again!<\/p>\n By Ashley Balzer
NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.<\/strong><\/p>\nShare<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n