My name is Julie Williams-Byrd and I am the Center Chief Technologist at NASA's Langley
Research Center. I identify the best technologies that will enable NASA missions. We have our Artemis
Generation and we're sending humans to the Moon. And so they'll need habitats and rovers to get
our astronauts around so that they can explore. How are they going to power things once they're
on the Moon? Our early stage technologists and our innovators are looking at materials
that will enable those vehicles, and they're going to test them out, and that's why we're excited
about giving them an opportunity to develop these! My job is very cool, but what I really like
is the opportunity to go out and talk to young people about STEM careers --
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics -- and really encourage them to have STEM careers.
I have a lot of things that I like doing. Moving is important to me. I run a lot. The running especially
helps me with my competition. This year, I ran my first half marathon. That was, "I can go a
little bit farther, right? I'm competitive. I can do this!" Being with family helps me relax and
I also started doing puzzles. I have one in my living room now and you know that whole puzzle,
putting things together. I like working Sudoku. So it's the math, it's the curiosity , it's the
challenge. So all of those, I think, run within me and it's within my core. In life there's a lot
of things that happen, right, and you just kind of move forward. You figure out what's inside
you that really resonates with you and you just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
(laughter)
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