My Path to NASA

Edward V. Gonzales

Heliophysics Science Division
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center 
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Lead
for Code 670, Building 21, 222

Wed, August 31 , 2022 - 4:00 PM

  In-Person:  108 Hannan Hall  AND 
  Zoom:  https://cua.zoom.us/j/81414516419?pwd=ZUlvbXc0eUxXZXpJQ1JqMmJHSlVCUT09

An avid music lover and sneakerhead, Edward Gonzales has built a life walking the walk from street smart to business-savvy, first at one of Los Angeles's prestigious law firms, then to "student-whisperer" at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory working with interns and underserved, underrepresented populations. Now, as NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility lead for Heliophysics, he brings his unique blend of experience to one of NASA's most prestigious missions. Edward has been honored by many NASA awards and recognition and has made it his personal mission to ensure that the agency's future workforce is more diverse and equitable than when he started his career there two decades ago. Having lost his father as a young teen, experienced police profiling and gang violence, he can relate to the struggles that many students face as they embark on their college and career journeys. He is eager to share that all paths to NASA aren't linear and emphasizes the critical importance of creating a workforce pipeline that starts in school, leading to an exciting current project called "Permission to Dream," collaborating with Christopher Gardner (The Pursuit of Happyness) to present inspirational talks at one thousand highs schools across the United States. Edward is the consummate comeback kid -- all setbacks set you up for a comeback.

 

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