Emma Hwang facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emma Hwang
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| Born |
Yu-liang Hwang
July 21, 1970 |
| Education | Boston University (BA) University of Michigan (MS, MS, PhD) |
| Occupation | Scientist |
| Employer | Wyle Laboratories |
| Known for | Aquanaut |
Emma Y. Hwang is a scientist and researcher from Taiwan and America. She was born on July 21, 1970, with the name Yu-liang Hwang. Emma is known for being an aquanaut. This means she lived and worked underwater for a special mission.
She worked with Wyle Laboratories, a company that supports space and science projects. In June 2003, Emma was part of the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations 5 (NEEMO 5) crew. This mission helped scientists learn more about living in extreme environments, like space.
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Emma's Early Life and School
Emma Yu-liang Hwang was born in southern Taiwan. When she was two years old, her family moved to the West Coast of the United States. That's when she started being called Emma. She grew up mostly in central and southeast Texas. She finished high school at Ball High School in Galveston.
Living near the Texas Gulf Coast made her interested in space. Even though she was born a little too late for the first Moon landing, space exploration still fascinated her.
Emma's College and Graduate Studies
Emma went to Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts. There, she earned her first degree in biomedical engineering. This field combines engineering with medicine to solve health problems. During her third year, she worked for a year and a half at Lockheed Missiles and Space Company in Houston, Texas.
While in Boston, Emma became interested in scuba diving. She was inspired by the famous ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau. However, she couldn't start diving then because of the cold water and lack of equipment.
Later, Emma moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan. She went to University of Michigan for graduate school. She earned two master's degrees there. One was in biomedical engineering, and the other was in electrical engineering systems. During her studies, she also took time to teach martial arts. She taught Aikido and Iaido.
Finally, Emma earned her Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the University of Michigan. For her Ph.D., she studied and created new medical methods using ultrasound. Ultrasound uses sound waves to create images inside the body.
Emma's Career as a Scientist
After finishing her studies, Emma decided to return to the Texas Gulf Coast. She wanted to be closer to her family. This move also gave her a chance to work in the space industry again. She joined Wyle Laboratories in September 2001.
Working at Wyle Laboratories
When Emma first started at Wyle, she worked as a scientist in the Sensors Group. She researched and developed ways to measure oxygen, carbon dioxide, and pH levels. This was important for checking the health of cell cultures grown on the Space Shuttle or space station.
In 2002, she joined the Neurosciences Group. This group studies how space travel affects astronauts' balance. Astronauts often have trouble with their balance when they return to Earth. Emma helped develop ways to help them adapt faster. This included adapting to the microgravity of space and the normal 1-g environment on Earth.
By 2011, Emma Hwang was working as a Project Manager. She managed projects related to exercise physiology and countermeasures. These projects help astronauts stay healthy and strong in space.
NEEMO 5: Living Underwater
In June 2003, Emma Hwang became an aquanaut. She took part in the NEEMO 5 project. This was a joint mission between NASA and NOAA. The mission took place in Aquarius, which is the only undersea research laboratory in the world.
NEEMO 5 was the longest NEEMO mission at that time. The crew lived underwater for fourteen days. During the mission, Emma participated in a telemedicine simulation. Telemedicine means getting medical help from a distance. In this simulation, two crew members used an ultrasound machine to check for a supposed kidney stone. A doctor in Houston guided them remotely. This showed how astronauts could get medical help in space.
