Evelyn Miralles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Evelyn Miralles
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | February 19, 1966 |
| Nationality | US citizen |
| Alma mater | University of Houston–Clear Lake (MBA) (BA) Lamar University (BS) Andrés Bello Catholic University (AA) |
| Occupation | Associate Vice president University of Houston–Clear Lake |
Evelyn Rodriguez Miralles (born 19 February 1966) is an amazing engineer from Venezuela and America. She worked at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. At NASA, she was a top engineer in the virtual reality lab.
Evelyn's work helped astronauts learn how to do spacewalks. These are times when astronauts go outside their spacecraft in space. She trained them using special virtual reality tools. Today, Evelyn is a leader at the University of Houston–Clear Lake. She helps with technology and new ideas there.
Contents
Evelyn's Journey to NASA
When Evelyn Miralles was a young girl, she dreamed of being an architect. She wanted to "build something" in space! This dream led her to study computer science. She learned how to create computer graphics and code algorithms.
In 1990, she earned a degree in Computer Graphics from Lamar University. Then, in 1992, she got another degree in Computer Information Systems from the University of Houston–Clear Lake. After finishing her studies, Evelyn started working at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. She spent twenty years working in NASA's Virtual Reality Lab (VRLAB).
Helping Astronauts Explore Space
Since 1992, Evelyn Miralles helped with many important space missions. She supported both the Space Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) missions. Her very first project was to build a 3D model of a habitat for a future Moon mission. Even though it wasn't built then, it might be used for a mission to Mars one day!
Evelyn also helped create special computer software called Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics (DOUG). This software has been used since the year 2000. It helps train astronauts using virtual reality technology. This means astronauts can practice spacewalks and repairs in a virtual world before they do them in real space.
She was part of the team for the STS 61 mission in 1993. This mission was very important because it repaired the Hubble Space Telescope. After that, Evelyn continued to work on all Space Shuttle and ISS missions. Her work made sure astronauts were ready for their challenging tasks in space.
Sharing Science with Others
Evelyn Miralles also loves to share her knowledge about science. She takes part in events to inspire young people. For example, she was a main speaker at the "Hispanicize 2017" science conference. She encourages others to get excited about science and engineering.
Awards and Recognitions
Evelyn Miralles has received many important awards for her amazing work:
- One of the BBC 100 Inspirational Women in the World by BBC 100 Women - 2016
- Distinguished Alumna Award from the University of Houston–Clear Lake - 2016
- Named one of the Top 20 most influential Hispanics in the US by CNET in Spanish - 2016
- The NASA Space Flight Safety Award, also known as the "Silver Snoopy Award" - 2012
See also
In Spanish: Evelyn Miralles para niños
