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Who I Am and What I Do
Hi, My name is Nancy Rabel Hall, and I work at the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field in Cleveland Ohio. I work in the Fluid Physics Branch in the Microgravity Science Division. My official title is Aerospace Engineer, but when asked, I call myself a Research Scientist, since that is what I do now. I obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Space Sciences from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1989, and have a Master's of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis on Fluid Mechanics from the University of Toledo, which I completed on May 2001.

Growing Up
I grew up in Brooklyn, NY. I received mostly A's and B's in just about all my classes, except for the time I got a D in science in fourth grade. I thought science was boring at the time. However, that all changed thanks to my sixth grade science teacher, Miss Fusco at Our Lady of Refuge School. She made learning science fun. We always did science experiments, many of which we could try at home. Plus she was always willing to answer our science questions. Her class made me want to be a scientist and one of her science experiments, to draw the phases of the moon as seen from our home over a 30 day period, piqued my interest in astronomy. In high school I took honor math and science classes, and later I took an advanced placement physics and chemistry class. I was also interested in computers, taught myself BASIC, and took an Intro to Pascal class in high school.

I went to Florida Institute of Technology and started out in their computer engineering program, but switched to space sciences after my first quarter. The space sciences program was a broad based degree program. Although its concentration was astronomy and physics, I took classes from the electrical engineering, ocean engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science department, not to mention plenty of the math and physics classes. This degree reinforced my initial interest in studying astronomy, and it gave me background in several other branches of engineering. Once into it, I found that I enjoyed the classes from the other engineering departments almost as much as my astronomy classes. After graduation, I figured I would try to find a job in the aerospace field and then see if I could work for NASA. My thinking was that with the space sciences degree I had enough of a background to enter just about any engineering or science field, and then I would get my master's degree in the specific area I was involved in to expand my knowledge base in that area.

Career Journey
After graduation, I was surprised to get an offer from the NASA Glenn Research Center (Actually it was called NASA Lewis Research Center before its name was changed to NASA Glenn in 1999). I started out in 1990 as a technical manager of the "Space Station Freedom" power management and distribution system hardware, coordinating technical contractor proposal evaluation, and participating in negotiations. This job involved doing a lot of paperwork, but I took the opportunity to learn all I could about the intricate workings of the Space Station and how the various NASA centers were involved in this project. After the Space Station reorganization in 1994, I transferred to the Fluid Physics Branch which I am still in today. I have to say that was the most important move I ever made. In the Fluid Physics Branch, we study the behaviour of fluids (liquids) in a microgravity environment. If you would like to see how fluids react in microgravity, check out what happens when a water balloon is popped in microgravity.

In the fluid physics areas, research grants are awarded to principal investigators (PI) for either ground-based research or flight-definition experiments. For the ground based research, my role is that of a technical monitor. I help the PI with the use of NASA facilities such as the drop tower and reduced gravity plane (nicknamed the vomit comet), and check their progress annually. For the flight-definition experiments, my role is that of a project scientist. These flight definition experiments, after sufficient progress and reviews, eventually fly on the space shuttle, sounding rocket or Space Station. To that end, I represent the PI, and serve as a liaison between the PI and the engineering team. I need to have a good understanding of the science involved in the experiment, so that I can best represent the PI, but at the same time, I need to have a good engineering background in order to understand how the engineers are designing the experiment so that will accomplish the PI's science requirements. My space sciences degree has enabled me to do both.

Personal
I met my husband in college. We are both amateur radio operators, and we are very active in the hobby. My other hobbies include reading science fiction, building model planes and science fiction models, collecting stamps, playing the piano, and collecting trading and customizable card games (i.e., Magic, Star Trek, Babylon 5). My daughter (who is 2 right now) is the joy of my life. I never knew motherhood could be so much fun, and so far I have been able to juggle work, going to school part-time, and a family. I also enjoy judging science fairs and visiting schools during career day or National Engineers week, and talking about what I do. After all, I remember how much of an impact my science teacher made to me, so I feel I should let these students know how I got where I am today.

Advice
I guess the best advice I can give is for you to study hard in school and do what it takes to pursue your interest. Although I started out in computer engineering, it wasn't what I wanted but what everyone thought was better for me. However, I made the decision to switch and pursue a degree that I wanted to study. Was it a risk? Yes, but I am glad I switched because in space sciences, I was able to study astronomy (which I still love), and I also studied several others engineering and science areas, which helped me get where I am today. My favorite quote by Robert Frost sums it all up, "... two roads diverged in a wood, and I–I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference!"

Last Updated: August 6, 2001

Meet Nancy Hall

Research Scientist
Aerospace Engineer

			Meet Nancy Hall Research Scientist Aerospace Engineer Who I Am and What I Do Hi, My name is Nancy Rabel Hall, and I work at the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field in Cleveland Ohio. I work in the Fluid Physics Branch in the Microgravity Science Division. My official title is Aerospace Engineer, but when asked, I call myself a Research Scientist, since that is what I do now. I obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Space Sciences from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1989, and have a Master's of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis on Fluid Mechanics from the University of Toledo, which I completed on May 2001. Growing Up I grew up in Brooklyn, NY. I received mostly A's and B's in just about all my classes, except for the time I got a D in science in fourth grade. I thought science was boring at the time. However, that all changed thanks to my sixth grade science teacher, Miss Fusco at Our Lady of Refuge School. She made learning science fun. We always did science experiments, many of which we could try at home. Plus she was always willing to answer our science questions. Her class made me want to be a scientist and one of her science experiments, to draw the phases of the moon as seen from our home over a 30 day period, piqued my interest in astronomy. In high school I took honor math and science classes, and later I took an advanced placement physics and chemistry class. I was also interested in computers, taught myself BASIC, and took an Intro to Pascal class in high school. I went to Florida Institute of Technology and started out in their computer engineering program, but switched to space sciences after my first quarter. The space sciences program was a broad based degree program. Although its concentration was astronomy and physics, I took classes from the electrical engineering, ocean engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science department, not to mention plenty of the math and physics classes. This degree reinforced my initial interest in studying astronomy, and it gave me background in several other branches of engineering. Once into it, I found that I enjoyed the classes from the other engineering departments almost as much as my astronomy classes. After graduation, I figured I would try to find a job in the aerospace field and then see if I could work for NASA. My thinking was that with the space sciences degree I had enough of a background to enter just about any engineering or science field, and then I would get my master's degree in the specific area I was involved in to expand my knowledge base in that area. Career Journey After graduation, I was surprised to get an offer from the NASA Glenn Research Center (Actually it was called NASA Lewis Research Center before its name was changed to NASA Glenn in 1999). I started out in 1990 as a technical manager of the "Space Station Freedom" power management and distribution system hardware, coordinating technical contractor proposal evaluation, and participating in negotiations. This job involved doing a lot of paperwork, but I took the opportunity to learn all I could about the intricate workings of the Space Station and how the various NASA centers were involved in this project. After the Space Station reorganization in 1994, I transferred to the Fluid Physics Branch which I am still in today. I have to say that was the most important move I ever made. In the Fluid Physics Branch, we study the behaviour of fluids (liquids) in a microgravity environment. If you would like to see how fluids react in microgravity, check out what happens when a water balloon is popped in microgravity. In the fluid physics areas, research grants are awarded to principal investigators (PI) for either ground-based research or flight-definition experiments. For the ground based research, my role is that of a technical monitor. I help the PI with the use of NASA facilities such as the drop tower and reduced gravity plane (nicknamed the vomit comet), and check their progress annually. For the flight-definition experiments, my role is that of a project scientist. These flight definition experiments, after sufficient progress and reviews, eventually fly on the space shuttle, sounding rocket or Space Station. To that end, I represent the PI, and serve as a liaison between the PI and the engineering team. I need to have a good understanding of the science involved in the experiment, so that I can best represent the PI, but at the same time, I need to have a good engineering background in order to understand how the engineers are designing the experiment so that will accomplish the PI's science requirements. My space sciences degree has enabled me to do both. Personal I met my husband in college. We are both amateur radio operators, and we are very active in the hobby. My other hobbies include reading science fiction, building model planes and science fiction models, collecting stamps, playing the piano, and collecting trading and customizable card games (i.e., Magic, Star Trek, Babylon 5). My daughter (who is 2 right now) is the joy of my life. I never knew motherhood could be so much fun, and so far I have been able to juggle work, going to school part-time, and a family. I also enjoy judging science fairs and visiting schools during career day or National Engineers week, and talking about what I do. After all, I remember how much of an impact my science teacher made to me, so I feel I should let these students know how I got where I am today. Advice I guess the best advice I can give is for you to study hard in school and do what it takes to pursue your interest. Although I started out in computer engineering, it wasn't what I wanted but what everyone thought was better for me. However, I made the decision to switch and pursue a degree that I wanted to study. Was it a risk? Yes, but I am glad I switched because in space sciences, I was able to study astronomy (which I still love), and I also studied several others engineering and science areas, which helped me get where I am today. My favorite quote by Robert Frost sums it all up, "... two roads diverged in a wood, and I–I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference!" Last Updated: August 6, 2001

Meet Nancy Hall

Research Scientist Aerospace Engineer

Research Scientist
Aerospace Engineer