Audrey WEbb: NASA JPL faculty fellow

Gadsden State instructor earns NASA fellowship

A Gadsden State Community College instructor participated in a project at one of the world’s most innovative research facilities in the country: NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. The prestigious laboratory implements programs in planetary exploration, earth science, space-based astronomy and technology development while applying its capabilities to technical and scientific problems of national significance.

Audrey Webb, an instructor and division chair for Engineering Technologies at Gadsden State, was selected as a Faculty Fellow at JPB during a 10-week summer fellowship.

“It’s such an honor,” she said. “I was overwhelmed with excitement when I found out I was selected. I’ve wanted to do projects like this since someone from NASA visited my school when I was in the first grade. This has been a dream come true.”

Webb’s JPL project focused on the Spacecraft Atmosphere Monitoring (SAM) system.

“I worked with the electronics on the miniature gas chromatograph and the mass spectrometer,” she said. “They are components in the SAM that test for traces of volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere for present and future spacecraft. Specifically, the components test oxygen, water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and other compounds.”

Her goal was to identify possible new components, test them in the atmospheric chamber, program the components and integrate to the SAM.

“Because everything is smaller and faster, we had to make sure SAM has smaller electronics with less power consumption at a lower cost,” she said. “It’s smaller and not as heavy to put on a rocket, and it’s more cost-effective.”

Webb qualified for the fellowship due to her education and experience. She earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and a master’s degree in engineering from Mississippi State University. She worked for several years as an engineer in two manufacturing facilities before becoming an instructor at Gadsden State six years ago. She is based at the College’s Ayers Campus in Anniston.

“Being able to do engineering in the field again is a wonderful gift,” she said. “I’m able to get a fresh new prospective that I can take to the classroom. I can’t wait to tell my students all about the new technology I’m working with. It’s cutting edge technology created by NASA.”

Though this was the first time Webb was named a Faculty Fellow, she has done JPL projects in the past with her students, including a 2013 project testing organic compounds using water vapor.

“We have had several students who have interned at JPL as well,” she said. “For the SAM project, they wanted someone with an engineering background who can work with electronics. Our students have always done a great job but they needed someone with more experience for this particular project.”

In addition to the research and project work, Webb also attended lectures by renowned scientists and visited the Goldstone Observatory in the Mojave Desert. The observatory’s complex includes satellites used to track and communicate with space missions.

“I’m so proud that I was able to participate in this fellowship,” Webb said. “I think it made me a better engineer and an even better educator.”

NASA JPL faculty fellow

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

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Precision Machining

Salon and Spa Management

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MOU with Jacksonville State University

2+2 Poultry Science Program

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Nathan Boatwright and Alyssa Winkles

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Amanda Salers (HSDO)

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Truck Driving Academy

STUDENT & FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS

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Becky Duckett

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Matt Leder

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Audrey Webb

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COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

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