Dr. Moogega Cooper
Award-winning engineer of the famed Mars Rover "Perseverance" Mission and real-life “Guardian of the Galaxy”
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Dr. Moogega Cooper
Biography
A real life "Guardian of the Galaxy," Dr. Moogega (Moo-ji-gae) "Moo" Cooper holds the awesome responsibility of keeping the red planet safe from any of the Earth's contaminants. Moo is the planetary protection lead of the famed NASA 2020 Mars mission--with its highly viewed landing on February 18, 2021.
Her work with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is integral to the ongoing mission to discern whether Mars could be habitable for humans and that we don't harm what's already there--a job she has been working up to for most of her life.
After graduating from high school at 16, Cooper studied physics as an undergraduate, received a master's degree and went on to earn her Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at 24 years old with a dissertation on sterilizing spacecraft materials.
Moo is passionate about empowering organizations and others to achieve their dreams and overcome obstacles that she articulately conveys through her life story and love of her work. A role model for women in science and technology, she is also passionate about introducing more people to the wonders of the STEAM world, including by talking about her work to boys and girls from underrepresented communities and appearing on shows like Because Space and Bill Nye Saves the World.
Moo is a recipient of several awards, including the NASA Early Career Public Achievement Medal, the Charles Elachi Award for Exceptional Early Career Achievement, and JPL Voyager Awards for Technical Leadership.
Dr. Moogega Cooper
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Dr. Moogega Cooper
Featured Keynote Programs
Limitless
On February 18, 2021, Dr. Moogega “Moo” Cooper helped make history when the Mars Perseverance Rover successfully landed on the Red Planet. Part of the famed Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) team, Moo is blazing a trail as a real life ‘Guardian of the Galaxy’ holding the awesome responsibility of keeping the Red Planet safe from Earth’s contaminants. Now she is sharing leadership lessons learned from her inspirational journey to the top of a male-dominated field—space exploration, and insights on how perseverance pays off and how diversity makes the JPL team even greater.
Diversity in STEAM from a Real Life Guardian of the Galaxy
Moo inspires others with her love of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics), her personal journey and the obstacles she overcame, and her fascinating tales of what it’s like to be a real life guardian of the galaxy. She holds the awesome responsibility of keeping the red planet safe from Earth’s contaminants. She also shares how important it is for people from diverse backgrounds to become the next generation of leaders in the fields of science and technology.