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UT Tyler Alumnus at NASA Credits University’s HEC for Career Success

US Air Force veteran Houston Green graduated from the UT Tyler Houston Engineering Center in May 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He is now living his childhood dream – working as a NASA engineer. In the following question and answer segment, learn more about him and why he credits the HEC and University for his success.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I grew up in Altus, Oklahoma, on a wheat and cattle farm. My father sold tractors, and my mom was a schoolteacher. I originally attended the University of Oklahoma for meteorology but did not graduate. My first career was a custom combine operator, where I harvested wheat and corn from Texas to North Dakota. After harvesting for four years, I enlisted in the US Air Force and became a weather forecaster. Upon discharge, I began working as a third-party inspector for offshore oil drilling equipment. My next career was a private military contractor in Iraq, where I helped stand up the new F-16 program for the Iraqi Air Force. Afterwards, I came home and started my engineering education at San Jacinto College.

I am now a mechanical design engineer at Jacobs Technologies, working at the NASA Johnson Space Center. My two projects are Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS) and Human Lander System (HLS). I am designing the structure and cable management system for the new third-generation ARGOS and am working on the Ascent Element for HLS.

Describe your educational journey. . .How did you discover UT Tyler and the HEC?

In fall 2017, I was nearing completion of my A.S. in Engineering Science from San Jac. Since I have a family and home in Pearland, I had initially planned on attending UH Main. I found that many prior-service military folks attended UT Tyler and had good things to say about the instructors, class schedule and ease of parking. All of those things turned out to be true.

What was it like to find out you received the offer from NASA?

Being a NASA engineer was always a childhood dream. After leaving college the first time, I never thought I was smart enough to become an engineer, let alone work at NASA. Proving myself wrong was one of the most liberating experiences of my life. During the interview for my job, things just felt right. I knew I was speaking with the perfect people for the perfect job. I had great hopes when the interview ended. It took 30 minutes before I got the call with an offer. 

How did UT Tyler prepare you for career success?

One day during my first semester, I went to Dr. Garcia’s office and had a chat. We discussed the fact that HEC was fairly new and not yet well-known in industrial circles, even in Houston. He squared up with me and gave me one bit of advice that changed my life: “Get involved with student organizations, network aggressively and work your butt off.” I joined NSBE and found an amazing group of like-minded comrades. I poured time and effort into finding ways to add value to the organization, explore opportunities and get my name out there. NSBE became my fraternity of success. 

UT Tyler COE career coach Mark Stark became my combat consultant in the fight. It was obvious that he desired to see all of us succeed, but he also required some directed effort and dedication in order to go the extra mile for me. I put in the work he asked of me, and it turns out that his good relationship with my employer solidified their interest in me. Mark helped to seal the deal. Aggressive, persistent networking and surrounding myself with optimistic, forward thinkers paid off exponentially. 

Who was your favorite professor, and why?

Three professors stood out in their own ways. Each was equally important in magnitude.

Dr. Rizvi was the wizard. His lectures were the best. I thought I was at MIT when I was in his presence. Don’t try to stump him on his material, you will fail.

Dr. Biswas was the mind-reader and master strategist. He was extremely brilliant, and he could smell fear. His reputation for setting the bar high was no joke. He expected everyone to do their best and would accept no less. I felt like I earned every bit of knowledge I gained in his courses. He is well-respected and has earned his acclaim. 

Dr. Garcia has a huge heart and is not afraid to use it. When I sat with him, his generosity and honesty were highly apparent. He always addressed my concerns, and he took so much of his personal time to make HEC a better institution. I am honored to know him, and I know he will continue to bring good things to HEC.

What advice do you offer current UT Tyler students?

Become aggressive in pursuing contacts and knowledge about the career you desire. You will have to fight your way in, and you will inevitably encounter failure many times. You will feel discouraged and drained. Do not stop trying. The only way to succeed is to not give up. 

What would you tell those who are interested in working at NASA?

Learn about the specifics of what current projects are doing and find a way to get involved. NASA has wonderful internship opportunities, so learn how to navigate the application processes and deadlines. They want people who are excited about the mission and who want to help others. NASA could not exist without their employees’ goodwill and willingness to share knowledge. Let them know you want to help, and good things will fall in place. 

What are your hobbies/interests?

I keep it simple: God, family and health first. Spending time at home with my family, going to church and going to the gym are my mainstays. Everything else is secondary.

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