Jeremy Freeman via TBS
You know we love to bring you “first’s” in this “Behind the Click” profile series. We’ve had our first Canadian, first veteran and now… our first TV celebrity. Hands up if you’ve caught TBS’s King of the Nerds! Either way, we’ve got the interview with the only African-American woman on this reality competition, which is gaining speed.
Moogega Cooper just may change your idea of how a “nerd” should look and think. While she may have gone to college at 16 and then worked at NASA as a Planetary Projection Engineer, there is much more than meets the tech eye. We’ve got the inside scoop. Read on to see how this dynamic woman is breaking boundaries and making moves representin’ for the browner, female side of the technorati.
Current Occupation: Planetary Projection Engineer
Favorite Website: xkcd.com “A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.”
Favorite Read: It’s not really a book for reading, but I carry around the Diabolical KenKen book everywhere I go!
Recent Read: Eat and Run, Scott Jurek
2013′s Ultimate Goal: My ultimate goal for this year is to have a funded proposal where I am the PI (principal investigator)!
Madame Noire: So, you are from Pasadena! What was it like growing up there? Where did you attend college/grad school?
Moogega Cooper: You know, I say Pasadena is my hometown but I actually grew up in Beverly, New Jersey until I was 11 when we moved to Hampton, VA. I was pretty sheltered growing up so I spent most of my time playing with my siblings or by myself. I attended college at Hampton University where I majored in Physics and minored in Space, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences. The program was beyond amazing and that is where I learned my first programming language and worked with real NASA satellite data at 16 years of age. I have so many people to thank at Hampton who significantly contributed to where I am today (Including my main mentor, Dr. James Russell III).
MN: Hurray for Hampton and mentors! But then you even went on to get a PhD. What did you receive your Master’s and PhD in exactly? How did you have such clarity to achieve that by 24?
MC: I received my Master’s and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Thermal Fluid Sciences. I was certain while performing the last two years of my co-op experience at NASA Langley, I was going to study Plasma (the fourth state of matter, not the component in your blood, although Langmuir was inspired by blood plasma when he coined the name to describe this electrical discharge).
MN: Understood. When did you first begin to become interested in technology?
MC: I was always interested in technology, since I was a little girl and was my father’s main assistant when he would remodel parts of the house or performed electrical work. I then became interested in astrophysics after watching Carl Sagan’s Cosmos in middle school. We’d rent another cassette each time we visited the public library. From then on, I knew I had to focus on math and science in order to achieve this goal. This is what I keep in mind when speaking to the next generation of explorers. When you have a prize you can affix your eye on, it helps when you feel tired or discouraged. Keep that eye on the prize!
MN: Very true. So from there, how did you obtain your position at NASA?
MC: I went through what is referred to as the “NASA Pipeline” where I participated in educational programs as an undergraduate (Co-Op program) through graduate school (NASA Harriet G. Jenkins Pre-Doctoral Fellowship) which allowed me to spend time at JPL where I was able to demonstrate my capabilities. This resulted in an offer as a Post-Doc upon completion of my Ph.D. After contributing more of my efforts and knowledge, I was hired as a full-time employee in 2011!
The contestants on “King of the Nerds.” Doug Hyun via TBS
MN: Exposure is key, and I think we all would like to see more of that “pipeline” approach throughout the entire tech industry. What is a typical day there like for you? (If there is such a thing as “typical”?)
MC: As you alluded in your question, there is no typical day at work! At the moment, I spend three days a week working on a test bed which allows us to go through every scenario of drilling on Mars before we send the actual command. We are perfectionists here at NASA! I also spend time in the lab performing analyses on materials to determine if they will preserve future samples from Mars that may contain organics of interest without any interaction or alteration of the chemical structures present in the sample.
MN: Definitely not your average gig! So from organic samples at NASA, how did you get cast on King of the Nerds?
MC: I was fortunate enough to be a recommendation from Headquarters when the casting agents were looking for people from obvious nerd sources. I continued through their interview process and was chosen as an official cast member. It all happened so fast!
MN: “Obvious nerd sources”?! That’s funny. Well, definitely congrats. What has your experience been like so far on the show. What can we look out for in future episodes?
MC: The experience is like none other! Imagine a summer camp with other nerds where you can participate in arts and crafts and camp activities which happen to be related to science, puzzles, comics, or robotics. It was a pretty unique experience.
MN: You realize this is a major image breakthrough on TV since many black women don’t see themselves as techie-young-hip all at the same time? How else do you think we can encourage a broader view of black women in tech?
MC: I think the best way is to lead by example and to make sure more positive images of techie-young-hip women is put forth in the media. Furthermore, I feel a show such as King of the Nerds will allow those same women to think, “Hey, this is not an actor. She really exists and it is okay if I want to nerd-out in my area of interest too.” It adds a sense of legitimacy to the message instead of it existing only in a fictionalized world.
MN: Exactly! But since there are few at the moment, do you think that you’ve ever experienced racism or sexism in your tech journey thus far?
MC: I have come across a good deal of racism and sexism. I’ve dealt with it in a few different ways. Some instances dictate that ignoring it is the best way to deal with it (i.e. comments from people on the Internet who are just trying to get a response out of you at any cost). When I experience racism and sexism in the professional setting, I highly suggest to report it to the proper authorities, whether it be the ethics office, your manager, or their manager (keep going up the line until someone listens). I also find strength in my circle of friends who I can talk to, which allows me to stay strong in the presence of adversity. It is important for others out there who are on their own journey to have a group for support whether it be friends, family, the church, or an online community board.
MN: Solid advice. So, what are your best hopes for the show, the tech industry and yourself for 2013, Moogega?
MC: My hopes for the show are already coming true. People are realizing that we are trying to celebrate nerds out there and reveal that we are taking over the world (and have been for a long time already). It is my goal to utilize this exposure to do what Carl Sagan did to me when I was a little girl. I want to give those who need a spark so that they can begin their own journey in life, whatever that may be!
Isn’t she great!? Definitely tune in to support, and pass on her inspiring words to other women and girls. Stay tuned for the next profile because, as you can see, you never know who I will select. In the meantime, keep up on the digi-socio happenings via my new Twitter handle @ultraLdC. Until next time!
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