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By NASA
As an IT security administrator at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Mechele Elliott protects the information systems that support astronaut health and mission readiness.
The encouragement of a family friend set her on this path, leading to a rewarding and somewhat unexpected career in human spaceflight.
Mechele Elliott stands in front of a space shuttle cockpit mockup in the lobby of the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Image courtesy of Mechele Elliott “While I was caring for my son during his cancer treatment—living in the hospital with him and supporting his recovery at home—a family friend who worked at NASA took notice,” Elliott said. “She quietly observed my strength, organization, and unwavering dedication to my son. One day she called and said, ‘Get your resume together.’”
Elliott doubted she was qualified for a position at NASA, though the friend was certain she could learn and handle anything after caring for her son. “Her belief in me gave me the courage to take that first step—and it changed the course of my life.”
The friend’s endorsement helped her land the position. Elliott was nervous at first, since she did not know much about NASA’s operations and had limited prior experience. With time and training, she grew more certain of the value she brought to the team.
“Reflecting on the numerous personal challenges I have encountered has reinforced my confidence in my ability to overcome obstacles while maintaining a positive outlook throughout my journey,” she said. “I am proud to have successfully adapted and become a productive member of my team.” In her role today, Elliott safeguards NASA’s information systems. She develops, implements, and maintains security policies, procedures, and systems in the Human Health and Performance Directorate, ensuring compliance with federal and NASA-specific security standards. Her work includes managing access control protocols and responding to security incidents.
Mechele Elliott in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at Johnson Space Center. Image courtesy of Mechele Elliott One of her most challenging tasks involved assessing, revitalizing, and implementing four outdated security plans through collaboration with a diverse team. “We successfully aligned the security plans with established standards and garnered commendations from NASA leadership,” she said.
Outside of work, Elliott enjoys several hobbies that help her relax and maintain balance. She began painting at a young age and continues to find calm through her art. She is an avid gardener, in spite of the Houston summer heat, and feels fulfilled by the beauty of her flowers and sharing homegrown fruits and vegetables with her friends and family. She has also earned a reputation as an excellent baker. “I enjoy making cheesecakes for workplace celebrations and I’ve discovered that many of my coworkers enjoy this hobby of mine, as well!”
Elliott is profoundly grateful for the opportunity to serve at NASA for over 25 years. Looking ahead to the agency’s future, she offers an important piece of advice to up-and-coming team members. “Remain authentic to yourselves, pursue your aspirations with determination, and uphold a commitment to excellence in all your endeavors.”
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By NASA
A child of the Space Shuttle Program, Jeni Morrison grew up walking the grounds of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston with her parents and listening to family stories about human spaceflight.
Now, with more than 15 years at NASA, Morrison serves as one of Johnson’s Environmental Programs managers. She ensures the center complies with laws that protect its resources by overseeing regulatory compliance for cultural and natural resources, stormwater and drinking water programs, and the National Environmental Policy Act. She also safeguards Johnson’s historic legacy as Johnson’s Cultural Resources manager.
Jeni Morrison in the mall area at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where employees often see local wildlife, including turtles, birds, deer, and the occasional alligator. “I make sure our actions comply with the National Historic Preservation act, since the center is considered a historic district with two National Historic Landmarks onsite,” Morrison said. “I make sure we respect and document Johnson’s heritage while paving the way for new efforts and mission objectives.”
Morrison takes pride in finding solutions that increase efficiency while protecting resources. One example was a project with Johnson’s Geographic Information System team to create an interactive material and chemical spill plan map. The new system helps responders quickly trace spill paths above and underground to deploy resources faster, reducing cleanup costs and minimizing environmental impacts.
“Every improvement we make not only saves time and resources, but strengthens our ability to support NASA’s mission,” she said.
By the very nature of our work, NASA makes history all the time. That history is important for all people, both to remember the sacrifices and accomplishments of so many, but also to ensure we don’t repeat mistakes as we strive for even bolder achievements.
Jeni Morrison
Environmental Program Manager
Jeni Morrison presents an overview of environmental compliance and center initiatives to employees at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in 2014. NASA/Lauren Harnett For Morrison, success often comes down to teamwork. She has learned to adapt her style to colleagues’ needs to strengthen collaboration.
“By making the effort to accommodate others’ communication styles and learn from different perspectives, we create better, more efficient work,” she said. “Thankfully, so many people here at NASA are willing to teach and to share their experiences.”
Her message to the Artemis Generation is simple: Always keep learning!
“You never know when a side conversation could give you an answer to a problem you are facing down the line,” she said. “You must be willing to ask questions and learn something new to find those connections.”
Jeni Morrison (second from right) with the Biobased Coolant Project Team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in 2018. The team tested biobased metalworking coolants and identified a product that outperformed petroleum-based options, meeting flight hardware specifications while reducing waste disposal costs and labor hours. Even as a young child visiting NASA Johnson, I could feel the sense of adventure, accomplishment, and the drive to reach new heights of human capability. I realize that those experiences gave me a fascination with learning and an inherent need to find ways to do things better.
jENI mORRISON
Environmental Program Manager
Her passion for learning and discovery connects to a family tradition at NASA. Her grandfather contributed to multiple Apollo missions, including helping solve the oxygen tank malfunction on Apollo 13. Her mother worked at the center transcribing astronaut recordings and writing proposals, and her father flew experiments aboard the space shuttle and International Space Station. Morrison’s sister and extended family also worked at Johnson.
Now her son is growing up on the center grounds while attending the JSC Child Care Center. “As the fourth generation to be at Johnson, he is already talking about how he loves science and can’t wait to do his own experiments,” she said.
For Morrison, carrying that family legacy forward through environmental stewardship is a privilege. “Being able to contribute to NASA’s mission through environmental compliance feels like the best of both worlds for me,” Morrison said. “It combines my love of science and NASA with my drive to find more efficient ways to operate while protecting this incredible site and everything it represents.”
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By NASA
If you asked someone what they expected to see during a visit to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, they would probably list things like astronauts, engineers, and maybe a spacecraft or two. It might be a surprise to learn you can also spy hundreds of species of animals – from geckos and snakes to white-tailed deer and red-tailed hawks.
Ensuring those species and Johnson’s workforce can safely coexist is the main job of Matt Strausser, Johnson’s senior biologist for wildlife management. Strausser works to reduce the negative impacts animals can have on Johnson’s operations as well as the negative impact humans might have on native wildlife and their habitats.
NASA’s Johnson Space Center Senior Biologist Matt Strausser leads a nature hike to Johnson staff that detailed the native plant species and wildlife onsite, invasive species, and mitigation efforts.NASA/Lauren Harnett Strausser joined NASA in 2012, fresh out of graduate school, when he was hired on a six-month contract to write Johnson’s first Wildlife Management Plan. “My contract was extended a couple of times until I became a regular part of the facilities service contract, which is where I still am today,” he said.
Strausser remembers being interested in natural resources from a young age. “I spent a lot of my childhood poring through copies of National Geographic, hiking, and camping,” he said. When it was time for college, Strausser decided to study biology and natural resource management. He spent his summers in jobs or internships that mostly involved endangered wildlife species, including Attwater’s prairie chickens, which are bred at Johnson through a partnership with the Houston Zoo. Strausser noted that he conducted research across the country while he was a student, and even studied fish for a short time in the South Pacific.
“After all of those adventures in faraway places, I find it ironic that I ended up about 20 miles from where I grew up,” he said. “Once I got onsite, it did not take me long to find that this property has great remnant native plant communities, a fascinating land use history, and some unique natural resource challenges that come from the work done here. Those factors really drew me in and helped motivate me to build a career at Johnson.”
Matthew Strausser received a Silver Snoopy Award through NASA’s Space Flight Awareness Program in 2018, in recognition of his efforts to prevent and mitigate ant-inflicted damage to critical infrastructure electrical systems. From left: NASA astronaut Reid Weissman, Strausser, Strausser’s wife Kayla, NASA Acting Associate Administrator Vanessa Wyche. NASA Strausser’s work involves a variety of activities. First, he gathers data about Johnson’s wildlife populations and their habitats. “I use population counts, conflict records, satellite and aerial imagery, nest surveys, outside reports, and even historical data to get an understanding of what’s on the landscape and what problems we have to tackle,” he said.
With that information, Strausser works to engage project and facility managers and provide recommendations on how to prevent or reduce the impact of wildlife problems onsite. Strausser works with Johnson’s facilities maintenance group to modify buildings to keep animals on the outside, and he gets support from the Johnson veterinarian on animal health issues. He also works closely with Johnson’s pest control and groundskeeping contracts, as their work is often adjacent to wildlife management.
He supports the safety team, as well. “Our security contractors are a great resource for reporting wildlife issues as well as helping address them,” Strausser said, adding that some of Johnson’s safety groups “have been really helpful at getting the word out about how to stay safe around our wildlife” in coordination with the center’s internal communications team. His team also responds to wildlife conflict calls, which often involve capturing and relocating animals that have wandered into areas where they pose a risk to people or operations.
Additionally, Strausser runs the facilities contract’s small unmanned aircraft system, which uses drones to conduct facility inspections, support hurricane response, and survey on-site wildlife.
An on-site wildlife snapshot captured by the Johnson Space Center facilities contract’s small unmanned aircraft system. NASA The nature of his work has instilled in Strausser an appreciation for teamwork and collaboration among colleagues with distinct experiences. Each of the projects he works on involves team members from different organizations and contracts, and most of them do not have a background in biology. “Building a wildlife and natural resource program from the ground up and bringing all of these once-disconnected and diverse professionals together to effectively address problems – that is the achievement I take the most pride in,” he said.
Strausser observed that accomplishing the goals of the agency’s Artemis campaign will require a tremendous amount of specialized support infrastructure, and that developing and running that infrastructure will require a wide variety of professionals. “It is going to require students and specialists with all different types of backgrounds, passions, and talents.”
Overall, Strausser said he has a very dynamic job. “Wildlife issues tend to be very seasonal, so throughout the year, the types of issues I am addressing change,” he said. “On top of that, there are always new projects, problems, and questions out there that keep the work fresh and challenging.” He has learned the value of being open to new challenges and learning new skills. “Being adaptable can be just as important as mastery in a specific field,” he said.
An on-site wildlife snapshot captured by the Johnson Space Center facilities contract’s small unmanned aircraft system. NASA A Texas Longhorn relaxes onsite at Johnson Space Center, with Space Center Houston in the background.NASA Deer are plentiful on the Johnson Space Center campus.NASA A hawk perches in a tree at Johnson Space Center.NASA Attwater’s prairie chickens are bred at Johnson Space Center through a partnership with the Houston Zoo.NASA Explore More
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By NASA
Portrait of NASA astronaut Jim LovellCredit: NASA The following is a statement from acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy on the passing of famed Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell. He passed away Aug. 7, in Lake Forest, Illinois. He was 97 years old.
“NASA sends its condolences to the family of Capt. Jim Lovell, whose life and work inspired millions of people across the decades. Jim’s character and steadfast courage helped our nation reach the Moon and turned a potential tragedy into a success from which we learned an enormous amount. We mourn his passing even as we celebrate his achievements.
“From a pair of pioneering Gemini missions to the successes of Apollo, Jim helped our nation forge a historic path in space that carries us forward to upcoming Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond.
“As the Command Module Pilot for Apollo 8, Jim and his crewmates became the first to lift off on a Saturn V rocket and orbit the Moon, proving that the lunar landing was within our reach. As commander of the Apollo 13 mission, his calm strength under pressure helped return the crew safely to Earth and demonstrated the quick thinking and innovation that informed future NASA missions.
“Known for his wit, this unforgettable astronaut was nicknamed Smilin’ Jim by his fellow astronauts because he was quick with a grin when he had a particularly funny comeback.
“Jim also served our country in the military, and the Navy has lost a proud academy graduate and test pilot. Jim Lovell embodied the bold resolve and optimism of both past and future explorers, and we will remember him always.”
For more information about Lovell’s NASA career, and his agency biography, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/former-astronaut-james-a-lovell
-end-
Grace Bartlinski / Cheryl Warner
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
grace.bartlinksi@nasa.gov / cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Aug 08, 2025 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
James A. Lovell Jr. Apollo Apollo 13 Apollo 8 Astronauts Gemini
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By NASA
Explore This Section Science Courses & Curriculums for… STEM Educators Are Bringing… Overview Learning Resources Science Activation Teams SME Map Opportunities More Science Activation Stories Citizen Science 4 min read
STEM Educators Are Bringing Hands-On NASA Science into Virginia Classrooms
Professional learning experiences are integral to the enhancement of classroom instruction. Teachers, at the forefront of Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM) education, play a key role in the advancement of STEM learning ecosystems and citizen science.
On June 24-25, 2025 – despite a major east coast heat wave – twenty-four educators from eight school districts in the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia (Newport News, Hampton City, Virginia Beach City, Isle of Wight County, Poquoson City, Norfolk, York County, and Suffolk Public Schools) converged at the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) in Hampton, VA for a professional development workshop led by experts from NASA Langley Research Center and the NASA Science Activation program’s NIA-led NASA eClips team. Developed in collaboration with another NASA Science Activation team, GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) Mission Earth, and with support from the Coastal Virginia STEM Hub (COVA STEM) – a “STEM learning ecosystem targeting pre-K to adult residents in Coastal Virginia” – this two-day training, also provided comprehensive resources, including lesson plans, pacing guides, classroom activities, and books, all designed for integration into Hampton Roads classrooms.
The NASA Langley team led workshop participants through a training about GLOBE, a program dedicated to advancing Earth System science through data collected by volunteer members of the public, also known as ‘citizen scientists’. GLOBE invites educators, students, and members of the public worldwide (regardless of citizenship) to collect and submit cloud, surface temperature, and land cover observations using the GLOBE Observer app – a real-time data collection tool available right on their smartphones. These observations are then used to help address scientific questions at local, regional, and global scales. Through this training, the educators participated in K-20 classroom-friendly sample lessons, hands-on activities, and exploring the GLOBE Observer app, ultimately qualifying them as GLOBE Certified Educators. Earth System science lessons, activities, and information on how to download the GLOBE Observer citizen science app are available on the GLOBE website. Similarly, NASA eClips, which focuses on increasing STEM literacy in K-12 students, provided educators with free, valuable, standards-based classroom resources such as educator guides, informational videos, engineering design packets, and hands-on activities, which are available to educators and students alike on the NASA eClips’ website. Throughout the training, educators collaborated in grade-level groups, brainstorming new ways to integrate these standards-based NASA science resources.
One educator envisioned incorporating GLOBE’s cloud resources and supportive NASA eClips videos into her energy budget unit. Others explored modifying a heat-lamp experiment to include humidity and heat capacity. One teacher enthusiastically noted in response to a GLOBE urban heat island lesson plan, “The hands-on elements are going to be really great deliverables!” The creative energy and passion for education were palpable.
The dedication of both NIA and NASA Langley to education and local community support was evident. This professional learning experience offered educators immediately-applicable classroom activities and fostered connections among NASA science, NASA eClips, the GLOBE Program, and fellow educators across district lines. One educator highlighted the value of these networking opportunities, stating, “I do love that we’re able to collaborate with our colleagues so we can plan for our future units during the school year”. Another participant commented, “This is a great program…I am going to start embedding [this] in our curriculum.”
GME (supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AC54A) and NASA eClips (supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AB91A) are part of NASA’s Science Activation Portfolio. Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn
GLOBE educator Marilé Colón Robles demonstrates a kinesthetic activity. Share
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Last Updated Aug 04, 2025 Editor NASA Science Editorial Team Location NASA Langley Research Center Related Terms
Courses & Curriculums for Professionals Earth Science Opportunities For Educators to Get Involved Science Activation Explore More
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