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VIRTUAL: COSS TALK: NASA, Astronauts & Anthropology
09 December 2020, 7:00 pm–8:30 pm
Talking through her years of experience working for NASA Dr Jo Aiken leads through what it means to be an anthropologist in the world of astronauts and space science.
This event is free.
Event Information
Open to
- All
Availability
- Yes
Cost
- Free
Organiser
-
Centre for Outer Space Studies
Talking through her years of experience working for NASA Dr Jo Aiken leads through what it means to be an anthropologist in the world of astronauts and space science. This talk will explore the value applied anthropology brings to the space industry in developing technologies and improving organizational practices as demonstrated through ethnographic studies conducted at the NASA Johnson Space Center. Jo will share past projects as well as discuss her current study as part of the ETHNO-ISS team.
This event will run via Microsoft teams. Registration will close at 7pm on 8th December. We will then send an event link to everyone who has registered, to the email given during registration. Please check your emails before the event to log on. All attendees are required to mute themselves and turn off their video. If you wish to ask a question, either e-mail it in before the event or write it in the chat function which will be monitored by the chair on the night. Please familiarise yourself with our Virtual Events Code of Conduct.
Register to take part at https://coss-nasa.eventbrite.co.uk
This event has been organised by the Centre for Outer Space Studies, part of the UCL Institute of Advanced Studies.
About the Speaker
Jo Aiken
Postdoctoral research fellow at UCL Anthropology
Her research interests and professional work lie at the intersection of organizational culture, design futures, and innovation. Before joining UCL’s ETHNO-ISS project, Jo worked as an applied researcher in various roles in healthcare, aviation, and aerospace. She has over 20-years of experience at NASA working in various roles from Mission Control to human factors engineering to executive leadership consulting. As part of NASA’s Human Research Program, Jo conducted extensive research on human behavior in isolated and confined environments contributing to the design of habitats and automated technologies for long-duration space missions. In her most recent role at NASA, Jo served as an organizational development consultant to the Agency’s executive leadership. In this position, she facilitated the design and implementation of a radical new structure for the Agency’s HR organization and was recognized for her efforts in the creation of a new Agency-wide leadership development program. Jo is currently conducting fieldwork for ETHNO-ISS at the NASA Johnson Space Center engaging with questions of infrastructure and innovation.
More about Jo Aiken