UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa -- Like many kids, Jimmy Herring had dreams about space and far away planets growing up. Unlike most kids, he chose to pursue an academic path that could get him there.
“As a kid, my best dreams were in space, but it never dawned on me as a possibility until high school,” Herring said. “I love flying and I love all things aeronautical.”
Now a fifth-year mechanical engineer at Penn State, Herring has made the most of his education to advance his visions of making the next big space discovery.
Although not part of a “legacy family” of Penn Staters, Herring followed his two older siblings to Happy Valley. His sister’s incredible school spirit and his brother’s positive experience in civil engineering encouraged Herring to apply.
“My brother and I have always been pretty close. I wouldn’t say that I follow everything he does – but I kind of do,” he laughed. “And in all seriousness, I knew mechanical engineering was something I wanted to do.”
Herring said he originally considered aerospace engineering, but wasn’t sure if it was a broad enough discipline for what he wanted to do. Instead of being focused on one field with aerospace, he chose to pursue mechanical engineering.
During his sophomore year, Herring got the position every engineer dreams of – a co-op with NASA. He completed four co-op tours in Houston since the fall of his sophomore year.
“NASA is why I went into engineering,” he said. “It was an incredible opportunity to work for them.”
One of his main focuses while working for NASA was “extravehicular activity” or EVA.
An EVA is any activity done by an astronaut or cosmonaut outside a spacecraft beyond Earth's appreciable atmosphere -- commonly called a “spacewalk.”
Herring worked with a team of flight controllers to train astronauts on a full-scale mockup of the space station, submerged in one of the largest indoor pools in the world.
“People joke and say ‘do you want to be an astronaut?’” Herring said. “Of course I want to be an astronaut – everyone at NASA wants to be an astronaut!”
However, his goals focus more closely on exploring space through technology rather than suiting up in space gear and roving above the atmosphere himself.
So despite his “phenomenal experience” working with NASA, Herring said he will be pursuing a different path after graduation.
NASA was a dream job, but Herring’s real job will be working on product development engineering for W.L. Gore and Associates in Newark, Delaware.
“The main reason I chose Gore over NASA is that it’s closer to family and friends,” the Pittsburgh native said. “But it’s also much more of an engineering position than my NASA position would have been.”
This doesn’t mean his dreams of space are over, however. Gore works with NASA and is involved with Mars exploration -- Herring’s true passion.
“That’s where the biggest scientific discovery of the next 50 years is going to be,” he said. “I think that might be the discovery that defines our generation.”
Herring said he thinks there will be a discovery of evidence of past life or perhaps current life on Mars.
“I want to have my hand in that team,” he said. “There will be a ton of engineers and other brilliant people who are part of that discovery, and I just want to be a part of that human moment.”
In addition to his engineering curriculum, Herring picked up a minor in film studies at the beginning of this academic year.
“It seems trivial, but I’d be lying if I said the science fiction I watched growing up didn’t have an impact on my trajectory to become an engineer,” he said. “Movies like ‘Contact’ really captured my imagination. What I love about engineering is that it bridges the gap between your wildest ideas and reality.”
He said he enjoys looking at the impact of films on culture and what they say about life.
“I would hate to live in a world that’s only engineers,” he said. “I’m an advocate for engineering and studying engineering, but we need the artists, the filmmakers, the musicians.
“I think it’s really important to stay well rounded … and I’m just a nerd, I like movies,” he laughed.
Whether it’s exploring the universe or learning more about your own world, Herring said it’s important to follow what you’re passionate about.
“I’ve never been the best performing student -- I got through engineering because I am passionate about it,” he said. “Follow what you’re passionate about and don’t choose on a whim.”