• Brooke Owens Fellow, Class of 2024

• University of California - Berkeley, Mechanical Engineering, ‘24

• Host Institution: Lockheed Martin Space

• Mentor: Jennifer Uchida

• Brookie Mentor: Sierra Malmberg

Yen Do is a senior at the University of California, Berkeley studying Mechanical Engineering. Growing up in a small city nestled within the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, she was always curious about how things worked from a young age. From the monkey bridges crafted from bamboo poles spanning the irrigation canal to the intricate moving parts of a moped's transmission, her fascination with the mechanics and integration of these ingenious mechanisms fueled her curiosity and led her to dream big.

Despite facing challenges and imposter syndrome during the early years of her undergraduate journey, Yen's ambitious dream of space exploration and working for NASA remained unwavering. Her optimism and belief in herself gradually opened doors to bigger opportunities, allowing her to secure internships in the automotive and aerospace industries.

At Tesla, Yen served as a Dimensional Engineering Intern, collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure design and manufacturing requirements are met for Semi and Cybertruck. Using her experience to quickly pivot into the aerospace field as an intern at NASA Langley Research Center, Yen contributed to conceptualizing the research on novel composite deployable structures with the Advanced Materials & Processing Branch. Her responsibilities included bridging lab-synthesized shape memory polymer to deployable origami-composite structures, conducting thermal analysis, and developing a multi-piece mandrel for fabricating functional origami tubes. Yen's achievements secured funding for the project and significantly improved efficiency in the fabrication process. This past summer, she interned at Stellar Solutions as a Systems Engineer to support NASA Headquarters in executing the Moon2Mars exploration objectives. She served as the main contact between NASA and Stellar Solutions, developing value propositions and frameworks to streamline technical report writing for the Mars Campaign Office and NASA Human Spaceflight programs. In the upcoming spring semester of 2024, Yen is joining NASA Johnson Space Center as a Mechanical Engineering Intern. Her focus will be on the Space Suit Portable Life Support System (PLSS), engaging in the development, modeling, and analysis of PLSS components for spacewalks. This includes optimizing the oxygen ventilation system for enhanced trace contaminant control, humidity management, and pressure regulation.

Yen's commitment extends beyond her academic and professional pursuits. She is a part of the outreach committee with the Society of Women Engineers to organize STEM activities and science experiments for K-3 students from Title I schools in the Bay Area. In this role, Yen designs moving papercrafts and arduino robot demonstrations to showcase the exciting possibilities of mechanical engineering through cute and interactive toys. She is also a mentor for the Berkeley Mentorship Cohort dedicated to mentor first-year engineering students from low-income backgrounds, offering advice and sharing her own experiences gained during her time at Berkeley. In the future, she aspires to engage in outreach programs targeting local communities in Southern California. She hopes to partner up with local high schools and community colleges to create opportunities for underprivileged students, helping them to pursue higher education.

With a passion for space exploration and dream of working at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Yen plans to pursue a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering after graduating from UC Berkeley. Her passion in material science and design optimization aligns with her goal of designing spacecraft for deep space exploration. Yen envisions transitioning into systems engineering during her career, where she can shape the objectives and project formulation of future interplanetary missions.

As a Brooke Owens Fellow, Yen is excited to work at Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado, as a Systems Engineering Intern supporting the Human Space Exploration Advanced Programs.