Jamesa Stokes’ path to becoming an engineer at NASA started out on a completely different road.

While she loved and excelled at math and science, she was also passionate about studio art, her first major in college. But knowing that science can also be a creative pursuit, she switched to physics and embarked on a journey to NASA when she reached grad school.

Stokes received her bachelor’s degree Cum Laude in Physics from Auburn University. After graduating, she was awarded a J. William Fulbright Scholarship to conduct research in Stuttgart, Germany at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) Institute of Structures and Design, testing materials for heat shields and thermal protection systems. She then earned her Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Pennsylvania State University and was awarded a graduate fellowship to conduct research at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. She later became a NASA Pathways intern and converted to a full-time materials research engineer when she finished her Ph.D.

“Working at NASA means tackling the bigger problems we face for the benefit of society,” said Stokes. “My job is to develop and understand how advanced materials behave in the extreme environments of space. It will help protect not only the lives of astronauts but also flight vehicles.”