Thomas I. Valdez
Senior Member Engineering Staff - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
I was raised in East Los Angeles, Calif. I now reside in Covina, Calif.
The first time I made a connection with outer space was when I was in elementary school. We were learning about the Space Shuttle during its maiden voyage. And after teaching us about the Space Shuttle and space travel, my teacher asked us to draw a picture about what we had learned and how we felt about outer space. I still have the picture I drew to this day.
I was very lucky to have been selected to work in the space program right out of high school. This is how it happened -- two incredible recruiters from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory came to my high school to interview students, and I was selected. I have worked at JPL ever since.
My research focus is in catalyst development for fuel cells and electrolyzers. I also design fuel cell systems for robotic and terrestrial applications. The importance of developing a fuel cell power source for robotic applications is that a fuel cell can increase the energy a robot can carry during a mission. The advantage of a fuel cell power source for terrestrial applications is that the power source can be designed to have energy densities many times greater than batteries.
It seems that every year I have another favorite moment at work. One of my most memorable moments was the first time I presented my research at a technical conference as a professional.
One recent memorable moment has been working on a fuel cell system for the JPL ATHLETE robot. The ATHLETE robot traveled 1 km on fuel cell power. It was incredible to see the successful completion of this milestone.
Another recent memorable moment was the building and launch of a power source for an ocean profiler named Solo-TREC. (Solo-TREC is a sea probe that measures water salinity and temperature in the ocean and profiles these parameters from the surface of the ocean to about 500 m in depth.) What makes the Solo-TREC special, besides being the first probe of its kind, is that it harvests energy from temperature differences in the ocean.
I have been inspired in different ways by my teachers and mentors. Mr. Art Callahan, my junior high school science teacher, inspired me to fall in love with science and scientific investigations. Mr. Jaime Escalante, my high school math teacher, taught me how to work hard and never give up. (I owe my career to Mr. Escalante; he gave me the tools I needed to be successful in science.) And my mentor Dr. S. R. Narayan, who is my inspiration in science, helped develop my love for electrochemistry.
Enjoy every opportunity you have to learn and make it a point to be involved in the most challenging projects. Approach every problem with a smile and a positive attitude.
I head to the beach during the summer and I like to ski in the local mountains during the winter. I also enjoy hiking, running and mountain bike riding all year round.
The advice I give students is to form a good understanding of the problems they are working on. In order to develop a fun career in science, math or engineering it takes a little discipline when you are young. Establishing good fundamentals is crucial to developing a fun career in any discipline.
Planetary science is a global profession.