Student Research Symposium Program Portal: Submission #181

serial: '181'
sid: '9029'
uuid: 94ad050f-4dcd-4d8b-bc0b-23efa75834ad
uri: /student-research/symposium/research-symposium-program-portal
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completed: '1769402102'
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langcode: en
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data:
  abstract: |-
    This research examines Katherine Johnson's mathematical contributions to NASA's Mercury missions, focusing on her role in ensuring dependable systems  while managing teamwork between people and machines under high pressure. As computers evolved in the 1960s, manual calculation skills became increasingly advanced. Her impact on the progress of flight technology  is explored here, highlighting the shifts she helped bring about in the aerospace industry. Where new software met skilled oversight, Johnson's approach combined machine speed with human precision, a combination that became essential for mission success.
    Katherine stepped in to figure out the path for Alan Shepard’s trip on Freedom 7, setting a new standard for accuracy in space travel math. Just before launch, John Glenn insisted only she could check the numbers generated by IBM for Friendship 7, so she did, by hand. she built fallback methods for steering spacecraft, adding an extra layer of safety. Through these acts, one after another, human missions gained stronger protection against error. Her work quietly held everything together when it mattered most.
    From old records at NASA’s Langley and papers by the Space Task Group, this work reveals how Johnson leaned on differential equations, applied Euler's approach, then sharpened results through repeated cycles. Her methods matched and even outdid early machines. Because she demanded rechecks, insisted on proof, standards took shape ones that now underpin aircraft and spacecraft reliability decades later.
    What stands out isn’t just what she solved, but where she did it. Breaking patterns became her way forward, not waiting for....
  additional_research_mentor: ''
  annual_description: '5th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, April 17, 2025'
  co_presenters: ''
  first_name: Chandler
  i_will_be_printing_my_poster: ''
  keywords: 'Katherine Johnson'
  last_name: Washington
  major: 'Master of Science in Systems Engineering'
  poster_pdf: ''
  poster_session_number: ''
  poster_thumbnail: ''
  presentation_modality: 'Asynchronous Online Presentation'
  pronouns: She/Her
  research_mentor: "Dr. Daniel R. Georgiadis 'Dr. G'"
  research_mentor_s_college: 'Florida State university'
  research_mentor_s_department: 'Systems Engineering'
  research_mentor_s_email: dgeorgiadis@eng.famu.fsu.edu
  student_bio: 'I am originally from Charleston, South Carolina, and currently living in Seattle, Washington, working in the aerospace industry. My research interests focus on the intersection of electrical engineering, systems engineering, and computer science, particularly how emerging technologies can improve complex systems and decision-making. I am currently pursuing a Master of Science in Systems Engineering while planning to expand my knowledge in computer science to complement my electrical engineering background. My long-term professional aspirations include contributing to advanced aerospace or government projects, potentially involving defense or classified research. Beyond technical goals, I aim to achieve financial freedom, support my family, and maintain a low-stress, fully remote lifestyle. I approach my career with flexibility, learning and adapting to opportunities as they come, navigating challenges with curiosity, resilience, and a readiness to embrace whatever comes next.'
  student_email: csw24b@fsu.edu
  student_photo: '72835'
  title: 'Human Verification and Mission Success: Katherine Johnson in the Mercury Program'
  update_url: 'https://pc.fsu.edu/student-research/symposium/research-symposium-program-portal?element_parents=elements/student_photo&ajax_form=1&_wrapper_format=drupal_ajax&token=2ej0Wa0I336mrhmqaM7Q-NRYrhFgxjicnRMkOrkagAI'
  work: Exploratory
  year: '2026'