Please contact Dr. Works (keworks@fsu.eu) for additional help: Submission navigation links for Research Symposium Program Portal WF ‹ Previous submission Next submission › Submission information Submission Number: 181 Submission ID: 9029 Submission UUID: 94ad050f-4dcd-4d8b-bc0b-23efa75834ad Submission URI: /student-research/symposium/research-symposium-program-portal Submission Update: /student-research/symposium/research-symposium-program-portal?token=2ej0Wa0I336mrhmqaM7Q-NRYrhFgxjicnRMkOrkagAI Created: Sun, 01/25/2026 - 11:24 PM Completed: Sun, 01/25/2026 - 11:35 PM Changed: Sun, 01/25/2026 - 11:35 PM Remote IP address: 2601:601:d47f:400:1000:8d02:6f0b:eff1 Submitted by: Anonymous Language: English Is draft: No Webform: Research Symposium Program Portal WF Submitted to: Student Research Symposium Program Portal Primary Student Contact First Name Primary Student Contact Last Name Pronouns Primary Student Contact FSU Student Email Photo of all individuals presenting this work 1572899670080.jpg32.33 KB Remove Upload requirementsOne file only.2 MB limit. Major(s) of all individuals presenting this work Bio of all individuals presenting this work 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. Poster Title 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.... Research Mentor Name Research Mentor's College (or High School) Research Mentor's Department (or Subject) Research Mentor's Email Additional Research Mentor(s) Co-presenter(s) Keywords Poster Session/Number Work Complete Exploratory (the research question has been identified and design of approach is outlined) Presentation Modality Face to Face Poster session Synchronous Online Presentation Asynchronous Online Presentation Poster PDF Upload Upload requirementsOne file only.100 MB limit. Poster Thumbnail Please take a screenshot of your poster to be a thumbnail on your Symposium Program Profile. Upload Upload requirementsOne file only.2 MB limit. I will be printing my poster CAPTCHA What code is in the image? Enter the characters shown in the image. This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Save Leave this field blank
