\n<\/p>\n
<back to gallery<\/p>\n
Growing up, Sarah Tipler always felt out of place. She had trouble with time management, structuring her day, and focusing her attention, but she didn\u2019t know why.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor all of my undergraduate education, I really struggled to keep up despite understanding the material,\u201d Tipler said. \u201cIt took a ton of work to make good grades happen, including asking for extensions and pulling last-minute all-nighters. I used to beat myself up for my apparent lack of self-control.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tipler enrolled in college after high school but withdrew after facing depression and other mental health challenges. A few years later, she took another stab at school to become a French teacher but found the career wasn\u2019t for her. After realizing studying computer science and engineering fascinated her, she applied for a Pathways internship at NASA\u2019s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt NASA, I knew that I was working on the kinds of projects that are helping advance humanity\u2019s knowledge of the universe and the world we live in,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t until transitioning to a full-time computer scientist job at Glenn that she finally got some answers about herself.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt NASA, I was feeling happy, I was in a great place in my life, and I was excited about where I was, but I was still struggling to effectively manage my workload,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s what led me to seek help and obtain a diagnosis of ADHD [attention-deficit\/hyperactivity disorder], which has really helped me understand a lot of the issues that I\u2019ve had in my life and put a lot of things in a different perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tipler\u2019s colleagues provided her encouragement and a support system, and she\u2019s now helping NASA take its next giant leap with the Artemis missions.<\/p>\n
Tipler\u2019s team develops code that models the power systems of the International Space Station, the Orion spacecraft, and the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) that will help propel Gateway, NASA\u2019s future lunar space station. This SPACE (or system power analysis for capability evaluation) code can predict how much power is generated by solar arrays and determine whether it is sufficient to support important spacecraft systems, like life support and propulsion.<\/p>\n
For example, throughout Gateway\u2019s journey, the solar arrays that generate power for PPE won\u2019t always be able to face the sun and generate maximum energy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to make sure that when Gateway is using its thrusters, which require a lot of electrical power, we\u2019ll have enough for the rest of the spacecraft,\u201d Tipler explains.<\/p>\n
Tipler\u2019s team is also developing a graphical user interface that will make it easier for the Flight Operations Directorate at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston to use the code.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an incredible feeling to know that I\u2019m some small part of that giant puzzle,\u201d she said. \u201cIt makes all of the challenges and obstacles that I go through feel worth it when I get to sit down and look at things from the big picture.\u201d<\/p>\n
Learning to navigate ADHD has been a long journey, Tipler says, but her family, friends, fianc\u00e9, and five rambunctious cats have been there to cheer her up and encourage her. In addition, being able to work remotely from her home in northern New York has been critical to her success at work.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have found that teleworking and being fully remote has really helped with my ADHD because my focus isn\u2019t always consistent, so this adds a lot more flexibility into my work life and has helped me be the best productive person I can be,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Ensuring open communication with coworkers and having conversations about expectations has also kept Tipler on the right track, and she has found ways to thrive.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there are some really cool, unique perspectives that people living with different disabilities can bring to the workplace in the ways we think differently or work to overcome obstacles or problems,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Often, practices that help people with disabilities can be beneficial to all workers, Tipler says, such as offering written agendas and notes instead of just verbal information or being open to new workplace approaches.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t always need to know what someone is dealing with to make things better for everyone,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Tipler wants people working to overcome their own obstacles to know that they are not alone and to remind others that some disabilities, like ADHD, can seem invisible.<\/p>\n
\u201cRemember that you never know what someone else is going through,\u201d she said. \u201cThe best approach is to operate with kindness.\u201d<\/p>\n
NASA is in a Golden Era of aeronautics and space exploration. In partnership with commercial and private businesses, NASA is currently making history with significant missions such as Artemis, <\/em>Quesst<\/em>, and electrified aviation. The NASA\u2019s Modern History Makers series highlights members of NASA Glenn\u2019s workforce who make these remarkable missions possible.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n