Kobie Boykins, principal mechanical engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, will make a special visit to MSOE in advance of his featured talk at the Marcus Center for Performing Arts: “National Geographic LIVE: Kobie Boykins – Exploring Mars.”  

Boykins will participate in a Q&A with students in the Ladish Entrepreneurial Space in the Cove, located on the ground floor of Viets Tower. Dr. Eric Baumgartner, MSOE executive vice president of academics, will moderate the discussion. Baumgartner is a former NASA engineer and colleague of Boykins.  

The talk will take place Thursday, Feb. 24 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Lunch with Boykins will be served at noon following the Q&A. RSVP REQUIRED. All attendees have a chance to win a ticket to Boykins’ show, which is Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m.  

In more than 25 years at the lab, Boykins has worked on the Pathfinder mission, built the solar arrays for the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, led the mobility and remote sensing teams for the Mars Science Laboratory Rover, Curiosity and is serving as chief engineer on the Europa Clipper team. In 2013, Boykins received a NASA Exceptional Service Medal, one of the highest honors given to NASA employees and contractors.

This Black History Month event is brought to you by a partnership between The Cove @ The CREATE Institute and MSOE Multicultural Affairs.