“NASA’s Return to the Moon” with Dr. Christopher J. Wohl

Friday May 15, Dr. Christopher J. Wohl visited Washington and Lee students from the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. Dr. Wohl gave a lecture with W&L science majors before attending a Career Services sponsored lunch with a group of students and professors. Afterward, Dr. Wohl made himself available for meetings with individual students in the Career Services office.

The sciences attracted Dr. Wohl’s curiosity from an early age. As a young child, he enjoyed mixing concoctions of juice together and seeing them separate and balance out over time. Upon graduating from high school, he attended a local community college before transferring to Virginia Tech. He recounted that the sciences were his clear strength, and he often encountered trouble in other disciplines. Nonetheless, he stressed the importance of interdisciplinary skills, namely writing, in his scientific work both as a student and as a professional. After graduating from Tech, he enrolled the PhD. program at Virginia Commonwealth University. There he exhibited an outstanding record, earning his Doctorate of Philosophy in three and a half years with a 4.0 GPA. This academic achievement far surpassed VCU’s averages for the PhD.

After completing his studies, Dr. Wohl took on a job at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. He noted that NASA’s most significant test right, with regard to space exploration, is economic efficiency and commerce. NASA is brainstorming possible ways that colonies or pit stops on the moon or Mars could make space exploration commercially profitable and more efficient. Launch sites with lower gravity and less atmosphere would save substantial rocket fuel. In addition, moon factories with low gravity could naturally do away with vastly expensive machines that replicate such gravitational conditions on Earth.

Dr. Wohl also spoke to many students’ the coming tests in the job search. He stressed communication in all forms. “In every position,” he said, “communication is key; if you can’t communicate your ideas correctly, you can’t get people to buy into your ideas.” Dr. Wohl especially stressed writing and public speaking. He offered several suggests for improving one’s public speaking abilities. Observation and imitation of skilled speakers provides a strong model. Practice develops one’s speaking skills. His best form of practice entails coming home from work and explaining his day at NASA to his wife. He believes that if he can make his wife (who has little background in science) understand what he’s working on, then he has done an effective job communicating.

Dr. Wohl provided an informative perspective for NASA’s move into the 21st Century and a great account of a student’s move into the job force.

Dan Birdwhistell '01

Dan, who graduated from W&L in 2001 with a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and Public Policy, participated in one of Career Services’ on-going Psychology Alumni-in-Residences lunches.
Dan has had a very dynamic experience since graduating from Washington and Lee.

After receiving an MA in Education and Philosophy at the University of Cambridge in 2002, Dan has traveled extensively and worked in in Belgium, Nasheville, and Los Angeles. Presently, he lives in Washington D.C., and he is the CEO of Bigsight Media Group.

A recent graduate himself, Dan has a lot of advice for W&L students about to enter the job market:

1) Take your time. Dan suggests that students should not take their new job prospects too seriously. Recent graduates can afford to take a few years pursuing different interests; they have a lot of time. Dan says, “Never be afraid to spend a couple of years just working at a surf shop if that’s something you want to do.”

2) Don’t worry too much about money. Dan admits that his personal finances have been through both the highs and the lows. But this isn’t a problem. Even if your pockets are empty, as long as you’re doing something productive and getting a good experience, you can ensure that you earn it back. Never be afraid to take a risk; it might be of benefit in the future.

3) Spend a few years away from W&L. It’s very tempting to graduate and move directly into one of the hotbeds of W&L alumni. Dan suggests students take a couple of years off before reimersing themselves in everything W&L. There are a lot of different people and different experiences out there. Plus, the move into the W&L alumni community is a much easier transition after being away from it for a few years.

Dan offers a great message that is sometimes lost in Washington and Lee’s highly competitive environment. You shouldn’t expect to have your entire life planned out when you graduate. Experiment, pursue your interests, and don’t try to stick to a highly specific plan. You’ll never know just quite where you’ll end up, or what you’ll end up doing. Follow your intersts, work, take risks, figure it out, and keep learning. And at the same time remember that you are you and that you do have a lot of time to figure things out.

For more info on Dan, check his website at http://bigsight.org/dan_birdwhistell.