Since the Apollo era, 12 people have walked on the
moon, however none of them were people of color. As a child Aaron Shepard
dreamed of becoming an astronaut, voyaging across outer space, and becoming the
first African American to set foot on a world beyond the Earth.
Aaron graduated with honors from Claflin
University with a Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. After working in the
medical industry for a few years he decided to follow his passion for
developing innovative technology. He enrolled at Clemson University to pursue a
graduate degree in electrical engineering.
As a student Aaron conducts NASA funded research on
robots modeled after elephant trucks and octopus arms. His work focuses on
finding novel ways to use those robots to help astronauts accomplish various
tasks in outer space. He hopes to develop technology for space exploration and
one day have the opportunity to use that technology as an astronaut himself.
Although some of Aaron’s dreams are truly out of this
world, there are plenty of goals that he would like to accomplish here on
planet Earth. Aaron is a dynamic and charismatic speaker who is passionate
about giving back to his community. He works as a tutor and mentor for the PEER
& WISE program at Clemson which helps underrepresented students studying
STEM subjects. In addition through public outreach and various workshops Aaron
hopes to:
-Break
the stereotypes of sciences being too boring/ difficult and show that with that
work of scientists and engineers can be fun.
-Encourage
more students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, to pursue
careers in engineering sciences and mathematics.
-Help
cultivate the next generation of technically savvy and culturally competent
engineers and scientists.
In
his free time Aaron enjoys running, video games, building drones and 3D
printers, Latin dancing with his wife, and being lazy with his dog. As Aaron
pursues his dreams he wants to ensure that others have the confidence and
skills to pursue theirs!
You can also check out his website in this site https://spacecadetshep.com/
You can also check out his website in this site https://spacecadetshep.com/
