Translating Rocket Science
Korine Powers holding a giant inflatable Moon at NSTA
Korine Powers could have never predicted that a career covering science—space to be exact—would be in the stars.
In the early stages of pursuing a PhD in English and American literature from Boston University, Powers (GRS’24) was confident that she would remain in academia.
“My dissertation is on cowboys and serial killers,” says Powers, with a chuckle. With such niche interests and a penchant for teaching, her tentative plan was to become a professor—a common route for English PhD candidates. But it turns out that comprehensive training in communications and language development also equipped her for a career at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
It’s a testament to the value of humanities degrees, emphasizes Powers, and proof that companies across the most unlikely of sectors—even space exploration—are seeking the very transferable skills of English majors. “It’s nice to see that the workforce still needs people who can expound on technical topics in a real, human way,” she says—even amidst the surge of ChatGPT and other AI-powered tools.