2022 Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award: Michele Beisler

3/25/2022

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Michele Beisler, deputy program manager for the NASA Rocket Propulsion Test program office, has been named one of 11 recipients of the 2022 Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award by the Penn State College of Engineering. 

In 1992, Beisler earned a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering with distinction from Penn State Behrend College, where she also played four years of varsity basketball. In 1994, she earned a master of science in mechanical engineering with distinction at University Park. While earning her master’s degree, she worked in the Propulsion Engineering Research Center, studying the breakup of liquid oxygen and gaseous hydrogen from a coaxial injector in a small-rocket research and technology project. 

Before working for NASA, Beisler began her career as a field engineer and seismic specialist for Schlumberger Limited. She started working for NASA in 2001 as a mechanical design engineer, leading the design of facility systems to test rocket engine components and small rocket engines. She then moved to the RPT Program Office in 2005, where she worked for the next 17 years as a project engineer. In 2011, Beisler was awarded the Silver Snoopy Award for her outstanding achievements related to NASA’s mission success. 

As the deputy program manager for the NASA RPT program office, Beisler helps lead an RPT team responsible for managing NASA’s chemical rocket propulsion test facilities, activities and resources across several NASA centers. Such work directly relates to supporting projects needed to ensure the successful completion of NASA’s Artemis missions, with the goal to return humans, including the first woman and first person of color, to the Moon to establish a long-term presence and prepare for human missions to Mars.  

Beisler lives in Slidell, Louisiana, and enjoys taking walks, riding bikes and kayaking with Sharon DeLong, her wife of 26 years, and her “fur babies,” Dory the black lab and Buddy the terrier. 

 

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