Janis Chodas, Convocation 2018 Honorary Degree Recipient

TL;DR

Former NASA engineer reflects on her career in space exploration and imparts valuable lessons to recent graduates.

Transcript

Chancellor Wilson, President Gertler, faculty, graduates, families and friends. I deeply appreciate this honour that the University of Toronto has conferred upon me to be the recipient of the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa. Not only is U of T my alma mater, my whole family has strong connections to U of T. One hundred years ago my great... Read More

Key Insights

• 🖐️ Strong family connections and support can play a significant role in career choices and success.
• 📽️ Values such as openness, innovation, inclusion, quality, and integrity are crucial for achieving success in technical projects.
• 💨 The U of T experience can shape individuals in valuable ways, instilling important values and contributing to future success.
• 🥺 Embracing values such as openness, teamwork, innovation, and diversity and inclusion can lead to a successful and fulfilling career.
• ❓ Mentoring programs can be valuable in advancing one's career and broadening skills.
• 💦 Quality and integrity are foundational values for engineers and should be emphasized in both work and behavior.
• 😋 The iron ring ceremony symbolizes the responsibilities and ethics associated with the engineering profession.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did the speaker's family influence her career choice in engineering?

The speaker's family had strong connections to the University of Toronto and encouraged her to pursue engineering as a career choice. Despite not being engineers themselves, they recognized the value of U of T's engineering program.

Q: What role do values play in the success of large technical projects like NASA missions?

The speaker mentions that technical excellence alone is not enough for mission success. Values such as openness, innovation, inclusion, quality, and integrity are foundational to achieving success in these projects.

Q: How did the speaker's U of T experience shape her career in space exploration?

The speaker credits her U of T experience with shaping her in valuable ways, particularly in terms of instilling values of openness, teamwork, and support. She believes that these values, along with her technically rigorous education, contributed to her success at NASA.

Q: How does the speaker encourage recent graduates to embrace their careers?

The speaker advises recent graduates to keep U of T's values in mind as they take the next step in their careers. She encourages them to be open, innovative, advocate for diversity and inclusion, strive for quality, and embody integrity in everything they do.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speaker, a former NASA engineer, reflects on her career in space exploration and her strong connections to the University of Toronto.

• She emphasizes the importance of values such as openness, innovation, inclusion, quality, and integrity in achieving mission success.

• The speaker encourages recent graduates to embrace these values, strive for quality and integrity, and make use of mentoring programs.