5Q&A: Jamie Womack, NASA Engineer

Q: What do you do for work? 

A: I’m a Materials and Processes Engineer for NASA. I manage the materials discipline for the International Space Station (ISS) program. This means I’m responsible for everything ‘materials’ including certifying spaceflight hardware, major anomaly investigations, development of new visiting vehicles (like SpaceX’s Deorbit Vehicle) and new cargo vehicles being developed by the European Space Agency. One of my most interesting technical challenges is the aging of ISS and certifying its materials for operations beyond 2032. In simplest terms, I’m responsible for the safety of Astronauts who live and work on ISS.  

Q: How did you get to where you are today?

A: It has been quite a journey! After graduating from the University of Florida, I nailed down a really cool job at OneSubsea in Houston’s vibrant energy sector. In this job, I was a metallurgical engineer, making equipment that functions on the deep ocean floor, taking into account the high temperature and pressure extraction of petrochemicals. In this role, I traveled the world and developed unique technical expertise. I even managed the department and had teams in Houston, UK, and India! 

Throughout my career I have always had a fascination with NASA and space, but who hasn’t! NASA had always struck me as unobtainable – a place where only super geniuses work. Still, something kept pulling me there. I went out on a limb and applied to the Johnson Space Center. I first got a job as a support contractor for a couple of years until I was converted to a Civil Servant. That career transition was a huge leap of faith, as it was technically a step down from my previous position. I had to start over fresh and prove my talents all over again. I’m so glad I did it though, because I think I have one of the coolest jobs of all time.  

Q: What is next for you? 

A: Well… I want to be a NASA Astronaut! I applied to be an astronaut candidate (ASCAN) in 2025. To my utter shock I made it into the final rounds of selection and got to do an onsite 4-day long interview, which was the experience of a lifetime. I didn’t make the final cut, but I will definitely try again! Until my brush with the astronaut office, being an astronaut was not even remotely attainable in my mind. 

Now that I know it might be possible, the significance of the potential role has added a new layer of purpose to how I hone and develop my engineering expertise. I plan to start a degree program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology this fall in Systems Design and Management. The sky is not the limit, y’all!  

“Become good at something that interests you and the passion follows.
There will always be ups and downs and cycles. 
It’s ok to change your mind. It’s ok to change your path.
Betting on yourself is ALWAYS a good bet!“

– Jamie Womack –

Q: How did Theta Tau impact you as a future leader? 

A: Theta Tau taught me how to appreciate and work with a variety of people. One of the core premises of Theta Tau is brotherhood, and what an incredible experience I had getting close to such a diverse group of people at Zeta Gamma chapter. The relationships I made there actually gave me the confidence to move to Houston. There were plenty of brothers coming with me. Theta Tau brotherhood has given me roots in cities across the US, allowing me to grow both professionally and as a whole person.  

Q: What does life look like outside of work? 

A: In addition to my job with NASA, I’m also on the board of external advisors for University of Florida’s College of Materials Science and Engineering and I am the chairperson for our K-12 outreach program. I want to share my passion for materials science with the next generation in hopes to inspire folks to learn more about the material environment that we live in!  

I’m married to a Theta Tau brother, Corey Womack. We’ve been together since college. He’s my favorite person. Now we have two kids that are 1.5 and 3.5 years old. We’ve made more tiny, awesome people! Being a mom is my most important work and by far the most rewarding. Being a working parent is tough. Striking the right balance between work and parenting is an impossible feat, but so worth the effort. My girls are everything to me. My hope for my girls is to show them what it looks like to set goals and achieve my dreams in hopes that they will learn how to do it for themselves. 

Our family loves to camp, cook, be outside, spend time with friends, and make messes.  We like simple things like impromptu dinners with neighbors and meeting friends at the playground. I personally like to cook, crochet, and work on my hand-restored 1961 Shasta Airflyte travel trailer which hosts our family’s many adventures.