Monica Visinsky is a senior staff engineering specialist for the Oceaneering Space Systems (OSS) based in Houston, Texas. Monica finds working adjacent to the space industry the most rewarding part of her position.
“I get a thrill out of seeing the robots successfully interact with the payloads and hardware that I have had a hand in mentoring through their design process and verifying their robotic compatibility,” she said. “I also enjoy being part of the Mission Engineering Room – the back room for Mission Control – and helping to solve the problems that occur on-orbit.”
Monica holds a bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering, a bachelor’s in Computer Science, and a master’s and doctorate in Robotics. Although she initially wanted to be a math teacher, her interests turned to becoming an astronaut in the seventh grade.
“That interest is one of the reasons I chose engineering – it’s a good basis for becoming an astronaut. I settled on electrical engineering because it added the element of computers to the mix, which was also an interest of mine. I chose to go to Rice University because they had a great Electrical Engineering program and were close to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where the astronauts trained.”
After completing her education at Rice University, Monica joined Dowell Schlumberger before coming to Oceaneering, and she’s been with Oceaneering ever since. In 2021, she will celebrate 25 years of service.
Monica said that her peers and managers at Oceaneering have been supportive and inclusive.
“The structure at OSS means that even entry level personnel are able to talk with and be heard by upper management,” she said. “When I was having issues with customer managers who did not want me to speak up or ask questions of program management, OSS managers were right there for me – providing a buffer and support.”
Monica said that she has been lucky to not have to overcome any big hurdles in her career. “You do have to be willing to speak up for your ideas and ask questions when things don’t look right, but I think that applies to anyone – female or male.”
Monica’s advice to those just starting their career is to find something they love doing.
“If you enjoy your work, you will feel fulfilled and it becomes less of a job and more of a career,” she said. “Engineering provides a lot of opportunities and a lot of different fields or specialties to explore. If you like working with computers, Electrical or Computer Engineering might be a good path. If you like building things, you could try Mechanical, Civil, or Industrial Engineering. If you like chemistry or biology, you could try Chemical or Biomedical Engineering.”
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