Rover Lands On Mars: Director Speaks Out

(based on a story in the LA Times, July 6, 1997)

On July 4, 1997, a small rover, Pathfinder, landed on the surface of Mars. This rover will mark history as a time when the world learns more about the Mars environment. In the past, experiments have been done in desert-type atmospheres. Now, we have the chance to look in more hopeful places for the neighbors our world has dreamt up for centuries. Perhaps sometime in the near future we will find life (alive or the remainders there of) under the surface or in the rocks. Behind this scientific leap was a team working to make Pathfinder function and at the same time make this expedition possible. The only female member of this team was the one who made all the pieces fit together. Jennifer Harris, director of the Pathfinder team, integrated team work between the great scientific minds. This job was perfect for Harris because she says that she excels at putting everything together and making it happen, rather than at figuring out the problems themselves. Between Harris and the scientists around her, the project became a success. However, Harris could not stop her problem solving with the rover's first step. The rover was working hard, but needed the assistance of the people down here. So, when Pathfinder hit a rock, the team was ready to get it back on its feet. Harris had to get to know the members well early on, so that at hard times like that, she would know exactly who to depend on.

Although Harris is only twenty-eight years old, she has already experienced many things. Harris graduated from MIT with a degree in aerospace engineering in 1990. Also, she volunteered a year in the Ukraine as an English and Bible teacher. These experiences, along with her teamwork lessons remembered from volleyball, have helped her keep control in her demanding job. As she is often hit with three or four problems at once, Harris must rely on her patience. This is one essential quality in the job of a director. Luckily for us, Harris had it and through her workers' hands, guided the Pathfinder onto the surface of Mars.

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