Rosa Avalos Chumpitazi works for NASA’s International Space Station (ISS) Program in Houston Texas, where she serves as a Mechanisms and Operations Engineer for The Boeing Company.
Born in a small village in Lima Peru, Rosa was raised by loving parents who pushed her to be the best version of herself and with brothers who were excellent role models and set incredible examples for her to follow. After moving to the United States, she did very well in high school, which allowed her to earn numerous college scholarships.
Rosa made the decision to attend Virginia Tech, where she excelled and was the recipient of several awards for academic excellence. During her time at the university, Rosa was involved with the Pan-American Advanced Studies Institute (PASI), working on the dynamics and control of marine vehicles. She was part of planning and organizing the PASI program with various partners, including Virginia Tech, a Colombian University named Universidad del Norte, Escuela Naval and Cotecmar. Rosa graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s in aerospace engineering and a minor in math.
Rosa joined Boeing in 2012 and quickly rose to the position she has today with the ISS Program. As a Mechanisms and Operations engineer, she is an important team member for sustaining operations and preparing new mechanisms and hardware to be launched into orbit for the space station. Rosa also serves as an on-console engineer supporting mission operations during visiting space vehicle events in the Mission Control Center (MCC). Her work is critical for ensuring crew and vehicle safety of flight operations and the overall success of the ISS Missions.
Rosa is a passionate STEM advocate and member of several professional organizations including Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and Society of Women Engineers (SWE), where she serves as president of the Texas Space Center Chapter of SWE.
Rosa’s community activities are numerous, not only in the United State, but they span the globe, impacting thousands of students. A native of Lima, Peru, Rosa was invited by the U.S. Embassy in Lima to speak to young students about STEM education and career opportunities. Upon her return, Rosa was recognized by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden for her success and contributions as an engineer and promoter of STEM.
Rosa has earned awards in recognition of her work with the space flight awareness team award for outstanding leadership, teamwork and technical excellence. Her colleagues have noted her fearlessness in taking on new leadership roles and technical challenges. She displays a great degree of knowledge, creativity, innovation and fast thinking. She has demonstrated her abilities to lead and take the initiative to ensure ISS success.
Rosa earned her Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University in 2015 and continues to demonstrate her potential for advancement within Boeing and as a member of the community. Great Minds in STEM was proud honor Rosa with a 2016 Luminary Award for her technical skills as well as her tireless work in promoting STEM.