To Abroad and Beyond with Manuel Retana

The Gilman Scholarship is all about exploring the next frontier this month with guest Manuel Retana joining us to talk all things this out of this world. Growing up in Mexico only scratches the surface of Manuel’s international experience as he discusses that and his time accidentally enrolling in a Master’s class during his time abroad in Europe and getting lost while traveling on the trains of Denmark. Hear his thoughts on the invaluable benefits of international exchange for STEM students and why exposure to new cultures was a skill he had to develop for his career at NASA.

Manuel Retana (United Kingdom, 2015) is a Gilman alum and former Gilman Ambassador. Currently, Manuel Retana works as a NASA JSC Project Engineer in the area of Environmental Control and Life Support Systems ECLSS for the International Space Station, Orion, and Advanced Exploration Systems. He develops space hardware to allow astronauts to explore and live in space. Manuel is also pursuing a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas, Austin. In his spare time, Manuel does STEM/NASA outreach internationally in Latin America, India, and Europe.

 

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