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Kevin Gill earned a bachelor\u2019s degree while working as a software engineer and developer for Fidelity Investments. After graduation, he wanted to break into more advanced software development roles, so he began researching graduate computer science programs that fit his needs.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRivier offered a strong graduate computer science program and a schedule that would easily accommodate my career,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Today, Kevin is a science data software engineer for <\/span>NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory<\/span>. This research facility carries out robotic space and Earth science missions, like the Cassini mission to Saturn. He credits much of his professional growth to the graduate program in computer science at Rivier.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRivier taught me many of the algorithms and development practices I still use today at NASA,\u201d he says. \u201cIn fact, I can trace the lineage of code currently running on NASA systems directly to my final master\u2019s project.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n One of Kevin\u2019s most memorable projects involved writing a compiler (a program that translates one programming language to another) and a virtual machine runtime environment (a software program designed to run other software). He had to create human-readable language and a compiled binary (non-text) specification. To determine his success, he had to feed these systems code provided by his professor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt was a sort of task I long felt was beyond my capabilities and to have mastered it with relative ease truly demonstrated how much I had progressed,\u201d he recalls.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The computer science faculty was also a big part of Kevin\u2019s experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe largest influence over my education was Dr. Vladimir Riabov, Professor of Computer Science and Department Coordinator. His wisdom and guidance proved instrumental to my success,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n NASA\u2019s overall mission is without a doubt exciting, but Kevin says his day-to-day is pretty typical.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s like most any other software development job,\u201d he explains. \u201cThe day includes planning and design meetings and work time. I need to prioritize and switch among several projects, depending on deliverable deadlines.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Kevin feels his work at NASA\u2014building applications and tools for scientific research\u2014benefits society. The systems he helps create target a variety of specializations, including climate, oceanography, asteroids, and planetary science.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI enjoy the creative process and the challenge of designing and developing new technologies to aid in analysis and discovery,\u201d says Kevin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n As a software engineer and developer for an organization like NASA, Kevin is bound to have some \u201cnot-so-typical\u201d days. In 2017, he was selected to process visual data from the final phase of a decade-long exploration of Saturn and its moons, seas, and storms. NASA says of this stage of the project:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFollowing a final close flyby of Saturn\u2019s moon Titan, Cassini performed a series of 22 weekly dives between the planet and its rings\u2014The Grand Finale. On its final orbit, Cassini will plunge into Saturn\u2019s atmosphere at tens of thousands of miles per hour, sending back new and unique science to the very end. After losing contact with Earth, the spacecraft burns up like a meteor, becoming part of the planet itself.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Kevin was a part of that moment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFor the Cassini mission\u2019s final year in orbit around Saturn, I was processing images for public and scientific consumption,\u201d he says. Kevin and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory\u2019s Media Relations and Public Engagement team produced news, website content, educational resources, television footage, live-streamed video, and social media efforts to document and share Cassini\u2019s mission, findings, and final descent into Saturn.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n On Sept. 15, 2017, Kevin processed the final images of the spacecraft, which were immediately sent to and published by the media.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cThese included the final pass by Titan, a view of Enceladus setting behind Saturn, and Cassini\u2019s expected impact location,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Kevin\u2019s compelling, never-seen-before images highlighted Cassini-Huygens\u2019 scientific and engineering achievements in the months-long, multi-media campaign.<\/p>\n And the world took notice.<\/p>\n JPL’s imagery, web, and mass media coverage of Cassini\u2019s Grand Finale produced an Emmy nomination from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. At the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on September 8, 2018, JPL team\u2019s exceptional work on Cassini\u2019s Grand Finale earned them the Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Interactive Program.<\/p>\nExploring New Dimensions<\/h2>\n
Personal and Scientific Discovery<\/h2>\n