I’ve spent almost 25 years with NASA, both in Houston and Washington, DC. Yikes! I never thought I’d stay longer than 2-5 years. I had a different plan for my life. Space was NEVER part of it. Funny how that happens.
No, I’m not a Rocket Scientist. I’m a POLITICAL Scientist with a fascination for the politics of personal persuasion–both negative and positive. I bristle at toxic leadership, and witness far too much of it. Bullies exist in all age groups. Sadly, we allow them to misbehave to the detriment of our organizations. I digress…
My first year at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, I stumbled over this Chinese proverb: The Protruding Stake Gets Hammered. Yep, that’s me. I’m an outlier….statistically and literally.
Though I never learned to love our process-rich culture and crusty personalities, I fell head over heels for the great unknown — space! And I love her STILL, after all these years. 
You can learn MOST about me by following my space tweets: @bethbeck
11 Comments
June 2, 2009 at 7:28 pm
I like your blog…you r the 21st century.
June 2, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Beth,
I guess I am like you- an outsider who does not fit in with the status quo, yet I LOVE space and everything to do with it. I am so much into space development/settlement that my private nickname amongst the people who know me best is Mr. Space. How’s that for commitment to a cause?
I consider myself a Political Economist with a specialty in the Political Economics of Space Development Projects. Potential contemporaries (or like minded people of a similar research bent and approach to space policies/politics) of mine would be Joan Johnson-Freese, Roger Handberg, W. D. Kay, John Hickman of Mt. Berry College, and the former Mars Socoety/Space Frontier Foundation member/editoralist John Carter McKNight.
I contend that because the Space Community is too small to be of major impact to the world as a whole, while at the same time being unable to agree on what the major goal of space programs and direction of space policy should be. This is due to the multifaceted, multidisciplinary nature of the space community, and the fact we live in an atomized culture, with very little in common with each other as the pre cultural revolution US was before the late 1960’s early 1970’s.
The good thing is that the Internet, Network Means/collaboration overcomes the limitations of authoritarian, bureaucratic, hierarchical organizational schematas, and allows new forms of space collaboration to work and work well. Examples of this would be either the small cubesats built and launched to orbit by 180 some students in Europe, or the Tea Parties in the US in response to Obama’s exceeding his authority.
Many people are taken aback by my seemigly contradictory makeup; a former multi-decade long Republican Party member who was left behind by the Republican Party when they went off course, a NASA supporter who is tired of backing up NASA with no recognition of it by the agency or it’s (so-called) Public affairs office which pretty much does NOTHING, and a would be member of the Libertarian Party who is tired of hearing dangerous cranks like Richard C. Hoagland taken seriously when he should be repudiated and shamed/shunned into the far background and people like you, I, Penny Boston, John Carter McKnight, Mark Whittington, and other, wizened, experienced life-long space supporters move into the forefront of space activism.
I am busy, so I will close, and hope you read this and respond, because I am quite serious about space activism, and being a Revoultionary for Space Development and Space Settlement.
RSVP.
Perry A. Noriega
June 3, 2009 at 11:30 am
Perry, so glad you shared your passion for space. We have much to accomplish, and new leadership will take us in unexpected directions. Who knows where we’ll end up. You may want to weigh in with the new Augustine Commission to review human spaceflight activities. Former astronaut Leroy Chiao is a panel member and is requesting input on his blog:
http://is.gd/N52u
June 3, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Beth,
Did you work in Hum Mandell’s shop (KX/BX) and on the Space Station selection board back in Houston in 1986-1987?
Best,
Chris Cummins
June 3, 2009 at 11:09 pm
I did. Wow. Memories….! Hum is STILL one of my favorite NASA managers EVER. He let me bring my own chair to the table, rather than trying to squish me into a chair that didn’t fit. He gave me unsolvable problems, knowing that I would find solutions. He allowed me to speak for him, rather than speaking for me — extremely rare, especially since I was so fresh out of grad school. He treated me like a leader, and let me grow into the role. I’m very fortunate I learned from him so early in my career. We need more at NASA like Hum!
November 24, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Beth – Hum will be on my panel at the PM Challenge in Galveston in February. Title: Fixing Broken Projects. Come on down and see us!! http://pmchallenge.gsfc.nasa.gov/index.htm
Jen
October 22, 2009 at 11:34 am
Beth,
Although we didn’t really get to talk at the Tweetup yesterday, that’s for the photos! I’ve also been reading your blog and I can see your passion for what you do.
After 15 years of private sector work, I myself am now looking to get into the Federal Government to do my part and apply my skills towards the greater good. *fingers crossed!*
Hope to see you again one day!
–Joel
October 22, 2009 at 11:47 am
Thanks Joel. It’s hard to talk when so much is going on. So nice to meet you. Maybe I’ll see you sitting next to me at NASA someday.
November 11, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Hey Beth! Govloop loves your blog! Would you consider cr0ss-posting at http://www.govloop.com? If you have any questions, ping me at @jenngustetic. Keep being awesome!
November 30, 2009 at 9:58 pm
[...] Operations at NASA Headquarters in Washington DC. And no, she is not a rocket scientist, she is a political scientist. She blogs and tweets. At the conference, Beth will co-moderate the session Broader Impact Done [...]
November 24, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Oh, please tell him hello for me! I miss Hum. Hmmm, I should’ve gone to PM challenge before my Door Jam Saga! Wish I lived closer.