W.I.S.E. Wednesday: Paige Kaufman, Founder of Space Spiels

Introducing Paige Kaufman, a fourth-year student at The University of Southern California pursuing a degree in Astronautical Engineering and continuing her studies at the masters level. This summer, Paige will be a part of the NASA Environmental and Thermal Flight Controller team as an intern.

Paige is the founder of Space Spiels, a podcast that highlights conversations with engineers, students, and scientists in the aerospace industry. She highlights their projects, backgrounds, and personal experiences. She hopes to not only educate people about the aerospace industry but she works to encourage individuals to pursue a STEM career.

Want to tune in to Space Spiels? Swipe the posts and scan the QR code!

Question 1: Can you introduce yourself and your STEM background

“Sure! My name is Paige Kaufman, and I’m currently a fourth-year student at the University of Southern California, pursuing a degree in Astronautical Engineering. I will be doing my master's next fall. During my junior year, I worked at a startup called Vast Space, which really gave me insight into the fast-paced world of aerospace innovation. And this upcoming summer, I’ll be joining NASA’s Ethos team which is their Environmental and Thermal Flight Controller at the Mission Control Center, which I’m incredibly excited about. My main area of interest is human space flight—I’m really drawn to the challenges and possibilities of sending people farther into space.” 

Question 2: What inspired you to pursue a STEM degree? What inspired you to pursue your career choice?

Question 3: What challenges have you faced in your STEM journey, and how did you overcome them?

Question 4: What's your favorite class you have taken?

Question 5: Have you ever felt excluded or underrepresented in your field? How did you navigate that?

Question 6: What’s a common misconception about your STEM major or career?

Question 7: What inspired you to start your own podcast, Space Spiels?

Question 8: If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice about STEM, what would it be?