Safety Science Degree Opens Door to Stellar Career at NASA

What began as a way to navigate a tough job market during the Great Recession helped pave the way to a dream career for Chris Riley (’10, ’13).

Riley, now a NASA Quality Engineer with the Safety and Mission Assurance directorate assigned to the Division directly supporting Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) at Kennedy Space Center, had dreamt of becoming an astronaut.

Embry-Riddle alumnus and NASA Quality Engineer Chris Riley in his office at the Kennedy Space Center. (Photo: Chris Riley)

An injury from high school precluded military service as a career path to the astronaut corps. Inspired by the world of science fiction, such as “Star Trek,” engineering was Riley’s next option. The dream shifted to designing spacecraft and Riley planned to use the B.S. in Aerospace Engineering degree he earned at Embry-Riddle’s Prescott Campus as a stepping stone to becoming a NASA engineer.

But the 2008 economic crisis and the resulting fallout forced a change in plans.

“Jobs disappeared,” Riley said. “I applied everywhere, with very few or no interviews, and even postings were just disappearing. It was a shocker because for me, nothing was materializing.”

By fall 2010, Riley had shifted his focus to master’s degree programs and began exploring his options. A pursuit for a master’s degree was not Riley’s mind nor in the short-term plan, but only for professional development. In consequence, Riley’s options were limited as most deadlines had passed and requirement could not be met in the allotted time.

The only option locally was the M.S. in Safety Science at Embry-Riddle and that got his attention. The program touched aviation, which was his second passion, so Riley did some research by talking to students and faculty on campus and saw it as an opportunity.

Why choose a M.S. in Safety Science degree at Embry-Riddle?

“At first, it provided a means to wait it out and see if the job market improved. Had an opportunity occurred and I was offered a position, I would’ve taken it and shelved the option of finishing up my master’s at a later date. That was my plan,” he said. “But as time wore on, I saw the opportunities dovetail out in front me such as adapting engineering principles, especially since I studied aerospace engineering and it seemed complementary with the subjects. Within a year I was thinking, ‘yeah, I want to continue. Let's see where it can take me.’”

Where it ended up taking him was the Kennedy Space Center. When he graduated in 2013, he was offered a job as a Safety Engineer with the prime contractor, A-P-T Research Inc, in the Safety and Mission Assurance Support Services (SMASS) II Contract.

His position was supporting Institutional Safety Division under the same directorate, as a NASA contractor. His duties were reviewing and assessing designs related to construction of facilities and infrastructure projects to ensure all safety requirements were reflected in the design of new and modified facilities and structures.

“It was the key to my career, or I should say the other half of the key to my career; the degrees complemented each other and enabled me more opportunities than I could fathom,” Riley said.

He transferred to two other divisions while remaining with the company. First, he served as a Quality Engineer in the Launch Services Division, interfacing with commercial launch providers such as SpaceX, United Launch Alliance (ULA) and Orbital-ATK (purchased by Northrop Grumman).

This was another step closer to his dream as it was more aligned with his career goals – human space exploration. His second transfer was to a position as a Safety Engineer in the current division with a twist: His role became dual functioning in the division for both Safety and Quality Engineering.

By this time, he has gained considerable amount experience and exposure with NASA,  developed a reputation and earned recognition for his work. This became an asset for his selection to join NASA in 2018 in his present role.

“The job title doesn’t do it justice,” Riley said. “I am in safety and mission assurance, but as a quality engineer in my division, the exploration ground systems division, I became directly involved in the Artemis I launch vehicle ground processing. Early on, we were figuring out how to perform the tasks, since it was a new program. I've been up close and personal with [the rocket] and realizing that the amount of impact or contribution that I've had along with my colleagues, it's surreal.”

How Embry-Riddle helped fuel a career

When he looks back on his start as a safety engineer, Riley has fond memories of his professors and peers at Embry-Riddle.

“What stood out to me the most in the process was the flexibility that this program had in terms of the education,” he said. “You have free reign with the courses, but there are electives that you take to enhance your skillset and knowledge to address an issue or a passion of your choice. Each of the professors were very helpful, even when they were upfront with us that half what we learn comes from them with persistence, and the other half from ourselves in the research and courses we take in support of our Thesis or Graduate Research Project.”

What safety science facilities does Embry-Riddle have?

Riley also has high regard for Embry-Riddle’s facilities, which have grown substantially since he attended. They include Robertson Aircraft Accident Investigation Lab, the most comprehensive facility of its kind in North America, which offers re-creations of real aircraft accidents using customizable scenarios.

In addition, the Aviation Safety and Security Archives gives students the opportunity to explore historical documents that have shaped the aviation industry, while the Ergonomics and Motion Measurement Laboratory enables students to learn how physiology and movement influence workplace safety.

“The crash lab itself was amazing,” said Riley. “And the research material from the archives, some were original papers, not copies. Those were the main highlights that I found for myself.”

To anyone considering the Safety Science master’s program at Embry-Riddle, Riley offers this advice:

“All degrees are just toolboxes with different skillsets, the challenge is not understanding the principles and concepts, but the application in the long-term. They should explore what the safety science program can do for them – does it align with my goals or passions of life? – and see if it gives them the flexibility to explore and dovetail out into a broader vocation, because that's what it did for me.”

“The Safety Science program provided avenues for me to incorporate aerospace engineering into various applications instead of being overly specialized; I became marketable which meant more opportunities, and not just in aviation or aerospace. If it's broad enough for their horizons, I say go for it."

Ready to pursue your dream career? Apply now at Embry-Riddle.

Check out Chris Riley’s memories of the historic Artemis I launch

Why choose a M.S. in Safety Science degree at Embry-Riddle? “It pretty much was the key to my career, this degree complemented by Aerospace Engineering” Riley said.