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[ Music ]

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>> My name is Dr.
Dionne Hernandez-Lugo,

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and I work in the Photovoltaic

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and Electrochemical
Systems Branch.

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My official title is a
Research Electrical Engineer,

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but I'm serving as the Project
Manager for the HyDRUS project.

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I've been here at NASA
Glenn close to five years,

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counting some co-op
time, and I've been part

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of this branch for
-- for that time.

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So HyDRUS stands

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for Hyperspectral HAB detection
via remote UAV sensing.

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And HAB is harmful
algal blooms, and UAV,

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it's unmanned air vehicle,
which people call drones.

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So the algal blooms
are a cyanobacteria,

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which are formed on the lake.

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They are very toxic
if consumed by --

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by a human, and they're also
very toxic to our ecosystem.

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The main objective
of this project is

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to develop a small version

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of our hyperspectral imaging
system, to be able to mount it

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on a UAV, and have the
capability of going

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out on the lake and
imaging these HABs there.

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This allows for a
water treatment plant

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to have an early warning, which
allows us to have cleaner water

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and a better quality of life.

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Not only does it allow
you to have the capability

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of flying a little bit more then
what the operations would be

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on a -- on a manned aircraft,

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but it also gives the
opportunity to the public

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to use this kind of
instrument for other areas,

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such as agriculture, also solar
panel health, and other areas

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where an instrument like
this, which is cost-effective,

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it's low weight, can be
used for other applications.

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For me, as a physical chemist,

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STEM education is
very, very important.

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Not only in early stages,
right, K to 12, but --

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but also, you know, those that
have the interest and want

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to continue this, either as
their bachelor's or their PhD.

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It was a dream, just
basically, coming true, right?

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So, as soon as I walked
in through those gates, I,

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you know, I just started crying
because it was what I wanted,

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and I've been to different
paths, and I didn't know

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that the path that I was taking
in school, and the things

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that I have decided to do
would allow me to get here.

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Growing up, I always
wanted to come

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and work here at -- at NASA.

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I really did not
know how to get here.

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I would see, you know, the
shuttle launches on TV,

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but the truth is, I didn't
know what the path was

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for me to get here.

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I got involved in NASA-related
research through my PhD work

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with a Harriett Jenkins
fellowship,

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which allowed me not only to
learn about what NASA needed

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and how I could help with
some of the technology

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that they were developing, but
also gave me the opportunity

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to come here to NASA Glenn
and do an internship.

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I knew I needed to work hard,
and, you know, so I did,

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and that allowed me to then
become a Pathways intern,

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and then from there, be
hired as a civil servant