Jump to content
Join the Alien Search, login or register FREE on Aliens and Space Forum
Members Can Post Anonymously On This Site

Keith Koehler: Listening and Leading as Wallops’ News Chief

NASA

By NASA
in NASA

 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Publishers
NASA Mentor

NASA

Posted
  • Publishers
Posted
Keith Koehler
u0022Every project I have worked has been unique, whether it be a sounding rocket, scientific balloon, or aircraft mission,u0022 said Wallops Flight Facility News Chief Keith Koehler, looking back on his 41 years at NASA. u0022The projects are numerous and great people are involved.u0022
NASA/Aubrey Gemignani

Name: Keith Koehler

Title: News Chief

Formal Job Classification: Public Affairs Specialist

Organization: Office of Communications, Wallops Flight Facility, Goddard Space Flight Center (Code 130.4)

What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard? How do you help support Goddard’s mission?

As news chief, I manage media relations with local, regional, national, and international media. I also write news releases and web features, and I conduct interviews to bring the exciting activities at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore to the public.

What is your educational background?

I have a B.A. in journalism from Murray State University in Kentucky and an M.B.A. from Bellarmine University in Kentucky.

How did you come to work for NASA?

In 1978, while I was at Murray, I joined the NASA Langley Research Center’s Public Affairs Office (now the Office of Communications), in Virginia, as a cooperative education student, a type of internship. In 1984, I joined Wallops as the manager of the Visitor Center while I was working on my master’s. In 1987, I returned to Bellarmine full time to complete the last semester for my master’s. Later that year, after graduating, I returned to the Wallops Visitor Center. In 1990, I became the lead of the Wallops Public Affairs Office, where I have remained most of my career.

Why did you spend almost your entire career at Wallops’ Office of Communications?

When I first came to Wallops, I fell in love with the area. I grew up in the city and I love this rural area. I enjoy working with the people and the scientists from all over the world who come here to do research projects. Wallops projects usually run six months to about two years, so it’s very fast-paced with a lot of activity in many different areas.

I also met my wife Lisa, a native of the area, while at Wallops.

What are some of the most interesting projects you have worked on?

Northrop Grumman’s Antares program, which launches from Wallops, is interesting because of the positive impact the launches have on the community and their importance in getting supplies to the International Space Station. Wallops began in 1945 as a launch facility. Since coming to Wallops in 1984, I have seen it become a world-class launch facility for much larger rockets.

Every project I have worked has been unique, whether it be a sounding rocket, scientific balloon, or aircraft mission. The projects are numerous and great people are involved.

What I have enjoyed most throughout my career is the people. Our people want to share what they are doing with the public.

Keith Koehler, a white man with short brown hair and beard, sits in a chair and gestures with one hand while doing a radio interview. He wears headphones, a taupe jacket, and dark pants.
u0022What makes a good science communicator is the ability to listen,u0022 said Wallops news chief Keith Koehler. u0022You need to listen closely to what is being told to you from the mission support staff, such as a scientists, engineers, or technicians. Then you must be able to take that information and put it in a format that the public can understand.u0022
Courtesy of Keith Koehler

What do you want to be your legacy?

I would like to be remembered as someone with integrity who was able to bring the message of what we do at Wallops to the public and as someone who supported our educational programs through the development and support of hands-on programs and support of internships.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in science communications?

You need to have a passion for learning and be curious.

We pass on new findings to the public and everything is always changing. You must enjoy communicating with the scientists and engineers and passing on that information to the public in a way they can understand the technical complexities of the science and engineering.

What makes a good science communicator?

What makes a good science communicator is the ability to listen. You need to listen closely to what is being told to you from the mission support staff, such as a scientists, engineers, or technicians. Then you must be able to take that information and put it in a format that the public can understand. You also must be able to listen to the public and understand what they are asking and interested in hearing.

What was your favorite campaign?

That is hard to say. With more than 41 years supporting NASA, the missions and field campaigns have been numerous. Field campaigns took me to Alaska, New Mexico, California, Hawaii, in the air over the mid-Atlantic states, and Puerto Rico.

How has Wallops changed over the years?

In some ways, Wallops has stayed the same, but it also has changed. Wallops has always had a can-do attitude. Mission personnel know the project goals and work toward those goals. Historically, the work has focused on suborbital projects using sounding rockets, scientific balloons, and science aircraft.

Recently, there has been an increase in working with small satellites – project management, development, testing and tracking. In addition, Wallops has greatly expanded its support of commercial launch activities. In 1995, Virginia located the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops, which has brought an increase in the launch of orbital rockets. I was part of the core group involved in the birth of the spaceport.

What do you enjoy most about living near Wallops?

The area is quiet, slower paced. The beaches are nice. We are close enough for a day trip to Washington, D.C., but we can live surrounded by nature.

After you retire at the end of this year, what are your plans?

I want to travel nationally and internationally with my wife Lisa. I love vegetable gardening. I also want to spend time with my grandchild. I may do some part-time teaching. I hope to do volunteer work, but have not yet decided exactly what or where.

What is your “six-word memoir”? A six-word memoir describes something in just six words.

Integrity, faithful, patient, inquisitive, caring, trustworthy.

By Elizabeth M. Jarrell
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

A graphic with a collection of people's portraits grouped together in front of a soft blue galaxy background. The people come from various races, ethnicities, and genders. A soft yellow star shines in the upper left corner, and the stylized text u0022Conversations with Goddardu0022 is in white on the far right.
Conversations With Goddard is a collection of question and answer profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage.

Conversations With Goddard is a collection of Q&A profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage.

Share

Details

Last Updated
Feb 10, 2025

Related Terms

Keep Exploring

Discover More Topics From NASA

Missions

topic-card-sample-1.jpg

Humans in Space

topic-card-sample-2.jpg

Climate Change

topic-card-sample-3.jpg

Solar System

topic-card-sample-4.jpg

View the full article

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Similar Topics

    • NASA
      NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 Post-Flight News Conference
      By NASA
      NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 Post-Flight News Conference
    • NASA
      NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Post-Splashdown News Conference
      By NASA
      NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Post-Splashdown News Conference
    • Space Force
      Office of the Chief Information Officer drives efficiency for IT spending
      By Space Force
      Cecily Odom takes the helm as senior advisor at the Enterprise IT Programming & Financial Management senior advisor.
      View the full article
    • NASA
      Station Science Top News: March 7, 2025
      By NASA
      Challenges to measuring space-induced brain changes
      CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut David Saint-Jacques undergoes an MRI for Wayfinding. CSA Researchers found that an upward shift in the brain during spaceflight makes it hard to distinguish different types of tissue, causing errors in determining changes in brain volume. Previous studies have interpreted these changes as evidence of adaptation to space. This finding suggests that unique methods are needed to analyze astronaut brain structure.

      Wayfinding, a CSA (Canadian Space Agency) investigation, looked at how the brain adapts to space and readapts after return to normal gravity using a variety of assessments, including neuroimaging. The researchers propose that previous data could be reanalyzed based on the errors identified by this paper.  
      Catching micrometeoroids
      JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Tanpopo panels were mounted on the Exposed Experiment Handrail Attachment Mechanism (ExHAM) at top center of this image. JAXA/Takuya Onishi An impact track made by a micrometeoroid on a panel outside the International Space Station contained iron and orthopyroxene crystals. This finding, along with previous studies, suggests that micrometeoroids containing these elements are abundant in low Earth orbit and more measurements are needed to determine their origins and potential for carrying life.

      At least 90% of meteoroids at one astronomical unit or AU (93 million miles or the distance between Earth and the Sun) do not reach Earth’s surface, so investigating those in low Earth orbit is key to understanding their nature. The JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Tanpopo experiment placed blocks of a special gel outside the station to capture solid microparticles to test the theory that they could transport life among celestial bodies. Most meteoroids at one AU may have originated from Jupiter family comets.
      View the full article
    • NASA
      Station Science Top News: Feb. 27, 2025
      By NASA
      Preventing biofilm formation in space
      Ashley Keeley, University of Idaho, holds an anti-bacterial coating sample.University of Idaho Student Payload Opportunity with Citizen Science Team Two anti-microbial coatings reduced formation of biofilms in microgravity and have potential for use in space. Controlling biofilms could help protect human health and prevent corrosion and degradation of equipment on future long-duration space missions.

      Biofilms, communities of microorganisms that attach to a surface, can damage mechanical systems and present a risk of disease transmission. Bacteria Resistant Polymers in Space examined how microgravity affects polymer materials designed to prevent or reduce biofilm formation. Better anti-fouling coatings also could reduce disease transmission on Earth.

      Evaluating organ changes in lunar gravity
      Set up for the Mouse Epigenetics experiment aboard the International Space Station. NASA Researchers found different changes in gene expression and other responses to simulated lunar gravity levels in specific organs. This finding could help determine safe gravity thresholds and support development of ways to maintain skeletal and immune function on future space journeys.

      Spaceflight can affect skeletal and immune system function, but the molecular mechanisms of these changes are not clear. Mouse Epigenetics, a JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) investigation, studied gene expression changes in mice that spent a month in space and in the DNA of their offspring. Results could help determine spaceflight’s long-term effects on genetic activity, including changes within individual organs and those that can be inherited later.

      Performance report for cosmic ray observatory
      The CALorimetric Electron Telescope instrument is visible on the far left of the space station’s Kibo laboratory module. JAXA (Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency)/Norishige Kanai Researchers report on-orbit performance from the first 8 years of operation of the International Space Station’s cosmic ray observatory, CALET. The instrument has provided valuable data on cosmic ray, proton, and helium spectra; produced a gamma-ray sky map; observed gamma-ray bursts; and searched for gravitational wave counterparts and solar effects.

      The JAXA CALorimetric Electron Telescope or CALET helps address questions such as the origin and acceleration of cosmic rays and the existence of dark matter and nearby cosmic-ray sources. The instrument also could help characterize risks from the radiation environment that humans and electronics experience in space.
      View the full article

  • Check out these Videos

×
×
  • Create New...