Alumna Moogega Cooper, PhD, Planetary Protection Lead for the Mars rover Perseverance and Group Supervisor at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, will deliver the address to the Class of 2026 at Drexel’s University-wide commencement ceremony
Drexel University alumna Moogega “Moo” Cooper, PhD, Planetary Protection Lead for the Mars rover Perseverance and Group Supervisor at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, will deliver the address to the Class of 2026 at Drexel’s University-wide commencement ceremony held on June 11, at Citizens Bank Park.
“We are honored to welcome Dr. Cooper back to Drexel to celebrate the Class of 2026,” said Drexel President Antonio Merlo, PhD. “Her journey exemplifies the curiosity, determination and impact that define a Drexel education, and I am confident her words will inspire our graduates as they embark on their next chapters.”
As a supervisor at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Cooper leads a team dedicated to protecting solar system bodies from Earth-sourced contaminants. Among her duties, she helps keep Mars safe from Earth’s contaminants while discerning for signs of Mars life and subsequently preparing for human exploration.
Cooper graduated from high school at 16 years old, before earning a Bachelor of Science degree in physics from Hampton University. Setting her sights on space exploration, she continued her studies in mechanical engineering at Drexel, earning a master’s degree in 2008 followed by a PhD in 2009. As a research scientist at Drexel’s C. & J. Nyheim Plasma Institute, she continued to advance this work laying the foundation for her pioneering contributions at NASA.
Now a planetary protection engineer, Cooper ensures that missions do not harm our ability to find life beyond Earth by sterilizing equipment with plasma and other advanced methods. She has led planetary protection endeavors for missions like Mars 2020, which included the rover Perseverance and the robotic helicopter Ingenuity.
Beyond her scientific achievements, Cooper is deeply committed to inspiring the next generation. She regularly engages audiences of all ages to share the wonder of science and encourage interest in STEAM fields. She has appeared on programs including “Because Space,” “How the Universe Works” and “Bill Nye Saves the World.”
Cooper’s contributions have been recognized with numerous honors and awards, including the NASA Early Career Public Achievement Medal, multiple JPL Voyager Awards for Technical Leadership, and The Root 100 list of Most Influential African Americans.
Drexel’s University-wide commencement will take place at 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 11 at Citizens Bank Park. For more information, visit: https://drexel.edu/commencement.