Q&A: Moogega 'Moo' Cooper on Her Past, Present and Future
Moogega “Moo” Cooper, MS ’08, PhD ’09, will be the keynote speaker at Drexel University’s 2026 commencement ceremony. She shared a look into her time at Drexel and how it shaped her career, as well as the “essence of life” and why she has optimism for the future, ahead of the June 11 ceremony.
She’s a Planetary Protection Lead for the Mars rover Perseverance and group supervisor at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. As 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.
Beyond her scientific achievements, Cooper is deeply committed to inspiring the next generation and engages audiences of all ages to share the wonder of science and encourage interest in STEAM fields. Cooper’s contributions have been recognized with numerous honors and awards, including the NASA Early Career Public Achievement Medal and The Root 100 list of Most Influential African Americans.
Here’s a look into how her time at Drexel shaped her career, what that career looks like and why she has optimism for the future.
Q: Was there a moment at Drexel when you started to see a future for yourself that hadn't seemed possible before?
A: I remember attending a conference internationally in Kyoto, Japan, where I presented on the research that I’d accumulated so far. The ability to represent Drexel under the guidance of my adviser, Dr. Alexander Fridman [John A. Nyheim Chair Professor in the College of Engineering and Computing and director of the C. & J. Nyheim Plasma Institute], and side-by-side with my grad student colleagues made me feel like a bird who was really growing their ability to fly more and more on their own along with their siblings. As the training wheels were being removed, it was an incredible feeling to see a future where one day I’d be looked at as an expert in this one narrow but significant area. Knowing that this fate was destined for my fellow compatriots was also pretty exciting.
Q: What's a special place that comes to mind when you think about your time at Drexel?
A: There are so many that come to mind, but I'll try to narrow it down. I used to spend so much time in Hess [Laboratories] working, meeting with the research group, providing status updates and celebrating milestones like birthdays and retirements. The building is now a piece of Drexel history, as that corner is now home to The Summit at University City after Hess was demolished. The 7-Eleven across the street is still there, and I often loaded up on taquitos when I was in a rush between research and classes. Then there is also New Deck Tavern, which is where I spent countless evenings. I'm giving a shoutout to [bartender] Paul Kelly in my commencement address, who was the surrogate father of that establishment. He would ask me about what I was doing, chat about sports and always make sure every single person felt at home. As someone who was far away from home, this was yet another special spot that filled my heart!
Lastly, for those graduates who may be moving away from the east coast, don't forget to hug your nearest Wawa building. There is nothing like being gone for months to years and stepping foot back into the building, because that will bring a rush of comfort and familiarity back to your bones.
Q: What's your favorite part of your job — something you do or experience in your day-to-day duties?
A: My favorite part of the job is that every day is a new opportunity to tackle a new problem and be a lifelong learner. The goals are the same: mission success, but the parameters of the mission and how to get there can be a moving target. When I see a colleague who has been working for more than 40 years pick up a new programming language with excitement, it makes me energized. He figured out that the essence in life is to be agile in the ever-changing world.
Q: What’s your favorite way to unwind?
A: Travel! I love going to new places and meeting new people. It reminds me of how special this planet is, from seeing the unique rock formations of Meteora in Greece to the densely biodiverse country of Costa Rica. It makes the world just a little bit smaller and makes me feel more connected to the planet as a whole.
Q: Today's graduates have spent much of their lives hearing about crises and disruption. Working at the frontiers of science, what gives you optimism about the future?
A: Well, first of all, I do want to acknowledge and validate that the weight of the world is heavy on the graduating class, and there is plenty to be rightfully upset about. My approach in life has been to use what I have in my power to make this world a slightly better place. I just so happen to take the path of helping to find signs of life in the universe, starting with our neighbor Mars. There have been many who have endeavored in the search for life before me, and many to follow.
The pursuit of observing the cosmos and sending humans to the moon has provided great benefits to people here on our precious planet Earth. One big example that is likely within reach of every person reading this article is cell phone cameras. Thanks to engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, their pursuit of making sensors smaller and more compact for satellites directly traces to the small cameras in your phone. What makes me optimistic about the future is that there are so many great minds out there (including yours, dear readers) thinking about big problems, and along the way, their work makes us more connected, improves our ability to detect changes in our health and overall makes the world a much better place.