Alumna and NASA Planetary Protection Lead Moogega Cooper To Address Class of 2026

Dear Members of the Drexel Community,

As we prepare to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our graduates, I am proud to announce that Drexel 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 our University-wide commencement ceremony on June 11.

As a supervisor at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Dr. Cooper leads a team dedicated to protecting solar system bodies from Earth-sourced contaminants. In many ways, she has gone from Dragon to real-life “Guardian of the Galaxy,” safeguarding distant worlds while advancing humanity’s understanding of life beyond Earth. Her work ensures that Mars remains pristine for scientific discovery, even as we take critical steps toward future human exploration.

Dr. Cooper’s path to this role is as inspiring as it is extraordinary. She graduated from high school at just 16 years old before earning a Bachelor of Science in physics from Hampton University. She later pursued graduate studies in mechanical engineering at Drexel, where she focused her research on plasma-based sterilization techniques for spacecraft materials. 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.

Today, as a planetary protection engineer, Dr. Cooper plays a vital role in ensuring that space missions do not compromise our ability to detect life beyond Earth. She has led planetary protection efforts for groundbreaking missions such as Mars 2020, which included both the Perseverance rover and the Ingenuity helicopter — milestones that reflect her passion for innovation and exploration.

Beyond her scientific achievements, Dr. Cooper is deeply committed to inspiring the next generation. She regularly engages audiences of all ages to share the wonder of science and has appeared on programs including “Because Space,” “How the Universe Works” and “Bill Nye Saves the World.” Her contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including the NASA Early Career Public Achievement Medal, multiple JPL Voyager Awards for Technical Leadership, and recognition in The Root 100 list of Most Influential African Americans.

We are honored to welcome Dr. Cooper back to Drexel to celebrate the Class of 2026. 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.

Sincerely,

Antonio Merlo, PhD
President