Class of '10 Aggie Receives NASA Early Career Achievement Medal

Cody Kelly was honored to receive a NASA Early Career Achievement Medal (ECAM) for the work he’s done over the past 3 years to increase Department of Defense and NASA collaboration for astronaut search and rescue at sea as a member of the Orion Crew Survival Engineering team.

Cody noted that “It truly has been one of those things where opportunity met desire and I've been able to craft a small niche for myself in this human spaceflight enterprise. Without the help and support of my family and the support of an entire team behind me making me look good and always coming through when I needed it, I never would have been able to accomplish this.

Every time I think our NASA mission is important, I remember the men and women I work with who's mission it is to defend our country and return our lost warfighters home alive and with honor no matter what the cost. It's been a continual honor to work with the DoD community and hope my career takes me someday to a recovery ship helping to recovering our nation’s astronauts.”

"This prestigious NASA medal is awarded to any Government employee for unusual and significant performance during the first 10 years of an individual's early career (i.e., entry-level professional in a scientific, engineering, administrative professional or technical position) in support of the Agency.

Performance is characterized by unusual initiative or a creative achievement that clearly demonstrates a significant contribution in the individual's discipline area that directly contributes to NASA's mission and goals. The contribution is significant, in that, for an employee who is at such an early phase of career, the contribution has substantially improved the discipline area.

The criteria also include the following:

• The achievement yields high-quality results and/or substantial improvements to the discipline.
• Impact of the employee's achievement has significant importance relative to the discipline area.
• The achievement is perceived as outstanding or significant by peers and/or impacted target groups."

(source: http://nasapeople.nasa.gov/awards/nasamedals.htm)