Position
Jarrod Bales is an Education and Outreach specialist in the Launch Services Program (LSP) at NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Bales helps develop and prepare NASA’s future workforce. He engages and inspires the public, students, and educators with LSP missions, and broadens student participation in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields using presentations, hands-on activities, networking, and mentorship opportunities.
Experience
In this role, Bales has the opportunity to support each LSP mission in an outreach capacity. Missions he is currently working with are Psyche; PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem), GOES-U (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-U), and Europa Clipper.
Prior to joining NASA in May 2020, Bales was a high school teacher and football coach at Astronaut High School in Titusville, Florida. He taught economics, world history, and algebra.
Education
Bales earned a Bachelor of Science in Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, and a minor in business administration, both in 2010, from the University of Florida in Gainesville.
Awards
He received an LSP Employee of the Month recognition in July 2021.
Personal
His hobbies and interests include spending time with family, especially his nieces and nephew. He is a speaker at leadership conferences and church events and serves on the board of directors for a non-profit organization, called Eagle Rock, located in Tennessee. Bales is an avid Florida Gators fan and enjoys Gators football games. He also enjoys exercise and travel
