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Jenna Sayler (Submitted)

The first graduate of South Dakota School of Mines’ new minor degree program in ceramic engineering has found a coveted spot at NASA. Jenna Sayler, who graduated last year, has joined NASA’s nonmetallic materials and space environmental effect group at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. According to the School of Mines, that team had not hired a new college graduate in three decades.

Sayler graduated in May with a metallurgical engineering degree and said she “fit into the puzzle” of what the space agency wanted.

“They are just really getting into ceramics heavily right now, and because their knowledgeable ceramicist of 20 years recently retired, I was able to step into that role using my recent experience from my ceramics minor,” she said.

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