Underwood with the Gulf Stream IV, used for high-altitude
surveys to help determine the track of hurricanes.
to understand the world around us and improve our processes
in doing so. It is important work that affects all of us.”
West Virginia Made
Underwood credits his WVU education as one of the best
decisions he’s made for his career.
“Aerospace engineering courses taught by some excellent fac-
ulty aside, the biggest and best parts of my time at WVU were
student projects and helping with outreach and recruitment,” he
says. “Being on the Microgravity Research
Team gave me great experience as part of
a small team with a big engineering proj-
ect and also let me work with NASA and
check out Johnson Space Center. We have
a small team with a big job at AOC as well,
so I have been able to put those skills and
experiences to good use.”
As a student ambassador for WVU’s
Statler College of Engineering and Min-
eral Resources, he regularly talked with
hundreds of prospective students and their
families about science and engineering. This
experience prepared him for NOAA’s Hur-
ricane Awareness Tour, where he travels to different cities to
visit schools and teach communities about hurricanes. He also
gives tours of NOAA’s hangar throughout the year.
“I love my job at NOAA, but I’d probably like to shift to
NASA at some point, and becoming an astronaut would be
a great way do that,” he says. “On the other hand, I love
West Virginia, and I want to do everything I can to help
the home that gave me so much. Whether that be through
teaching kids, getting into politics or any other way I could
think of, I want to do it.”
Advice from NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, whom Un-
derwood met while working as a flight test engineer for the
Naval Air Systems Command, keeps
Underwood focused on the future.
“He said, ‘If you want to get to
space, don’t be sitting behind a desk.’
I took that advice to heart,” says Un-
derwood. “I still have a desk in an of-
fice, but sometimes my desk is in the
eye of a hurricane, and I like to think
that counts.”
No matter where his travels take
him—whether it’s the Arctic Circle or
the eye of a hurricane—Underwood’s
upbringing in West Virginia keeps him
grounded.
“I’m a kid from a small town in West Virginia who, through
a little bit of luck and a lot of work, has landed a dream job
that I didn’t even know existed when I graduated from WVU
three years ago,” he says. “My hope is that through sharing
my experiences, I can pay it forward and inspire others to
pursue their dreams and passions. If flying into hurricanes gets
that job done, then I’m happy to keep doing it.”
“We use science
and engineering to
understand the world
around us and improve
our processes in doing
so. It is important work
that affects all of us.”
Reaching for the Stars
Despite his mission-driven, adventure-fueled posi