Korea from the age of 4, until she moved back to Hawai‘i at age 12. She graduated from McKinley HS in 2012, and is now attending University of Hawaii Manoa, double-majoring in Computer Science and Korean. Afterward, Jessica wishes to continue her education at Carnegie Mellon University, to pursue an MS in Software Engineering. Her ultimate career goal is to design a programming platform that makes programming less intimidating to new learners.

In her free time, Jessica likes to collect and watch movies; her favorite directors are Stanley Kubrick and Christopher Nolan.

Institution when accepted: University of Hawaii Manoa.

Akamai Project:  Designing a Complete Personal Observatory System for Commercialization

Project Site: Oceanit

Mentor: Michael Bush

Collaborators: Rita Cognion, Brooke Gibson, Tiare Martin, Allister Knox

Project Abstract:

As space observation technology evolves, the cost of telescopes and other various space-exploring equipment has dropped. Thus, the age of personal observatories started. However, building a personal observatory without being an expert in astronomy could be very difficult. Many people encounter technical problems, such as compatibility issues, as they were putting together different parts of the observatory. To address this problem, the project of designing a ready-to-use backyard observatory began. With a budget of $7000, requirements and test plans were established. Trade studies for different observatory components were done. The project will continue with a purchase order. After the materials have been received, implementation and testing will begin. The result of this initial effort will be an automated observatory with a simplified setup, but without weather protection. The company will make further enhancements to the system such as “easy button” setup and automated image processing. The company has a long term goal of selling the backyard observatory as a commercial product.