From a young age, Hira Nadeem watched clips from NASA’s headquarters and thought, that’s what I want to do.
With this aspiration guiding her, she participated in various space-related clubs in McMaster Engineering and became Canada’s first Brooke Owen’s Fellow – a non-profit program in the United States that provides paid internships and executive mentorship for undergraduate women seeking a career in aviation or space exploration. This fellowship opened doors to a career as a Space Systems Engineer at Planet Labs, where she first started as a summer intern.
After obtaining her M.E.Sc. degree in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Western University’s Institute for Earth and Space Exploration, she landed back at Planet. Now she’s extending her passion for aerospace to inspire others by co-founding the Zenith Fellowship program.
During a recent trip to Silicon Valley, a team from Mac Eng had the opportunity to explore Planet Labs’ headquarters with Nadeem as their guide. She enthusiastically showcased the satellites she has worked on, highlighting the artwork she contributed. Her passion for aerospace was evident throughout the tour. One of the walls prominently displayed the phrase, “using space to help life on Earth,” perfectly encapsulating Nadeem’s motivation for pursuing this career.
Learn more about Hira Nadeem and advice she has for students in her own words:
How did Mac Eng help prepare you for your future?
At McMaster, I participated in some really awesome classes that ended up helping me on my current trajectory in the aerospace industry. A lot of the work that I did in my project groups like McMaster NEUDOSE or in the McMaster Planetary Society allowed me to meet with others in the space industry and really helped me on my path to where I am now.
What advice do you have for students who are interested in aerospace?
If you’re interested in working in the aerospace industry or space industry in general, I’d really encourage you to volunteer with organizations like Youth Science Canada and the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS), to connect with other students in the space sector. I’d also really encourage you to get involved in some of the student teams at McMaster, like McMaster NEUDOSE, as well as the Mars Rover or Rocketry teams, to really get your hands dirty and start to apply your skills in the space sector.
What impact do you hope to have with the Zenith Canada Pathways Foundation?
My goal is to encourage more students and recent graduates from Canadian universities and abroad to work in the Canadian space sector. There’s a lot of really innovative companies and projects that are happening at the Canadian Space Agency and different universities across the country that are thriving in innovation in space, and I really want more people to participate in that. Ultimately, I want to ensure that we are making a more inclusive space sector in Canada.
What’s a key takeaway from your time in extracurriculars at Mac?
I gained a lot of confidence in my own skills and my ability to manage projects. I had a lot of really inspiring mentors at Mac as well as outside of Mac who encouraged me, and a lot of my peers were really trusting in my skills and I learned a lot from all of them. I think about those times as really fond memories.
What impact did co-op have on your academic journey?
Before working in the space sector, I did my first co-op through McMaster Engineering at Hydro One. This opportunity really enabled me to learn skills that I was able to transfer to the space sector. This experience helped me land my second co-op at Sinclair Interplanetary (Rocket Lab), and allowed me to hit the ground running and make an impact at my first space job! I think the opportunity to have the 12- and 16-month internships were amazing to get that real life work experience and the support that I got from the co-op office was really great.
What’s one moment that made you #MacEngProud?
When I was in Mac Engineering, I founded the McMaster Planetary Society. And now many years later, they continue to have success with events like the McMaster Space Industry Night. To have these events continuing to this day, many, many years later, after my graduation, makes me really Mac Eng proud.
Want to share your blueprint for success? Contact the Alumni Team at engalum@mcmaster.ca.