Senior is Doing Graphics, Video Production for Space Station
10/07/2016
David Perry
By
As a kid growing up in North Andover, John Cullen plastered his bedroom walls with NASA-related pennants and posters. He was drawn to the stars, the planets, the mystery and endlessness of it all. Chris Hadfield, the Canadian astronaut known for his video rendition of David Bowie鈥檚 鈥淪pace Oddity鈥� while on the International Space Station, was his idol.
Now, the 22-year-old senior art major is interning for NASA at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, working in video production and graphic design for the International Space Station program. Cullen鈥檚 assignments include working on promotional videos, illustrations and infographics. His work is posted on YouTube, the NASA web site and at the space agency鈥檚 events.
For Cullen, it鈥檚 been the experience of a lifetime.
鈥淚鈥檓 working hands-on in the subjects I鈥檓 studying at school and working with footage that is literally out of this world,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he atmosphere of my workplace is awesome, and I could not ask for a better group of people to work with. I am incredibly humbled by this experience and hope I will end up back at NASA after graduation.鈥�
Jehanne-Marie Gavarini, chair of the Art & Design Department, is 鈥渧ery excited鈥� for Cullen.
鈥淎n art major at NASA? It is a rare thing,鈥� she says.
NASA may be known for a concentration of engineers, says Cullen, 鈥渂ut every company needs visuals.鈥�
Cullen was always interested in his uncle鈥檚 job in NASA鈥檚 astronaut office. Years later, Cullen asked him about working there.
鈥淲e talked via email and phone calls for over a year and landed on the internship I now have. I applied online and got the call this summer.鈥�
The internship began in August and runs through Dec. 9.
For Cullen, the pathway to a career in graphic arts was circuitous. He started college at UMass Amherst planning to earn a business degree, but over time, he began to question his goals. Then, one Christmas he got a GoPro camera.
鈥淚 think that鈥檚 what launched my creative career,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 was recording everything and making these little videos of my friends. I really enjoyed it. Soon I realized that I was wasting my time trying to be a business major when I could be increasing my knowledge in a field I actually enjoyed.鈥�
He transferred to UMass Lowell to concentrate on graphic design.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been two years, and I couldn鈥檛 be happier with my decision. Art changed my life.鈥�