NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

NZ scientist still reaching for the stars

NZ Herald
8 Sep, 2013 05:30 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Karen Willcox is a passionate and dedicated teacher.

Karen Willcox is a passionate and dedicated teacher.

The talented professor and athlete hasn't given up on her dream of becoming an astronaut.

Tell us about someone who has been a mentor to you?

My very first mentors were Mr Denny and Mr Dreaver, two amazing teachers at Lincoln Heights Primary School in Massey who set me on a great path a long time ago. I've been lucky to have many amazing mentors who guided me on where my strengths lay and helped me to understand what career opportunities were possible.

What does a typical work day look like?

Teaching, both undergraduate and graduate classes, and working with my research group at MIT, which may involve one-on-one meetings with PhD students or group research discussions for some of our bigger projects. I travel widely and frequently around the world to attend conferences, to meet with sponsors such as the Department of Energy and Boeing, and to work with collaborators on various projects.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

What has been a highlight of your career or leadership journey?

Watching my students graduate. Artists create art and teachers create and shape people. There's no greater pleasure than watching my students graduate with the tools and knowledge to be able to make a great contribution to the world.

And a low moment?

Just missing out on making the final eight to become a Nasa astronaut candidate. It was a double-edged sword, because I would have had to give up teaching my students at MIT, which I absolutely love, but at the same time I know that I'm running out of time, age-wise, to make this dream happen and since I was a child it has been my dream to be an astronaut. I may apply one last time but we'll see what happens.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

How would your students describe you?

Busy, tough but fair and with high expectations both of them and of myself.

As a leader, what's the secret to getting people to support and share your vision?

I like to lead by consensus. Rather than being dictatorial, I prefer to engage team members in discussions where everyone can share their opinions and air their views.

Discover more

New Zealand

Work harder and you'll get luckier: Edgar

18 Aug 05:30 PM
Employment

'Shadow' students shown the light

20 Aug 05:30 PM
New Zealand

Equality for NZ just what the doctor ordered

01 Sep 05:30 PM
Opinion

Kathy Marks: The virtues of keeping it steadfast and simple

08 Sep 05:30 PM

Who is the most exciting or famous person you've ever met?

Perhaps not the most exciting person but the most famous person would be Buzz Aldrin, with whom I had lunch a couple of months ago.

Who is the best manager you've ever worked with and what made them great?

I've been blessed to work with so many great managers but one that stands out is Boeing's Bob Liebeck, one of the world's most incredible airplane designers. He taught me that life is so much more than just equations. He is a lot of fun and just a great guy to have a beer with.

Who is a Blake Leader that you think has the 'Blake Factor'?

I visited Wakatipu High School during Leadership Week and saw the great things Blake Leader Steve Hall is doing with the school. He has worked so hard at leadership through engagement with the school community. I could really see the effects through the pride in the students and in their interactions with Steve.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

What is the best part about being a Blake Leader?

The ability to stay connected to New Zealand and the sense of the community. I love being able to come back to New Zealand and participate in activities such as Leadership Week and the Dream Team, as part of the trust network.

If you could give your 15-year-old self some advice, what would it be?

To spend more time in my Dad's garage. I grew up in a very traditional family, where gender roles were defined as they were at the time, and I wish I had been able to learn more from my father with regard to all things engineering-related.

When you look back on your life, for what are you grateful?

I'm grateful for my teachers, from primary right through to university. For their guidance and the extra time they took in helping me to succeed.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Professor Karen Willcox

Karen Willcox is Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics in the Aerospace Computational Design Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is also co-director of the MIT Centre for Computational Engineering and Associate Head of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. As a child Karen dreamed of being an astronaut and completed a Bachelor of Engineering at the University of Auckland, followed by masters and PhD degrees at MIT. Before joining the faculty at MIT she worked at Boeing Phantom Works with the Blended-Wing-Body group. Passionate about engineering and her chosen career, Karen has visited many schools around New Zealand with the aim of inspiring and nurturing an interest in mathematics and science in young women. She has represented New England and MIT in rugby and is a successful marathon, ultra-marathon and trail runner. In 2010, Karen received a Sir Peter Blake Leadership Award for her leadership and commitment to becoming New Zealand's first astronaut, as well as the significant impact she has made on a global scale through her research and teaching.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New ZealandUpdated

‘It was like an inferno’: Third fire in a year destroys Napier home

11 May 11:04 PM
New Zealand

Mount Maunganui secures Battle of the Bridge

11 May 10:53 PM
New Zealand

Waikato couple win big at Dairy Industry Awards

11 May 10:46 PM

One tiny baby’s fight to survive

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

‘It was like an inferno’: Third fire in a year destroys Napier home

‘It was like an inferno’: Third fire in a year destroys Napier home

11 May 11:04 PM

A neighbouring home was also blackened by the roaring blaze.

Mount Maunganui secures Battle of the Bridge

Mount Maunganui secures Battle of the Bridge

11 May 10:53 PM
Waikato couple win big at Dairy Industry Awards

Waikato couple win big at Dairy Industry Awards

11 May 10:46 PM
Man critically injured in e-scooter crash in Hastings

Man critically injured in e-scooter crash in Hastings

11 May 10:32 PM
Connected workers are safer workers 
sponsored

Connected workers are safer workers 

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP