NASA engineer is Pomfret School Visiting Fellow
POMFRET — NASA Engineer Kobie Boykins is the Pomfret School 2026 Schwartz Visiting Fellow. As part of this year’s program, Boykins will deliver a public lecture on at 7 p.m. Jan. 30 in Hard Auditorium, followed by a reception. This special event is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. Visit pomfret.org/schwartz to register.
After earning a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Boykins joined NASA, contributing to the Pathfinder mission that took the first rover, Sojourner, to Mars. Following the success of Pathfinder, he designed the solar arrays that powered the Spirit and Opportunity exploration rovers and led the mobility and remote sensing teams for Curiosity. He served as chief engineer on NASA’s Europa Clipper mission to investigate the ocean and habitability of Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa. Currently, Boykins is working on the Near-Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor mission.
Outside the lab, Boykins is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of explorers. A National Geographic speaker, he engages students and communities on curiosity, innovation, and problem-solving. He received the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal in 2013, one of the agency’s highest honors.
Since 1989, the Schwartz Visiting Fellow Program has brought world-renowned experts to Pomfret School. Made possible by Michael Schwartz ’66 and Eric Schwartz ’69, past fellows have included animal science professor Temple Grandin, celebrity chef Ming Tsai, groundbreaking choreographer Bill T. Jones, author Bill Bryson, and historian David McCullough.
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Kobie Boykins, photo by Michael Callopy