KATIE MELLOS KATIE MELLOS

Katie’s time as a collegiate Sister was pivotal in shaping her to be confident in her professional life. “Those women pulled my passions out of me and nurtured them. They really pushed me to go after them and to be my best self,” she said. Her Big and Little Sisters are still integral players in her life, and she feels fortunate to have made even more connections with alumnae Sisters as the President of the Baltimore Alumnae Chapter. Her Sisterhood is her source of inspiration and motivation to do better.

Photographing Rockets With Katie Mellos

By: Kathryn McCoy (Gamma Rho 2020/Seton Hall)

Katie Mellos (Beta Mu 2015/Salisbury) has found her happy place between art and science. She works at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center as a technical photographer, a job she says is often misunderstood but vital to NASA’s success.

When she was 13, her aunt – also a photographer –bought Katie her first camera and showed her how to frame the perfect shot along the Maryland coast. She fell in love with the art and attended Salisbury University for photography and marketing management. Katie has always had an interest in space since her mother also worked at Goddard, saying “When the listing came up for a photographer, I was so excited to start working there.”

So, what exactly does Katie do? Being a technical photographer makes you a historian for NASA projects. “I say that I follow a project ‘from the cradle to the grave’,” Katie said. “I document every rivet and panel that goes onto the spacecraft for future use.” The role is unique to the Goddard Center and is intended to save company resources. Rather than dismantling a project to rediscover

Looking to the future, Katie is determined to stay at the Goddard Center in what she called her dream job. She hopes to eventually lead the technical photography team. This summer, Katie is looking forward to a trip to Greece, one she makes every so often to connect with distant family. For younger Sisters, Katie encouraged them to, “Seek others’ advice. Be communicative and be willing to learn and grow. The path you envisioned taking is not the one you may end up on.”