Dr. Samuel García Jr. serves as an Educator Professional Development Specialist at Kennedy Space Center. Prior to his position at Kennedy Space Center, Dr. García worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA. As an education specialist, Dr. García works to help develop STEM educational mindsets, tools, and resources for teachers to implement in their classrooms that respond to diverse student needs and increase diversity in STEM fields. Prior to working as an education specialist, Dr. García served as secondary school educator in Rio Grande Valley in Texas for seven years. Dr. García earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Texas Río Grande Valley, formerly University of Texas Pan American and holds a doctorate degree in School Improvement from Texas State University. Dr. Garcia enjoys sky watching with his daughter and is passionate about nurturing young people's curiosity and works to help inspire young people to explore and engage with the world around them.