University of Idaho alumna Sophie Milam makes Forbes’ “30 Under 30 in Science” list
Graduation is a time for celebration, especially for the Texas native who not only received her Master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Idaho last month but also made Forbes magazine’s 2015 “30 Under 30 in Science” list.
“Honestly, at first I thought it was a scam,” said Sophie Milam, a participant in the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS). “I received an email from this woman asking about the research I was doing, and I made my brother check her out and call her office to make sure she was a real person.”
Milam said she didn’t expect recognition for her research from publications, let alone from Forbes. Yet, she said her family and friends were thrilled to hear the news.
“We both joked about what it would mean for her to make the list, but once it was official, I was so excited I almost cried,” said Gina Fuhrer, Milam’s best friend from her undergraduate years at the University of Hawaii.
Milam was recognized on the list for both her research in robotics and her participation in a simulated Mars mission located in Hawaii.
The mission, Milam said, is a collaborative effort between NASA and the University of Hawaii’s HI-SEAS program in which a team is brought together to live within an environment contained under a dome that simulates life on Mars.
“The project is looking at what makes a good crew under conditions of isolation and confinement,” Milam said. “They survey how we get along, if any conflicts arise, and how we resolve those conflicts with each other.”
Participants of the study are required to fill out a minimum of four surveys a day. They also have a virtual psychologist with whom they can speak, Milam said. In addition to interpersonal conflict resolutions, the study examines aspects of life such as diet and community, she said.
“There’s also a lot of research about our diets and how being able to make food aids our morale,” she said. “Making food as a team and eating meals together are crucial to our crew’s sense of community.”
While the study centers on the crew as a whole, each member is also using the time to work on individual projects.
“The commander of our crew is focusing on gardening, another member is doing 3D-printing, and I’m working with robotics,” Milam said.
Life in the dome is not without its difficulties, she said, as there is little room shared between the participants. The dome is 35 feet in diameter and each participant stays in rooms that measure slightly less than 40 square feet.
“A big challenge is finding time to have a personal, private life while on the mission,” Milam said. “In the dome, you’re around people for almost every hour of every day … if I don’t put effort into managing my private time, I could very well only be alone when I’m sleeping.”
Despite the restrictive conditions, she said the Mars simulation crewmembers still share their favorite traditions from home with one another.
“Every now and then, the crew gets together and we do country swing dancing,” Milam said. “We also play board games and do some collaborative geology projects, things that require a lot of interaction.”
Milam said she makes it through the hard times with the support and encouragement of her crew and loved ones.
“I had this moment of panic when I was in a space suit one time, and I was overcome with claustrophobia,” Milam said. “The whole time I kept repeating to myself all of the things that my family and friends had told me before I left –– that this is my dream, that this is where I’m supposed to be and this is what I’m supposed to be doing.”
Although the remote and isolated nature of the HI-SEAS project makes it difficult for Milam to communicate with her family and friends, she said she has received nothing but love and support from them.
“This is something she has wanted for so long and while it’s not in the realm of what a normal mom has to face, she has wanted to be a part of something like this her entire life so it’s a happy situation for me to be in,” said Danielle Milam, Milam’s mother.
Milam said that she is grateful for the support of her loved ones, as well as for the experiences she’s gained through her involvement in the mars simulation.
“I’ve been scared, I’ve pushed myself, and I’ve found new limits I never knew were there,” Milam said. “Everyone –– my crew, friends, and family –– is so kind and thinks the world of what I’m doing and I feel so proud to be carrying those good feelings and hopes, it absolutely lifts me up.”
Corrin Bond can be reached at [email protected]