Draft:Jacqueline Quinn: NASA

Jacqueline Quinn

Jacqueline Quinn was born on July 19, 1967, in Athens, GA. She grew up around university life and academia since both of her parents received fellowships at the University of Georgia to work as science teachers. Quinn studied and received her bachelor of science from Georgia Tech and upon completion began work on her doctorate from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Quinn says that her passion for math and sciences comes from her parents and a sense of belonging she always felt in the lab. Quinn now hold twelve patents and has systems that are licensed around the globe.

Career and Innovation

After her schooling, Quinn started work as an environmental controls life support system engineer on the shuttle program. Quinn was responsible for systems such as air revitalization, and water and coolant systems. However, Quinn's most recognizable accomplishment is a new system for combating chlorinated solvent contaminants found in space exploration. Her system, called EZVI, created a new emulsion (a fine dispersion of minute droplets of one liquid in another in which it is not soluble or miscible) that was injected into contaminated areas where it acts as a sponge, breaking down contaminated into harmless byproducts. PCBs which are now known to be dangerous to humans, were used in painting around Kennedy Space Center and many other buildings around the United States. PCBs also settle near freshwater sources such as rivers and lakes where they contaminate drinking water sources. Quinn's solution was not only applicable to the space exploration industry but also to thousands of places around the globe. Quinn's inspiration for this project came from using straws and cups from the NASA staff kitchen which turned into the robust solution it is today. Quinn's solution is less damaging to the environment and more cost effective to traditional disposal of PCBs and remains a relevant tool in the world today.

Quinn has also led teams at NASA for the cleanup of the Apollo mission ground waste and most recently has worked on developing a system for analyzing lunar soil for attributes such as water and other volatiles. This technology was planned to be on the southern pole of the moon in late 2024.

Quinn has worked at NASA for over thirty five years and has dedicated her life to space exploration at The Kennedy Space Center. Quinn credits her innovative spirit to her family and their encouragement to ask "i wonder" questions.

Achievements

Jacqueline Quinn has been inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame as well as the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame for her work with PCB cleanup. She also owns the rights to twelve patents in her name. Quinn and her team were also awarded the NASA Invention of the Year Award in 2005 along with the NASA Commercial Invention of the Year.

Personal Life

Outside of her work, Jacqueline Quinn enjoys scuba diving and spending time with her family. Her favorite drinks include hot coffee and iced tea.

Sources:

Editors of NASA. (2023, May 23). Jacqueline Quinn - NASA Science. Nasa.gov. https://science.nasa.gov/people/jacqueline-quinn/

Editors of NASA. (2024). Meet the Inventor: Jackie Quinn | T2 Portal. Nasa.gov. https://technology.nasa.gov/blog-MEET-THE-INVENTOR-Jackie-Quinn

Loft, K. (2024). Florida Icon: Jacqueline Quinn. Florida Trend. https://www.floridatrend.com/article/39382/florida-icon-jacqueline-quinn

National Inventors Hall of Fame. (2024, November 22). Jacqueline Quinn │ The National Inventors Hall of Fame. Invent.org. https://www.invent.org/inductees/jacqueline-quinn

Quinn, J. (2024). LinkedIn. Linkedin.com. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqueline-w-ksc-quinn-7b802310/