Ansley Collins Browns ’01 was recently promoted to be the manager of the International Space Station Payloads and Commercial Facilities Branch at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. She’s leading a group of engineers who will ensure that the research equipment on the International Space Station is working properly so that astronauts can execute the experiments that scientists send into space. Browns, who received BSC’s Outstanding Young Alumni Award in 2014, says she’s well-prepared for her new role in part because of the versatile education she received at BSC.

Browns has served in various roles at NASA for more than 21 years, including IT and Mission Control. She says she’s well-prepared for her new leadership position not only because of her well-rounded work experience but because of the versatile education she received at BSC, too. 

“One thing that about my experience at Birmingham-Southern was it really stretched me,” Browns says. “I have been interested in math and science since I was a kid and I’ve wanted to work at NASA since I was in second grade. But I had a lot of other interests growing up. I was really involved in musical theater when I was a kid and in choir, and I had other academic interests.  

“So when I was looking for a college, I wanted to go somewhere where I could continue to develop and explore those interests.” 

BSC was that place. A Tallahassee native, Browns majored in math with a minor in physics but also enjoyed her history and psychology classes. She took Dr. Mark Lester’s class on civil rights and justice and Dr. Matt Levey’s class on World War II. She participated in concert choir, and combined her love for art and science in a class about math and music.  

“My experience of taking in-depth classes outside of my major really challenged me, broadened my horizons, helped me to think bigger, and really helped me to develop critical thinking skills that probably, at the time, I didn’t realize would be so important,” she says. “But I really think they are, whether you’re working at NASA or anywhere else.” 

Most importantly, she says, she learned how to get comfortable asking questions.  

“And I think that’s been really important in my career,” she says. “Many times, I’ve gotten opportunities because I showed interest in something, or I asked someone a question about how to do something or what ideas they had and that would lead to a discussion that would perhaps open up opportunities.” 

It was her curiosity and the support of a BSC professor that led to her getting hired at NASA soon after graduating.  

Browns was in the Harrison Honors Program at BSC and did a research project on the history of the astronaut program. With the help of physics professor Dr. Duane Pontius ‘81, Browns was able to arrange a fall break trip to the Johnson Space Center to interview several people for her project. After she inquired about job opportunities, one person she interviewed encouraged her to contact human resources. She found out that the center wasn’t hiring at the time, but she sent in her resume, nonetheless.  

“I got a postcard back that said thank you for your interest in our nation’s space program, which I still have,” she says. “I was just thrilled to have a postcard that had the NASA logo on it.” 

But a few months later she got something much better – a job offer. 

After graduating in May 2001, she started her job in July as a computer engineer in the IT department at the Johnson Space Center. The job was different from what she’d studied in college, yet she still felt ready.  

“I feel like the experiences that I had at Birmingham-Southern really helped me be able to think differently and think outside the box and succeed,” she said.  

Browns has held a variety of positions including working in the International Space Station’s Mission Control Room. She’s worked as a support engineer in the astronaut office with astronauts that were flying to the space station. Later she worked as an engineer in the International Space Station Payloads and Commercial Facilities Branch and now she’s managing the group.  

Being in a leadership role isn’t new for Ansley. She served as vice president of finance for Alpha Chi Omega and as president of BSC’s physics society.  

Browns says that the encouragement and mentorship she received from her professors at BSC gave her the confidence to take tough classes and the fortitude to try hard things outside of the classroom too.  

She hopes that now the work she does with the International Space Station will do the same thing for the world. 

“I love being a part of a truly peaceful endeavor, supporting the largest engineering effort in space, and working with people around the world! We show every day that when we put our best efforts in and work together, we can accomplish anything,” she says. “I truly believe that the International Space Station is making the world a better place every day.”