As a kid, Emily Zimmerman was captivated by Robots, the animated film about ambitious, socially minded machines. “I always liked robots,” she said. “Like the characters, I wanted to help the world.” The double-major honors student is on track to do just that, with a NASA internship propelling her dream to one day launch a space robotics company.
A native of Boulder, Colorado, Zimmerman moved to Rogersville, Missouri, in middle school. A strong academic record earned her the Missouri A+ scholarship, and she chose Ozarks Tech for its value and fit. “I really like how personal it is here,” she said. “You can get the support you need to pursue really challenging degrees or ambitious goals.”
Zimmerman credits the mathematics department, especially instructor Chelsea Cozort, for helping her see a future in engineering.
“Throughout my years of teaching, I’ve encountered few students as driven, insightful, and visionary as Emily,” said Cozort. “Her unique combination of leadership and determination perfectly illustrates how curiosity can grow into achievement and aspiration into action. It has been a fun and exciting journey supporting Emily during her time at Ozarks Tech.”
Zimmerman earned an Associate of Science in Information Technology before completing a second associate degree in mechanical engineering in fall 2025. Next up: completing a four-year degree at Missouri S&T. Long term, she envisions a career in the aerospace industry, from forming a company to offer low-Earth-orbit services like satellite maintenance and debris mitigation to a possible return to NASA.
Her path to the space agency started with a hallway flyer. Curious, Zimmerman scanned a QR code that led to the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars program, which opened the door to an internship opportunity offered to only three students. “I got to NASA by accident—that’s how I like to put it,” she said.
Zimmerman spent summer 2025 immersed at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. Her main assignment centered on Astrobee, a trio of free-flying cube-shaped robots—Bumble, Honey and Queen—on the International Space Station (ISS).
She encourages other students to aim high, even if they do not plan to become astronauts or engineers. “There are so many different ways to get into NASA,” she said. “You don’t have to be a Ph.D. student. You can just be passionate about something.”
At Ozarks Tech, Zimmerman was a member of the honor society Phi Theta Kappa and served as a student leader for the SEDS Space Techs chapter. Guided by Cozort, the Space Techs tackle hands-on projects, like building a detailed ISS model using on-campus 3D printers.
The group also competed nationally, winning the “Space Development for Earth Challenge” in conjunction with the SEDS USA SpaceVision 2025 Conference. The winning entry was a theoretical contract bid to design a sunshade to block a portion of incoming solar radiation. Ozarks Tech placed ahead of teams from top research institutions including Boston College and Georgia State.
“At Ozarks Tech, I found great people and opportunities,” said Zimmerman. “I’d make the same choice to come here again.”