MARISA MILLER
Matthew Isakowitz Fellow, Class of 2024
University of Southern California, Master of Science in Astronautical Engineering
University of Portland, Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Host Company: Millennium Space Systems
Marisa Miller is a graduate student at the University of Southern California studying for her Master of Science in Astronautical Engineering. She is a recent U.S. military veteran who has always had a profound passion for space systems. Marisa studied Mechanical Engineering in undergrad at the University of Portland for her Bachelor of Science. She started her work experience with an internship at Micro Systems Engineering, Inc., a biomedical engineering company in Lake Oswego, Oregon as a Budget and Program Management Intern. Upon entering Active Duty as a United States Air Force officer back in 2017, Marisa was stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico where she was assigned to the Air Force Research Laboratory. At AFRL, Lieutenant Miller was tasked with being the Mission Manager for a research and development CubeSat mission investigating the viability of flying Commercial Off the Shelf parts in GEO orbits. It was during this first assignment working under the Small Satellite Portfolio where Marisa discovered her affinity for fostering positive working relationships across teams on STEM programs, as well as her interest in the specific space focus of small satellite technologies. In 2020, Marisa was stationed at Los Angeles Air Force Base as a Captain and assigned the role of Program Manager of a high-visibility program under Space Systems Command. She separated from the military after nearly seven years of military service in 2023, and transitioned to being a full-time graduate student at USC to further enhance her educational background in space. She is passionate and highly motivated to continue offering up her talents to the aerospace industry for the betterment of our world. Marisa's hobbies outside of her career include snowboarding, drawing/painting, and Nintendo video games.