On April 5, Keilly O’Reilly, a master’s degree student at the Bush School of Government & Public Service, presented her research at the Texas Lyceum’s annual Public Conference (PubCon), “Mission Control: Texas’ Leadership in Space, Technology, and Innovation” at the Space Center Houston. O’Reilly explored whether students in Texas are acquiring the necessary skills to compete in Texas’ growing space industry. Her work was supported by a research fellowship from the Texas Lyceum and supervised by Dr. Lori Taylor, head of the Public Service and Administration Department at the Bush School.
O’Reilly stated that Texas hosts one of the largest space industries in the nation and that space companies continue to expand into rural areas. She found, however, that little research has been conducted on whether students are qualified for the jobs located within their own communities. In a thorough scrutiny of job openings at lead Texas space organizations, she discovered that 53% of job listings required or preferred engineering degrees. O’Reilly then evaluated whether Texas high schools are offering the courses necessary for admission to Texas colleges and universities to pursue engineering degrees.
Molly Quirk, President of the Texas Lyceum, stated, “The research conducted by our Texas Lyceum Fellows provides significant research-driven recommendations for consideration in developing solutions to improve our communities and become a stronger Texas. We appreciate the work of Keilly and the Texas A&M Bush School to contribute to the critical discussion on how we can realize the vast potential of the space industry to drive growth, innovation and flourishing for all Texans.”
More information about O’Reilly’s findings can be found in the latest issue of The Takeaway, “The Accessibility of Space: Making the Space Industry Accessible to Texas High School Students.” The Takeaway is a publication of the Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics, and Public Policy at the Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M University. The Texas Lyceum is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, statewide leadership organization focused on identifying the next generation of top Texas leaders.
