Sandra Cauffman

Sandra Cauffman (born May 10 1962) is a Costa Rican specialist in Electrical Engineer and Physics. She is very well known because of her work at NASA in different projects. Her profile has been highlighted by UN Women, for being a positive example for women, especially, youth and children.

Biography
Cauffman, daughter of María Jerónimo Rojas, was born in Costa Rica in an uniparental home of very scarce resources in Hatillo (a poor neighborhood of San José). The economic situation of her family forced her to work from an early age.

Her mother was committed to educate her and, thus, offered her opportunities to study. After graduating with good grades, she decided to enter the University of Costa Rica. At the moment she wanted to register, because male chauvinism was central in the Costa Rican culture at that time, the adviser told her that she could not study Electrical Engineering for being woman; instead she/he told her that "the engineering of women is the Industrial Engineering", as she quotes at a Costa Rican newspaper. Thus, Cauffman started Industrial Engineering and dedicated 7 semesters to this major, but knowing it was not her passion.

Sandra's mother had married a US citizen when Sandra was 14 years old, and he had turned into her adoptive father. When she was 21 years old, her family moved to United States by economic reasons, personal and educational opportunities. There she finally entered the career that she really wished to study. During all her major, Cauffman studies and works to pay her studies.

Work at NASA
Sandra Cauffman has worked in distinct missions for NASA. Previously she was the deputy director of the project Mission of Atmospheric and Volatile Evolution of Mars. With this position, she became widely recognised in her native country, Costa Rica. Afterwards, she worked as deputy director of the Program of System of Satellites Geostationary GOES-R. Now she is the deputy director of the Division of Terrestrial Sciences of the National Administration of the Aeronautical and of the Space (NASA).