Kobie Boykins at Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

An engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and an inspiring advocate for space exploration, Kobie Boykins helped design the solar panels that powered the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, for long past their expected life spans. He worked on the Mars Science Laboratory that is currently en route to the Red Planet, contributing to experiments that will search for water. An engaging, energetic speaker who puts a fresh face on America's space program, Boykins will recount the Mars program's amazing successes, and offer a look at the possibilities just lying ahead.