Endnotes: What Does Perseverance Mean to You?
This issue’s cover story deals with perseverance in science, so we asked alumni: What has perseverance looked like in your field or career?
Deborah Chung (BS ’73, MS ’73) BUFFALO, NY
It took 52 years between my 1973 graduation from Caltech and my 2025 Caltech Distinguished Alumni Award. Research perseverance was of prime importance during this long journey. My research went from graphite to concrete, and from electronic materials to structural materials. This diversification took guts and effort, but it enabled me to pioneer the field of multifunctional structural materials. Thanks to my Caltech education for enabling me to learn new things throughout my career.
Tyler Housel (MS ’86) LANSDALE, PA
If I saw Perseverance in my field, it would mean I’m on Mars.
Demetrios Missios (BS ’88) LONG BEACH, CA
In aerospace, sometimes perseverance is the willingness to rework the solution for a problem many, many times. Often, problems involve having to satisfy multiple requirements or constraints, such as speed, throughput, timing/synchronization, stability, and environmental factors. And although the initial solution might seem like the most elegant functionally, it may fall short in one or more of the other areas. So, you may have to abandon your first, second, or even 10th “baby” before striking the right balance, which may also involve having to set your ego aside as well. Generally, however, I think that perseverance, ultimately resulting in success, is one of the best forms of gratification in any field.
Bob Fisher (BS ’74) EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND
Trying (and mostly succeeding) to investigate the questions and do the things that interest and excite me rather than chase the latest fashions or more money.
Marcus Chown (MS ’84) LONDON, ENGLAND
I am an author and have published about 20 books, mostly popular science. I cannot tell you how many times my book proposals have been rejected by publishers! Generally, I give myself 24 hours to feel down and depressed. Then I pick myself up, dust myself down, and get my agent to send it out again. Obviously, you need to be self-critical and take on board positive and legitimate criticism. However, to succeed as a writer, you will need an ability to deal with rejection. Arguably, this will need to be one of your most important traits after talent and a lot of luck.
Katie Stack Morgan (PhD ’15) VALENCIA, CA
Literally, a six-wheeled, 1 ton Mars rover! Figuratively, a team of talented scientists and engineers working together over a decade to design, build, and operate the most sophisticated rover ever sent to Mars. This team launched and landed a rover on Mars during a global pandemic and has now worked daily for over four years collecting and documenting rock samples that will transform our understanding of Mars and the solar system.
Norris Krueger (EX ’74) BOISE, ID
I ended up doing my PhD in social sciences, one of the very first doctorates in entrepreneurship. A new field has to fight to gain traction, especially in intellectual credibility. While I didn’t finish at Tech, it gave me some powerful tools to help me persevere. It taught me so much about how to do science right, and it taught me how to be a scientist. Both are central to the success I’ve had despite spending very little time in traditional academic jobs. But Tech also taught me collegiality—there need not be a downside to helping even a rival.