UA Little Rock senior builds career with fourth NASA internship

August 25-31, 2025

By Angelita Faller

Jack Seabaugh, a senior majoring in electrical and computer engineering at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has chartered an impressive course toward a career with NASA.

The North Little Rock native is currently completing his fourth NASA internship across three space centers, a milestone that should position him well for a future in the aerospace industry.

“I never thought working at NASA was something realizable in my life,” Seabaugh said. “But the more I learned, the more I realized I wanted to be part of the incredible work they’re doing.”

Seabaugh’s journey began in summer 2023 when he secured his first internship at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, funded by the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium. He joined a team working on the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) to develop a prototype capable of recovering oxygen from carbon dioxide using cyanobacteria. The purpose of the project was to create more oxygen for astronauts living on the International Space Station. His role involved building the electronics and programming microcontrollers to monitor and control the system.

That hands-on experience ignited his passion for NASA’s mission and opened doors to new opportunities.

In summer 2024, Seabaugh interned at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, where he was part of the Mechatronics & Robotics branch designing the electrical system for a modular rover prototype. His work included designing power systems, data transmission processes, and algorithms to control the rover’s movements.

Those internships led Seabaugh to the NASA Pathways Program, which provides current students with paid work experience and recent graduates with a dynamic career development program at the beginning of their careers. He began his first Pathways rotation in fall 2024 at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, where he designed printed circuit boards for the Spacecraft Water Impurity Monitor (SWIM)—a project aimed at detecting harmful organic compounds in drinking water aboard the International Space Station.

Now in his second Pathways rotation, Seabaugh is working in the Johnson Space Center Audio Lab, the only lab of its kind at NASA. His work focuses on improving speech intelligibility in space, enhancing astronaut communication through better audio processing and microphone design.

“NASA puts a lot of emphasis on developing a skill set that can apply to almost anything in your field,” Seabaugh said. “Even though all my projects have been different, they’ve each helped me grow as an engineer and as a person.”

Seabaugh is on track to graduate in December and hopes to secure a full-time position at Johnson Space Center. If not, he plans to pursue a career in embedded systems, the engineering discipline he discovered through his NASA work.

His path to NASA wasn’t easy. He applied for dozens of internships before receiving his first offer.

“I sent out over 60 applications before I got a yes,” Seabaugh said. “I wouldn’t be here without the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium. It’s how I funded my first NASA internship, and the fact that it’s based at UA Little Rock is a huge advantage for students.”

Beyond the classroom, Seabaugh has helped grow a space-focused student culture at UA Little Rock. He founded the Aerospace Club in January 2023 and served as its first president, helping students pursue aerospace research and outreach opportunities.

“I’ve been fortunate to tour some amazing places during my internships—like the Neutral Buoyancy Lab at Johnson Space Center and the world’s largest clean room at Goddard,” he said. “I even watched Artemis II astronauts training underwater and saw them building the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope.”

Seabaugh encourages other students to pursue opportunities fearlessly.

“Don’t be afraid to reach out to people, even if you think they won’t respond,” he said. “Be persistent, be patient, and work on personal projects that show what you’re capable of. The opportunities are out there, and places like UA Little Rock and the Space Grant Consortium are here to help you find them.”  

Photo Caption:

Jack Seabaugh a senior electrical and computer engineering major at UA Little Rock.

Photo Credit:

(Photo provided)