For West Virginia Engineer, Home Is Where the Heart Is… and NASA, Too
Growing up in Grafton, West Virginia, engrossed in Star Wars and all things science fiction, Fletcher Newell had an early interest in space exploration. That interest only grew when, in 2013, his fourth-grade class took a field trip to a nearby NASA facility he had not yet heard of – NASA’s Katherine Johnson Independent Verification […]
On August 10, 2026, NASA's Katherine Johnson Independent Verification and Validation Facility (IV&V) in Fairmont, West Virginia, welcomed 51 new employees into its workforce. Among them was Fletcher Newell, a civil servant who grew up in nearby Grafton, West Virginia, and harbored an early fascination for space exploration. Newell, who initially studied computer science at Stanford University, returned to West Virginia for three consecutive summers as a high school intern at IV&V before earning a master's degree there and beginning his full-time position as a systems engineer.
Throughout his career, Newell has focused on mission safety and security, with his current work centered on the agency's lunar missions. His contributions have been recognized with the IV&V Engineer of the Year award in 2025. IV&V Director Wes Deadrick praised Newell's talent, curiosity, and dedication, emphasizing that his decision to return to his hometown for his career demonstrates a strong commitment to NASA's mission.
Written by urgent.news from NASA's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
