Edsel Christopher Sanchez
Surrounded by FIU swag and sipping cafecito in his office at Kennedy Space Center, Edsel Christopher Sanchez ’03 is exactly where he always imagined he would be.
The Miami native realized his childhood dream of working for NASA, but the path started much closer to home. Growing up, he often drove past FIU’s Engineering Center, a constant presence that eventually shaped a big decision. When it came time to apply to college, he chose just one.
“FIU has everything I need to be successful,” he told friends. More than two decades later, that belief still holds. “I chose FIU, and it was a slam dunk for me, for my goals, for my passion.”
As an electrical engineering major, Sanchez seized a selective NASA internship during his senior year. The six-week experience turned into a job offer after graduation—and into a 22-year career. A self-described “lifer,” he has risen from system engineer to division chief of technical performance and integration.
Along the way, he leaned on the same lessons he first developed at FIU: rigorous academics, collaboration and connection.
“That’s one of our NASA core values: teamwork. We can’t really launch rockets, we can’t really design stuff without being part of a team.”
Caption: Edsel Christopher Sanchez (center) with fellow FIU alumni and NASA co-workers William Denis ’04 (left) and Michael Milbert ’91.
At FIU, Sanchez learned not only how to innovate and think creatively, but also how to plug into a broader professional community. Through his involvement in Eta Kappa Nu, Tau Beta Pi and FIU’s chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, he built meaningful connections.
Today, his division plays a critical role in NASA’s Artemis efforts, ensuring that complex systems operate in sync and infrastructure is ready to support each mission.
“We also do all the major construction of infrastructure that supports Artemis…from the liquid hydrogen tank that is used as fuel [to] the construction of the platforms used in vehicle assembly.”
His team—about 170 people—functions as a single unit, reflecting the same teamwork he has valued since his college days.
In recent years, Sanchez has shifted toward project management, overseeing schedule, scope and cost while keeping progress on track. It’s a role that calls for the kind of leadership skills he began developing as an undergraduate and continues to rely on today.
“I’m very thankful for FIU.”