Page 19 - Pakistan Link - May 17, 2019

COMMUNITY MAY 17, 2019 – PAKISTAN LINK – P19
Ambassador Khan Visits the USC Pacific Asia Museum

n By Perveen Ali panied by Consul General Jabbar The Museum’s Curator, Dr Re- were loaned by the Founding Presi- formances. It was a very hands on
Photos by Annie Athar Memon and Deputy Consul Shoaib becca Hall, gave him a tour of the dent of the Pakistan Arts Council, lunch with the board being intro-
Sarwar. galleries and showed him the Paki- Dr Aziz Khan, an avid art collector. duced and the projects that the Arts
uring his recent visit to The Museum is one of only four stani art that is in the Museum’s col- The tour was followed by a Council has in the planning stages
Southern California, Paki- institutions in the US dedicated ex- lection. Ambassador Khan, who has lunch and discussion at the Ath- being discussed. The Ambassador
Dstan Ambassador to the US clusively to the arts and culture of studied in Japan and was also Am- enaeum Library of Caltech with the was very open to his office collabo-
Dr Asad Majeed Khan visited the Asia and the Pacific Islands. The bassador to Japan recently, showed Board of the Arts Council. The Am- rating with the Arts Council on fu-
USC Pacific Asia Museum for a Pakistan Arts Council has been part quite an interest in the current ex- bassador was welcomed to Caltech ture projects.
tour arranged by the Pakistan Arts of the Museum since 1990 and has hibition at the Museum of Japan’s by Michael Alexander, the Director The Pakistan Arts Council is
Council which was followed by a facilitated many art exhibitions, leading contemporary artist “Tsu- of Campus Events of the Office of very appreciative and thanks Consul
lunch at Caltech’s Athenaeum Li- musical performances, author talks, ruya Kōkei: Modern Kabuki Prints Strategic Communications. Also at- General Memon for facilitating the
brary in Pasadena. movie screenings and live plays in Revised and Revisted”. Interestingly, tending the lunch were Mari Riddle Ambassador’s visit to the USC Pa-
His Excellency was accom- the Greater Los Angeles area. some of the prints in the exhibition and Leigh Ann Hahn of Grand Per- cific Asia Museum.
From Refugee Camps to NASA, a Pakistani Woman’s Spectacular Journey

n By Amber Liaqat in this line of work and applied to NASA. I was
fortunate and blessed enough to be selected by
ibah Rehmani survived the Gulf NASA.”
war, lived as a refugee in Jordan, and “While working full time at the Kennedy
Hthen went on to become an avion- Space Center, I obtained an MS in electrical and
ics engineer at the United States’ National computer engineering from Georgia Tech,” she
Aeronautical and Space Administration said. In 2008, Rahmani accepted her current
(NASA). position at NASA’s Engineering and Technology
Rehmani was born in Pakistan but moved Directorate at Kennedy.
to Kuwait with her family when she was only a “I work as an avionic and flight controls
month old. That was until war broke out in the engineer and support NASA’s Launch Services
country. When Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, she Program, working on expendable launch ve-
had to flee with her family to a refugee camp hicles and rockets. I provide technical expertise,
near the Iraq-Jordan border. The night her fam- follow launch vehicle testing, perform data re-
ily reached the refugee camp, there were no tents views and provide technical assessments of en-
available. Her family had to spend the nights un- gineering issues.”
der the open desert sky. “Working very closely with astronauts in-
“My fondest memory growing up is taking spired me to become one, and that is one of my
walks with my family at night. Looking up at the life goals now,” she added.
sky I was fascinated by the moon and the stars. Talking about her visit to Pakistan, Hibah
It was around this time I developed a passion for said, “I am meeting so many school students in
science, space, and astronomy,” said Rehmani. Pakistan and they have inspired me instead of
“It was a tough time for us, one of the me inspiring them. Their questions and interest
things I remember from that night was gazing at travelled with her mother and sister to Pakistan, to work at the Kennedy Space Center as a sys- in this field amazes me. They asked me so many
the sky, the moon and stars, while trying to sleep where the family reunited. They stayed in Paki- tems engineer for the International Space Sta- questions about space…I had not thought about
on the cold desert sand. That was when I realised stan for a year before eventually moving to the tion (ISS). such things before. If students, especially girls in
that I wanted to be in a profession where I could US, where Hibah was able to pursue her dream “I was involved with integrated testing Pakistan, get the support of their families and
discover space.” of becoming an engineer at the University of of ISS components and sometimes astronauts opportunities like I did, I am sure they can do
Her father was in the US at the time of the Central Florida (UCF). After graduating, she would stop by to either view or participate in the wonders in the world”.
invasion, and after a brief stay in Jordan, she started working for Boeing, which assigned her testing. It was then when I got more interested REHMANI, P26
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