2022 HENAAC Awards

Education: Master’s (candidate), Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles; Bachelor’s, Aerospace Engineering, California State University, Long Beach.

M.S Aerospace Engineering University of California, Los Angeles, Expected June 2023
It would have been difficult to convince 9-year-old Erwin S. Morales that he was destined to be an engineer, let alone an award-winning one.  Born in East Los Angeles to immigrant parents with no education beyond grade school, his mother developed a serious mental health condition that forced the family to move to Mexico so she could be hospitalized.  His father then left Erwin and his 4 sisters behind while he returned to the U.S. for work to best support the family.

After reuniting with their father in the U.S. a few years later, the struggles did not subside.  Mr. Morales’ mother remained hospitalized in Mexico and one sister passed away during this tragic period.  But he persevered and, thanks in part to dedicated teachers at Garfield High School in East L.A., he gained acceptance to Cal State University, Long Beach to pursue aerospace engineering.

Mr. Morales joined Northrop Grumman in 2018 in its Space Systems division. As a Quality Engineer with the James Webb Space Telescope program, he led a team of design engineers and subject matter experts from multiple agencies that determined the cause and of a critical diode module failure, and then devised and implemented a solution. Later, as a Lead Quality Engineer, he made valuable contributions to a major satellite program for the newly formed U.S. Space Force.

In his current role, Mr. Morales has a dual role on the Sagittarius program, a wideband communication platform for Strategic Space Systems, acting as the Deputy Program Quality Lead for the payload, and lead quality engineer for the space vehicle. 

Mr. Morales is passionate about mentorship and participates in multiple STEM outreach programs that are shaping our communities.  He uses his own example and experiences to inspire others to never give up and to pursue their goals with vigor.  Practicing what he preaches, Mr. Morales is now pursuing a master’s degree in aerospace engineering at UCLA.