JPL Engineer Honored By Congressman Schiff Among Local Women of the Year

JPL engineer Dr. Marie Levine is seated third from left with other Women of the Year recipients. Front row seated left to right: Alexa Iles Skarpelos (Hollywood), Patricia Lombard (Larchmont Village), Dr. Marie Levine (Pasadena), Chanchanit Martorell (Park La Brea), Barbara Howell (Los Feliz), Barbara Meltzer (West Hollywood), Delores Shine Kerr (Miracle Mile/Mid-Wilshire), Evelyn Serrano (Sunland-Tujunga). Row standing left to right: Dr. Joanna Chikwe (Hollywood Hills), Isabel Omero (Burbank), Dr. Christina Ashjian Garabedian (Glendale), Congressman Adam Schiff, Rhonda Reynolds (Echo Park), Barbara Monderine-Williams (Atwater Village), Barbara Poppy Kwong (Silver Lake). [Photio courtesy Office of Congressman Adam Schiff]

U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Pasadena) this week honored 16 inspiring women from communities in the 30th Congressional District including Dr. Marie Levine, an engineer with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.

The recognition ceremony was held during a luncheon meeting in Los Angeles.

Dr. Levine played a crucial role in the success of the James Webb Space Telescope and has received many awards during her 32-year career at JPL for her remarkable achievements.

“Dr. Levine has been the lead for the Integrated Modeling of the James Webb Space Telescope, reporting directly to the Mission Engineer,” a statement from Schiff’s office said in March when the awards were announced. “The JWST lead center at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland recognized Dr. Levine’s expertise in Integrated Modeling and requested that she be assigned from JPL to join the project. She was the only person from JPL to be embedded within the core JWST team at GSFC.”

Levine is a French-born engineer who moved to Pasadena in 1982 to attend Caltech. She received her master’s and PhD in engineering and joined JPL after graduation.

Dr. Levine has worked on several notable projects at JPL, including the development of extreme precision space telescopes and observatories for NASA’s Astrophysics Mission Directorate. In recognition of her work as the lead for the Integrated Modeling of the James Webb Space Telescope, JPL gave her the coveted Magellan Award.

Dr. Levine has always been an active resident of Pasadena. She has volunteered with the City’s Water and Power department to create a demonstration drought-tolerant garden at Sheldon reservoir.

The other honorees are Carolyn Ramsay, from Hancock Park; Barbara Meltzer, West Hollywood; Alexa Skarpelos, Hollywood; Chanchanit Martorell, Park La Brea; Delores Shine Kerr, Miracle Mile; and Patricia Lombard, Larchmont Village.

Also recognized at the event were Dr. Joanna Chikwe, from Hollywood Hills; Barbara Howell, Los Feliz; Barbara Monderine-Williams, Atwater Village; Isabel Omero, Burbank; Rhonda Reynolds, Echo Park; Maria Herrera, Elysian Valley; Barbara Kwong, Silver Lake; Dr. Christina Ashjian Garabedian, Glendale; and Evelyn Serrano, Sunland/Tujunga.

“It was great to meet with extraordinary women from my district who have worked tirelessly to make our communities a better place,” Schiff said. “It was an honor to recognize their invaluable work in the 30th District, and a pleasure to thank them for their outstanding service to the community.”

The 30th Congressional District includes Pasadena, Atwater Village, Burbank, Echo Park, Elysian Valley, Glendale, Hancock Park, Hollywood Hills, Hollywood, Miracle Mile/Mid-Wilshire, Larchmont Village, Los Feliz, Park La Brea, Silver Lake, Sunland-Tujunga, and West Hollywood.

For more information, visit www.schiff.house.gov/news/press-releases/rep-schiff-honors-2023-women-of-the-year.