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Kobie Boykins, a principal mechanical engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, CA, was Pomfret's 2026 Schwartz Visiting Fellow. Over two days in late January, his down-to-earth presence captivated students and faculty through lectures, classroom visits, conversations, and meals.

Since 1989, the Schwartz Visiting Fellow Program has brought world-renowned thinkers and creators like Boykins to Pomfret School. Made possible by the vision and generosity of Michael Schwartz ’66 and Eric Schwartz ’69, the program has welcomed an impressive roster of past fellows, including animal science professor Temple Grandin, celebrity chef Ming Tsai, groundbreaking choreographer Bill T. Jones, author Bill Bryson, and historian David McCullough.

“Boykins’ visit was a resounding success,” said Schwartz Visiting Fellow Chair Nina Joly. “Students, faculty, and members of the local community all noted his infectious energy and enthusiasm. He is a gifted speaker, and the nature of his work is awe-inspiring. We are grateful to Michael and Eric Schwartz for the opportunity to learn from such an incredible fellow.”

After earning a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Boykins joined NASA in 1996, contributing to the Pathfinder mission that took the first rover, Sojourner, to Mars. Following the success of Pathfinder, he designed the solar arrays that powered the Spirit and Opportunity exploration rovers and led the mobility and remote sensing teams for Curiosity.

More recently, Boykins has served as chief engineer on NASA’s Europa Clipper mission to investigate the ocean and habitability of Jupiter's icy moon, Europa. Boykins is currently working on the Near-Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor mission.

 

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Outside the lab, Boykins has dedicated his time to inspiring the next generation of explorers. A National Geographic speaker, he engages students and communities on curiosity, innovation, and problem-solving. In 2013, he received the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal, one of the agency's highest honors.

"The biggest failure that we have is a failure of imagination of the things that can fail," Boykins told students during a schoolwide lecture. The message encouraged them to think expansively, challenge assumptions, and embrace curiosity — an approach that has guided his own path since the fifth grade, when he first declared his dream of becoming an engineer who worked on spaceships.

While the science behind Boykins' work is vast and complex, his lectures were accessible, engaging, and grounded in real-world problem solving. During the academic day, he visited advanced physics and engineering classes, and offered thoughtful advice on future academic and professional paths.

During office hours, Boykins fielded student questions about sustainability and emerging challenges in engineering. He even reviewed early-stage designs from Pomfret’s Robotics Team, an experience that echoed his own time volunteering with FIRST Robotics, an organization that runs youth robotics competitions.

"I was really surprised to learn from Mr. Boykins about the similarities between the development of the Mars Rover and the robot I am working on," said Khoi Hoang ’26. "Both follow a similar development process."

For James Lake ’27, Boykins' visit was an epiphany. "The most impactful thing he said to me was about theology and the universe. He said: the gap between nothing and something, even just a single atom, is greater than the gap between that atom and the universe."

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