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Principal Mechanical Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Kobie Boykins landed on the Hilltop for a two-day visit as Pomfret’s 2026 Schwartz Visiting Fellow. His down-to-earth presence captivated students, faculty, and members of the local community through lectures, classroom visits, question-and-answer sessions, and a special luncheon.

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.

That childhood ambition became reality through years of perseverance and determination. Boykins began working at JPL during his junior year of college, contributing to the Pathfinder mission and helping develop components of the Sojourner rover’s parachute system. He went on to design the solar arrays for the Spirit and Opportunity rovers — machines originally built to last 90 days that ultimately operated for five and fifteen years, respectively. Later, he led the mobility and sensing teams for the Curiosity rover.

After working on every Mars rover for the past twenty-five years, Boykins has set his sights even farther into the solar system. He now serves as chief engineer for NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, which will investigate the subsurface ocean and potential habitability of Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa.

While the science behind Boykins’ work is vast and complex, his lectures were accessible, engaging, and grounded in real-world problem solving. During his visit, he connected with students over meals, visited Advanced Physics and Engineering classes, and offered thoughtful advice on future academic and professional paths.

During office hours, the fielded student questions about sustainability and emerging challenges in engineering. He 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 many students, the most meaningful moments came during one-on-one conversations.

“The most impactful thing he said to me was about theology and the universe.‘The gap between nothing and something, even just a single atom, is greater than the gap between that atom and the universe,’” said James Lake ’27. “His delivery really shook me, and the message behind the phrase was perfectly placed in our conversation.”

The faculty equally enjoyed Boykins’ lectures and time on the Hilltop, noting how engaging he was and his ability to captivate the community's attention.

“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.”

Since 1989, the Schwartz Visiting Fellow Program has brought world-renowned thinkers and creators 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.
 

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