The Alexander City Outlook

Dr. Charles and Alisa Shivers

Going into outer space involves more than just astronauts. It takes a host of other supporting personnel to make sure everything runs right and safely.

A native couple employed by NASA not only provides technical knowledge and support, they are also working toward developing and encouraging a future workforce.

Dr. Charles Herbert and Alisa Shivers both work at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, where they are engineers. His work involves safety oversight of the entire space center while hers focuses on the propulsion systems that power the Space Shuttle Columbia into orbit. But they believe their most important work could be the encouragement of a younger generation of girls and boys to explore the technical opportunities that could lead them to the stars and beyond.

“We need to get young people inspired, get them interested in the technical fields,” Charles said of the future generation. “Not enough students are going into math and science.”

To further this cause, the Shivers make time for two programs that look to spark that fire in the mind of today’s youth.

Alisa volunteers for the Girl Scouts by exposing visiting groups of girls to the space program and engineering. The scouts get a tour and presentation by women who show them the possibilities of doing whatever they choose to pursue. She also enlightens the girls about the astronauts in the program who were once scouts.

“I didn’t know of any female engineers,” said Alisa of her youth.

Another instrumental program is MATHCOUNTS – an annual math tournament for seventh and eighth graders. It is held at the regional, state, and national levels, but was started in the late 70s in Birmingham.

The long road to NASA started for both in Alexander City where they were raised, attended school, and started their courtship.

Alisa was born to B. Ann, who still lives in the area, and Fred Walker, who passed away in 1974. Of her eight brothers and sisters, two live in the area. Her sister, Emily, and her family live in Alexander City, while her brother, Jack, lives in Kellyton.

Graduating from Benjamin Russell High School in 1972, Alisa then earned two bachelor of science degrees. The first was in secondary education from Auburn University, while the second was from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in mechanical engineering.

“I didn’t even think about being an engineer,” Alisa said of growing up in Alexander City. “I was worried about clothes, hair, (and) boys.”

Since starting her career in engineering at a small woodyard equipment manufacturer in Florence, she has also worked for the Tennessee Valley Authority in Muscle Shoals and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Huntsville. While working for the Corps she had the opportunity to serve in Moscow, Russia, as the office chief for the Russian Chemical Weapons Destruction Support Office.

Charles was born in Alexander City to Rebecca and Otis Shivers Jr. His mother still lives here, but his father passed away in 1994. He has two brothers – Carey, the oldest, who lives in Texas, while Jimmy lives here and is superintendent of Wind Creek State Park.

After graduating from BRHS in 1970 as president of the senior class and salutatorian, Charles earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Auburn University. Next was a master’s degree in industrial and safety engineering from Texas A&M University. That same year he also graduated from the U.S. Army’s Graduate Safety Engineering intern program at Red River Army Depot in Texas. His doctoral degree in industrial and systems engineering management was earned from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Before ending up at Marshall, Charles worked for the Tennessee Valley Authority and as a civilian general engineer for the U.S. Army,

He also served in the Alabama and Texas National Guard for six years.

It was the tragedy of the Space Shuttle Challenger that opened the door to NASA for the engineer whose specialty is safety and mission assurance.

“NASA presented itself,” said Charles. “The (Space Shuttle) Challenger accident provided opportunities.”

Although they are both very busy professionals they stay connected to Alexander City.

“We come back all the time. Both of our mothers still live there,” Alisa said.