Nate Olson is an aerospace engineer in the Thermal Design Branch at NASA Johnson Space Center with a focus on materials for thermal protection systems (TPS). He received his B.S. in chemical engineering from The Ohio State University and his Ph.D. in materials science and engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. During his graduate studies, he was a NASA Space Technology Research Fellow, working with NASA Glenn Research Center on ceramic aerogels for high temperature seals and thermal barriers, and a Pathways Intern at NASA Johnson Space Center developing ablative materials for additive manufacturing of TPS. Since joining JSC full-time in 2023, he leads several research & development efforts on reusable ceramic TPS and supports the Orion and Commercial Crew Programs. His interests lie in the design, manufacturing, and testing of materials capable of surviving the extreme environments of atmospheric entry.