NASA’s ‘Mohawk Guy’ Bobak Ferdowsi At State of the Union; Why Is He At SOTU?

It’s a longstanding tradition for individuals who are considered to be extraordinary Americans, specifically those who exemplify the themes and ideals that are cited in the president’s State of the Union address, to attend the event as one of the first lady’s guests.

Among them this year is NASA’s Bobak “Mohawk Guy” Ferdowsi. He is a member of the team that landed the Curiosity rover on Mars.

When the president called the team in August 2012 to congratulate them on their success, cameras panned across the joyous Mars Curiosity team members, but Ferdowsi was singled out because of his striking haircut.

Many girls across the nation began to swoon over the NASA worker whom they dubbed “Mohawk Guy" because of his hairstyle.

Not only did he sport a mohawk, but he also had red tips at the end of his black hair and gold stars on the shaved part of his head.

He’s much more than just a haircut who works at NASA, though. The Iranian-American is a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) professional who volunteers as a mentor to help kids get excited about STEM education, the White House website said.

When he's not busy doing work with the Mars project, he also is a part of a team at the Caltech’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.