From this position Mary was able to influence both the hiring and promotion of women on career paths in math, engineering and science at NASA. Mary spent over 30 years at NASA, authoring and co-authoring many research reports in her role as engineer, and eventually becoming a manager in Langley’s Federal Women’s Program in the NASA Office of Equal Opportunity Programs, and of the Affirmative Action Program. Despite roadblocks encountered due to the segregation laws of the time, she attained the advanced education required and became NASA’s first black female engineer in 1958, in an era when female engineers were a rarity in any field. When he suggested she enter a training program that would allow her to earn a promotion from mathematician to engineer, Mary was ready. Mary’s particular talents were recognized by an engineer who worked in the Supersonic Pressure Tunnel at NASA, Kazimierz Czarnecki. Known as “computers,” many mathematically-adept women were hired to perform calculations and plot data from tests in Langley’s wind tunnels and research divisions. Following a series of teaching and administrative positions, she began work as a mathematician at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory (NASA’s first aeronautics research center) in 1951. Mary Jackson excelled at academics from an early age, graduating from Hampton Institute with a dual degree in mathematics and physical sciences in 1942. Mary Jackson : : Born April 9, 1921, Hampton VA - Died February 11, 2005 In a career spanning 40 years, Christine Darden’s impact at NASA was significant and lasting she retired from her post as director of the Office of Strategic Communication and Education in 2007, the recipient of numerous awards for technical achievement and outstanding performance. In 1989, she became the technical leader of the Sonic Boom Group a decade later she became a director in the Program Management Office of the Aerospace Performing Center, where she oversaw air traffic management research and aeronautics programs at other NASA centers. She authored more than 50 papers on this subject during her time at NASA.Ĭhristine was the first African-American woman at NASA to be promoted to a senior executive position. In this role, she began a long career of research into the science of supersonic and hypersonic aircraft, focusing on aeronautical design and sonic boom prediction and minimization. Her advanced education led to a promotion as aerospace engineer in 1973, at a time when very few women were employed as engineers at NASA. Her academic career culminated with a doctorate degree in mechanical engineering from George Washington University in 1983.Ĭhristine began her career at Langley Research Center as a data analyst and computer programmer in 1967, soon after completing her M.S. degree in applied mathematics while working as a research assistant and studying aerosol physics. Her education continued at Virginia State College, where she gained her M.S. After graduating from high school as class valedictorian, she received a scholarship to attend Hampton University where she earned a B.S. Today, a mostly mask free student body was ready to start learning in their brand new school.Christine Darden : : Born September 10, 1942, Monroe NCĭaughter of a schoolteacher, Christine Darden was encouraged to take her education seriously from a young age. The school took several months more to build than originally planned due to COVID restrictions and supply chain setbacks. s students assembled before class in the gym to watch the Superintendent cut the ribbon among cheers from the kids and staff. Johnson at 17015 Waller Rd E, Tacoma, WA.Įlementary STEM staff dressed in NASA flight suits and many teachers and staff wore NASA t-shirts for the occasion. Today, March 21, 2022, the Bethel School District opened its newest elementary school, named in honor of Katherine G. In 2021, inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. In 2019, awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by the United States Congress. In 2016, featured in the movie Hidden Figures in 2016. In 2016, presented with the Silver Snoopy Award and a NASA Group Achievement Award. In 2015, awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson was an American mathematician whose calculations of orbital mechanics and trajectories as a NASA employee were critical to the success of early U.S.
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