Nigerian Aerospace Engineer is Creating History at NASA.

Nigerian Wendy Okolo, 36, has distinguished herself as a trailblazer in the field of aerospace engineering. She became the first Black woman to graduate with a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2015, at the age of just 26. She is currently employed at NASA in the Intelligent Systems Division as an aeronautical research engineer.

Okolo, who was born in 1989 and grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, went to Saint Mary’s Primary School and Queen’s College before relocating to the United States, where she earned her bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in aeronautical engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Okolo’s mother fostered her early enthusiasm for engineering. She was first uncertain about her career path but ultimately became enamoured with aircraft engineering because of its innovative and challenging nature.

After working on NASA’s Orion spacecraft during her internship at Lockheed Martin, she went on to work at the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. Okolo is currently a research engineer at NASA Ames, where he oversees projects in the Intelligent Systems Division and contributes to cutting-edge aerospace technologies.

Okolo has received many honours over her career, such as the Black Engineer of the Year Award, the NASA Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal, and the Amelia Earhart Fellowship. She was the first female recipient of the NASA Ames Early Career Researcher Award in 2019.

Okolo is committed to promoting representation in STEM sectors in addition to her technical accomplishments. She works on projects including removing gender bias from job descriptions and establishing friendly environments for working mothers in order to promote women, young girls, and people of colour in science and engineering.

Okolo shared her story and encouraged others to follow their aspirations in her book Learn to Fly: On Becoming a Rocket Scientist, which was published in June 2023. She continues to encourage and promote the upcoming generation of diverse STEM professionals as a mentor and frequent keynote speaker.

CREDIT: ALLSCHOOL, Allschoolabs

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