Shelia Nash-Stevenson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shelia Nash-Stevenson
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| Alma mater | Alabama A&M University |
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| Institutions | Marshall Space Flight Center Hughes Aircraft Company |
Shelia Nash-Stevenson is an American physicist and engineer. She was the first Black woman in Alabama to earn a PhD (a very high-level degree) in physics.
Growing Up and Her Education
Shelia Nash-Stevenson grew up in Lawrence County, Alabama. She finished high school when she was just sixteen years old.
She went to Alabama A&M University in 1981. There, she studied science and engineering. She was the very first person to get a master's degree in physics from Alabama A&M University. During this time, she was also a NASA Fellow, which means NASA supported her studies.
She worked at the Marshall Space Flight Center. Her professor, M. C. George, encouraged her to continue her studies. In 1994, she made history again. She became the first African-American woman to earn a doctorate (PhD) in physics from Alabama A&M University. While studying for her PhD, she also had two children. She earned her degrees with very high honors, called magna cum laude, three times! At that time, fewer than twenty African-American women in the United States had a physics PhD.
Her Amazing Career
Dr. Nash-Stevenson started her career working for the United States Army on missile defense systems. She even holds a special patent for a device that holds optical fiber.
Later, she worked as a scientist at Nichols Research Corporation. Then, she became a technical researcher at Hughes Aircraft Company. She spent almost ten years working in the avionics lab at Marshall Space Flight Center. Avionics is about electronics used in aircraft and spacecraft.
In 1998, she received another NASA Fellowship. She then joined a group that works on spacecraft and vehicle systems. During her fellowship, she also taught as a professor at Alabama A&M University. She even got to see the STS-95 space shuttle launch at Kennedy Space Center. In 2013, she spoke at a big meeting for young women studying physics.
Community Work and Recognition
In 2013, the city of Huntsville, Alabama honored Dr. Nash-Stevenson for her work in the community. She is the only African-American person to serve on the Madison City School Board. This board helps make decisions about schools in Madison City. She is also a member of the Madison Rotary Club, which is a group that does good work for the community.
Dr. Nash-Stevenson won the Modern Figure award from NASA. She was also chosen to attend the special movie premiere of Hidden Figures. This movie tells the story of amazing Black women who worked at NASA. After the movie came out, she took part in many discussions and interviews. She gave a special talk at Elms College in 2017. In 2018, she was honored by the WEDC Foundation's Women Honoring Women program. She was also featured in the AT&T Alabama African-American calendar.
