Sonya T. Smith facts for kids

Sonya Teresa Smith is an American engineer. She studies how things move through air and space. She also works on keeping electronics cool in planes and rockets. This is called thermal management.

Dr. Smith is a professor at Howard University. She leads the atmospheric sciences program there. She was also the president of Sigma Xi from 2020 to 2021. Sigma Xi is a special group for scientists and engineers.

Sonya Smith's Journey in Science

Sonya Smith grew up in a family of professors. Her mom, Emma B. Smith, taught math. Her dad, James W. Smith, taught history. Both worked at Virginia State University. Sonya went to Matoaca High School in Virginia.

Her College Years

Sonya studied math at Valdosta State University. She also focused on computer science. She earned her first degree in 1986. After college, she worked at NASA's Langley Research Center. She was a programmer and engineer there from 1986 to 1989.

Becoming a Doctor

Later, she went back to school. She studied mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of Virginia. She earned her master's degree in 1991. In 1995, she earned her Ph.D. She was the first African-American woman to get a Ph.D. in that program! Her research was about how air moves around fast-moving objects.

Teaching at Howard University

In 1995, Dr. Smith became a professor at Howard University. She became an associate professor in 2001. Then, in 2010, she became a full professor. From 2011 to 2015, she was the head of the mechanical engineering department. She was the first woman to earn a permanent teaching position (called tenure) in mechanical engineering at Howard. She was also the first woman to become a full professor and the first to lead the department.

Awards and Honors

Dr. Smith has received many honors for her work.

Leading Sigma Xi

In 2020, she was chosen to be the president of Sigma Xi. This is a very important group for scientists and engineers in America. She led the group for the 2020–2021 term.

Joining Important Academies

In 2021, Dr. Smith was invited to join the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This is a group of very smart people who have done amazing things in science, art, and leadership. She is also a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. This means her fellow engineers recognize her great contributions to the field.