Wendy Okolo facts for kids

Wendy A. Okolo is an amazing Nigerian-American engineer who works with airplanes and spacecraft. She is a research engineer in the Intelligent Systems Division at NASA Ames Research Center. This means she helps design and improve technology for space travel. Wendy Okolo made history as the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Wendy Okolo's Early Life and Education

Wendy Okolo went to Queen's College, an all-girls school in Lagos, Nigeria, for her high school education. After that, she moved to the United States.

Studying Aerospace Engineering

In 2010, Wendy earned her bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). Aerospace engineering is all about designing, building, and testing aircraft and spacecraft.

She continued her studies at UTA and, in 2015, at the age of 26, she achieved a huge milestone. Wendy Okolo became the first Black woman to get a Ph.D. (a very advanced degree) in aerospace engineering from that university. During her time as an undergraduate, she was also the president of the Society of Women Engineers at UTA, helping other young women interested in engineering.

Wendy Okolo's Career Journey

Wendy Okolo started her career even before finishing her degrees. She worked as an intern for Lockheed Martin, a big company that builds things for space.

Working on NASA's Orion Spacecraft

During two summers, she helped with NASA's Orion spacecraft. This spacecraft is designed to carry astronauts far into space. She worked on different parts of the project, including managing requirements and designing hatch mechanisms.

Joining NASA Ames Research Center

After her graduate studies, Wendy worked at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). Today, she is an Associate Project Manager in the Intelligent Systems Division at NASA Ames. She is a research engineer in the Discovery and Systems Health Technology (DaSH) group. Her work helps make sure spacecraft and other systems are healthy and working correctly.

Awards and Recognition

Wendy Okolo has received many important awards for her hard work and achievements:

• Amelia Earhart Fellowship (2012)
• DoD National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship (2012)
• Texas Space Grant Consortium (TSGC) Fellowship (2012, 2013)
• AIAA John Leland Atwood Graduate Award (2013)
• Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA) for The Most Promising Engineer in the United States government.

See also

In Spanish: Wendy Okolo para niños

• Aerospace engineers