Dr. Wendy Okolo earned her PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington at the age of 26.
This achievement made her the first black woman to achieve this distinction at the institution.
Born and raised in Nigeria, Okolo completed her primary education at St. Mary’s Primary School and later attended Queen’s College in Lagos.
Currently, she serves as an award-winning Associate Project Manager and Aerospace Research Engineer.
In her capacity, Okolo has taken on the role of Special Emphasis Programs Manager for Women, where she actively promotes NASA’s dedication to the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in the field.
She has specialized in flight dynamics, vehicle controls, and systems health monitoring within the Intelligent Systems Division at NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Okolo’s efforts include establishing nursing rooms to facilitate a smoother transition for mothers returning to work and scrutinizing job descriptions to eliminate gender-biased language that may deter female applicants.
She also does keynote speeches, panel discussions, and inspiring the next generation of minority leaders in STEM.
Additionally, Okolo is a passionate advocate for addressing the underrepresentation in STEM fields, particularly for young girls, career women and individuals of color.
She has been awarded the 2021 NASA Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal, the 2020 NASA Ames Award for Researcher/Scientist and the 2019 NASA Ames Early Career Researcher Award.
Okolo is the first woman to earn the NASA Ames Early Career Researcher Award.
In 2021, she was recognized as one of the Most Influential People of African Descent.
Okolo is also an author having released her book titled Learn to Fly: On Becoming a Rocket Scientist in June 2023.
