Wendy Okolo, a 36-year-old Nigerian aerospace engineer, has made history as the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Her groundbreaking achievement at the age of 26 marked the beginning of a remarkable career that has since taken her to NASA, where she currently works as an aerospace research engineer in the Intelligent Systems Division.
Born and raised in Nigeria, Okolo attended Saint Mary’s Primary School and Queen’s College in Lagos before moving to the United States to pursue higher education.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2010 and later completed her Ph.D. in 2015.
Throughout her academic journey, she demonstrated exceptional leadership, serving as president of the Society of Women Engineers and advocating for increased female representation in STEM fields.
She credits her mother’s encouragement for steering her toward engineering, admitting that while she initially had no clear idea of what type of engineer she wanted to become, her fascination with aerospace quickly solidified her career path.
Okolo’s career began with an internship at Lockheed Martin, where she contributed to NASA’s Orion spacecraft project.
She later worked at the Air Force Research Laboratory, focusing on control design and analysis, before joining NASA Ames, where she now plays a critical role in aerospace innovation.
Her work has earned her numerous accolades, including the Amelia Earhart Fellowship, the NASA Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal, and recognition as one of the Most Influential People of African Descent.
In 2019, she became the first woman to receive the NASA Ames Early Career Researcher Award, a testament to her impact in the field.
Beyond her technical contributions, Okolo is dedicated to promoting diversity in STEM, particularly for women and people of color.
She has led initiatives aimed at making workplaces more inclusive, such as creating nursing rooms for working mothers and eliminating gender bias in job descriptions.
A passionate advocate for representation, she frequently speaks at conferences, mentoring aspiring scientists and engineers while inspiring the next generation of leaders in aerospace. In 2023, she published her book, Learn to Fly: On Becoming a Rocket Scientist, which shares insights from her journey and encourages young people to pursue their dreams fearlessly.
Okolo’s story is a powerful reminder that barriers are meant to be broken.
Her contributions to aerospace engineering and her commitment to fostering diversity in STEM continue to shape the industry, proving that with passion and perseverance, anything is possible.
