Wendy Okolo, at just 36 years old, is a light of inspiration, smashing glass ceilings and reimagining possibilities in aeronautical engineering. Her narrative is one of audacity, brilliance, and unwavering desire to improve the world.
Wendy Okolo: A trailblazer from the start
Born in 1989 and raised in Nigeria, Okolo began his education at Saint Mary’s Primary School and Queen’s College in Lagos. She excelled in school from a young age, receiving consecutive A’s, demonstrating her natural ability. However, her route to engineering was not initially self-directed.
“My mom said I was going to become an engineer even before I knew what it was,” Okolo once said. Though she stated her ambition to become an engineer early on, it wasn’t until her first semester at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) that she discovered her true passion: aeronautical engineering.
Soaring to New Heights at NASA
Okolo’s professional journey has been nothing short of miraculous. She started as an undergraduate intern at Lockheed Martin, working on NASA’s Orion spacecraft. During two transformative summers, she got practical experience in Systems and Mechanical Engineering, laying the groundwork for her career in aerospace innovation.
As a graduate student, she worked with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Control Design and Analysis Branch at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Today, she works as a sub-project manager in NASA Ames Research Center’s Intelligent Systems Division, where she also conducts groundbreaking research in the Discovery and Systems Health Technology (DaSH) division.
A Woman with Many Firsts
Okolo’s breakthrough work has earned her multiple important awards, solidifying her place among the leading minds in aerospace engineering. Some of her notable honours include: The Amelia Earhart Fellowship; The Department of Defence National Defence Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship (2012); The Texas Space Grant Consortium (TSGC) Fellowship (2012, 2013); The AIAA John Leland Atwood Graduate Award (2013); NASA Ames Early Career Researcher Award (2019) – the first woman to receive it; NASA Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal (2021); Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA) for the Most Professional.
In addition to her honours, Okolo made her literary debut in June 2023 with the book Learn to Fly: On Becoming a Rocket Scientist. The book provides an insight into her experience and hopes to inspire the future generation of aerospace engineers.
Championing Diversity and Inclusion in STEM
Okolo’s impact goes well beyond her personal accomplishments. She is deeply dedicated to tearing down barriers for women, people of colour, and under-represented groups in STEM.
Her initiatives include creating nursing rooms for working mothers to help them transition back to work and revising job descriptions to remove gender-biased wording, encouraging more women to apply for technical positions.
She is a popular keynote speaker who frequently offers her ideas on STEM inclusivity, mentorship, and leadership, inspiring young girls and career women to achieve their aspirations without fear.
