Dr. Ellen Ochoa will discuss the importance of exposing minorities to STEM education, among other topics, at WT’s Distinguished Lecture Series event at 6:00 p.m., October 17, in Legacy Hall in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center.

Dr. Ochoa commenced her NASA journey in 1988 when she worked as a research engineer at the Ames Research Center. Two years later she secured her role as an astronaut at the Johnson Space Center and took part in four missions as the first Hispanic woman to go to space, recording close to 1,000 hours in orbit, starting with Discovery in 1993. She was later named the 11th director of the Johnson Space Center, making her the first Hispanic director and second female director of the center where she served from 2013 to 2018.

The California native received her bachelor’s degree in physics at San Diego State University. She furthered her studies at Stanford University where she graduated with her master’s degree and a doctorate in electrical engineering. Dr. Ochoa has earned numerous accolades throughout her career including NASA’s highest award, the Presidential Distinguished Rank Award for senior executives in the federal government, and the Distinguished Service Medal.

Her accomplishments include many technical papers, three patents, and six schools named after her. She is involved in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and American Association of the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and she chairs the Nomination Evaluation Committee for the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.