Meet Nigerian lady: The first black woman to bag a PhD in aerospace engineering
- 30-year-old Wendy is a talented national aeronautics and space administration whiz
- She has done the African pride proud
By Paul Aremo-Oluwa
February 20, 2019
There have been such gems amongst us, who changed the course of the world, because they could look at the world differently. Their thinking was unique and not everyone understood them. They were opposed, yet they emerged winners and the world was amazed. -Nikumbh Sir
Such is the story of Wendy Okolo. Nigeria has never cease to flabbergast the world by the genius wonders that proceed from her. Nigeria is an amazing country with a vast collection of talents and hardwork and the likes of Wendy never cease to make it a Breaking News to the world.
Wendy Okolo has become the first black woman to get a doctorate degree in aerospace engineering. From a family of six, she took a career at the national aeronautics and space administration popularly known as NASA -the United States agency responsible for civilian space program as well as aeronautics and aerospace research.
She bagged her bachelors degree from the University of Texas (Arlington) in 2010 and in 2015, at age 26 Wendy became the first black woman to bag a doctorate degree in aerospace engineering in the same University.
Ripples of her genius mind have been creating waves since her undergraduate years.
She was in the African Student Society at the University of Texas at Arlington. She also became president of the society of women engineers in the university. She interned at Lockheed Martin working on NASA’s Orion spacecraft. Her first work was in the requirements management office in systems engineering and then proceeded to work with the Hatch Mechanisms team in mechanical engineering.
After graduation, Okolo took up a job as a summer researcher from 2010 to 2012 in the Control Design & Analysis Branch at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson Air Force Base. She has also flew the world fastest manned aircraft which flies from coast to coast in 67 minutes.
Like every human she sometimes doubt her abilities.
“I was like I'm sure these guys are so smart, what am I going to bring in. I went on an error in the code in the systems and I fixed it and that fixed the impostor syndrome for a while," speaking on her experience, according to Cabeele.
At 30, Wendy Okolo is now an aerospace research engineer at the Ames Research Center, a major research centre for National Aeronautics and Space Administration in Silicon Valley. In the second month of the year she has won the BEYA Global Competitiveness Conference award for the most promising engineer in the United States.
The Common Sense senator, Ben Murray Bruce took to his facebook account yesternight to congratulate Wendy. In his words, Congratulations as you become the first black woman to get a doctorate degree in aerospace engineering. Keep flying the flag high."
Obviously she is a great inspiration to Africa and African women. She takes her place in history on the same podium of success as Chimamanda Adichie.
Greatness lies in Africa. Time over again has shown that our bleak start just requires a little polish of open and equal opportunity to become the crown jewel.
Wendy Okolo is the latest African Frenzy gripping the world.
- She has done the African pride proud
By Paul Aremo-Oluwa
February 20, 2019
There have been such gems amongst us, who changed the course of the world, because they could look at the world differently. Their thinking was unique and not everyone understood them. They were opposed, yet they emerged winners and the world was amazed. -Nikumbh Sir
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| Wendy Okolo |
Such is the story of Wendy Okolo. Nigeria has never cease to flabbergast the world by the genius wonders that proceed from her. Nigeria is an amazing country with a vast collection of talents and hardwork and the likes of Wendy never cease to make it a Breaking News to the world.
Wendy Okolo has become the first black woman to get a doctorate degree in aerospace engineering. From a family of six, she took a career at the national aeronautics and space administration popularly known as NASA -the United States agency responsible for civilian space program as well as aeronautics and aerospace research.
She bagged her bachelors degree from the University of Texas (Arlington) in 2010 and in 2015, at age 26 Wendy became the first black woman to bag a doctorate degree in aerospace engineering in the same University.
Ripples of her genius mind have been creating waves since her undergraduate years.
She was in the African Student Society at the University of Texas at Arlington. She also became president of the society of women engineers in the university. She interned at Lockheed Martin working on NASA’s Orion spacecraft. Her first work was in the requirements management office in systems engineering and then proceeded to work with the Hatch Mechanisms team in mechanical engineering.
After graduation, Okolo took up a job as a summer researcher from 2010 to 2012 in the Control Design & Analysis Branch at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson Air Force Base. She has also flew the world fastest manned aircraft which flies from coast to coast in 67 minutes.
Like every human she sometimes doubt her abilities.
“I was like I'm sure these guys are so smart, what am I going to bring in. I went on an error in the code in the systems and I fixed it and that fixed the impostor syndrome for a while," speaking on her experience, according to Cabeele.
At 30, Wendy Okolo is now an aerospace research engineer at the Ames Research Center, a major research centre for National Aeronautics and Space Administration in Silicon Valley. In the second month of the year she has won the BEYA Global Competitiveness Conference award for the most promising engineer in the United States.
The Common Sense senator, Ben Murray Bruce took to his facebook account yesternight to congratulate Wendy. In his words, Congratulations as you become the first black woman to get a doctorate degree in aerospace engineering. Keep flying the flag high."
Obviously she is a great inspiration to Africa and African women. She takes her place in history on the same podium of success as Chimamanda Adichie.
Greatness lies in Africa. Time over again has shown that our bleak start just requires a little polish of open and equal opportunity to become the crown jewel.
Wendy Okolo is the latest African Frenzy gripping the world.
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