West Virginia native and NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson would turn
103 this year on the same day as Women’s Equality Day, and many of those
working at her namesake facility in Fairmont see a fitting connection.
Today, NASA’s Katherine
Johnson Independent Verification and Validation Facility bears her name and
legacy housing a program that assures NASA’s safety and mission critical
systems and software will operate reliably, safely and securely. Many women
from diverse backgrounds are currently part of that program and look to
Johnson’s life and achievements in the work they do.
Trailblazer,
contribution, extraordinary and perseverance are just a few words some of the IV&V Program’s female employees
used to describe their thoughts on Johnson.
“She was a bit of an over-achiever
graduating from college and making her way in an engineering world dominated by
men. She earned the respect of her managers and of astronauts,” Senior
Systems Engineer Kathy Malnick said of Johnson.
Malnick, who works on the Commercial Crew
Program (CCP), is inspired by Johnson’s contribution to another human-rated
mission.
“I use my own skills, talents and
expertise to contribute to the safety of the astronauts on CCP missions,
getting them to space and back home, just as Katherine did in those early days
of human spaceflight,” she said, adding that Johnson’s contributions to NASA
were key to early spaceflight and all that came after.
Johnson’s extraordinary abilities and
dedication to doing the highest quality work for major NASA missions stands out
to many, including Space Launch System (SLS) IV&V Project Manager Joelle
Spagnuolo-Loretta.
“Johnson wanted her results to prove her
worth, and they certainly did! She did not focus on her challenges or the
ways she may have been treated. Her determination, perseverance, and
excellent work proved her worth,” she said. “These things were noticed and made
her highly regarded by others – regardless of her gender or race.”
Her inspiration goes beyond work for NASA
and STEM for many, according to Jotwyla Moore of the IV&V Software
Assurance Tools Team.
“Katherine Johnson's life was
multifaceted. She was gifted yet gracious. Capable, but corked,”
she said. “The fact that she was a mother, wife and friend who was
involved in her church and community also resonates with me letting me know
that other parts of life do not have to be sacrificed in doing great work for
your employer.”
Today, NASA is an organization that
provides spaces and support for women in STEM fields and doesn’t turn a blind
eye to the fact that there is still work to be done, according to Exploration
Ground Systems (EGS) IV&V Senior Systems Analyst Nelva Cary. And one only
has to look at the work of Johnson to know that it can be done.
“I admire Johnson’s commitment to excellence
and the ability to compute the trajectory for Alan Shepard’s first space
flight,” she said. “She was a genius in spite of racism and sexism. I
wonder what she might have achieved without those barriers.”
Those are barriers that Johnson certainly
did face, and many women still face today in varying ways. Women’s Equality Day
is a time to recognize strides women have made in the United States and beyond,
and continue fighting against those obstacles and others.
With an eye always on innovation, inclusion
and progress, the NASA IV&V Program remembers Johnson and her legacy while
celebrating Women’s Equality Day.
Be sure to check out this article also: Katherine Johnson’s STEM Contributions Marked on her 103rd Birthday https://www.nasa.gov/feature/langley/katherine-johnson-s-stem-contributi...
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