Ericsson, Aprille Joy

1963- · Contribution: 1990s-present

Spacecraft mechanical engineering and aerospace instrumentation design

Technology & Engineering — collage image
Technology & Engineering

Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.

Impact on the world

Became the first African-American woman to earn a PhD in mechanical engineering and the first to earn a PhD in engineering as a civil servant at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Life & background

An aerospace engineer at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Ericsson became the first African-American woman to earn a PhD in mechanical engineering, contributing to spacecraft instrument design and fostering partnerships between NASA, industry, and universities on R&D challenges.

Sources

  1. U.S. patent record; MIT Black History