The United States Embassy has honoured Nigerian-born aerospace engineer Wendy Okolo for her pioneering contributions to flight safety research at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
In a post shared on its official X platform, the embassy described Okolo as a trailblazing Nigerian-American scientist at the NASA Ames Research Center, applauding her groundbreaking work in advanced aerospace systems.
Okolo, who earned her doctorate at the age of 26, currently leads cutting-edge research focused on flight safety and control optimisation. Her work at NASA Ames in Silicon Valley centres on aircraft safety, monitoring systems, and innovative flight control technologies aimed at improving the reliability and performance of modern aviation systems.
She previously made history as the first Black woman to obtain a PhD in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington. Following that milestone, she joined NASA as a research engineer, where she has continued to gain global recognition within the aerospace community.
The US Embassy noted that spotlighting Okolo’s achievements forms part of a broader initiative by American diplomatic missions to celebrate Nigerians and other immigrants who are excelling in science, technology, medicine, business, and other professional fields across the United States.
Nigerians are widely regarded as one of the most highly educated immigrant groups in the US, with many occupying influential positions and contributing significantly to innovation and development in diverse sectors.
