Diverse Ideas Collide to Spark Innovation: Meet 2024 Inclusive Leader Award Winner for Space & Aerospace, Aprille Ericsson, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
What is your personal story? How did you find your purpose and your passion?
I was a child during those radical ’60s and ’70s. I was bussed to school in a predominantly white middle-class neighborhood from my home in the Roosevelt Projects of Brooklyn, NY. In 1969, a parent brought a small black and white television to my public school. We little first graders crowded around to watch the Apollo 12 mission land on the moon. It broadened my horizons as a little girl growing up in the Brooklyn 'hood. It helped plant that seed for dreaming about space travel and the belief that “There is enough Space for Everyone.”
Of course, there have been additional influences to grow that seed of interest, like Star Trek, Flash Gordon, The Jetsons, and my afternoon favorite, Lost in Space. As a pre-teen after watching the first Star Wars movie, I remember racing out of the theater with my arms stretched out imagining I was maneuvering to avoid the dark side TIE fighters. My interest in space continued to grow. I first realized my aptitude for Mathematics and Science during my attendance at Marine Park JHS; there I was the only black student enrolled in the Special Progress program. I won 2nd place in the Science Fair and scored in the 90s on all my regent and citywide exams.
The summer following my junior year of high school, I participated in the UNITE (now called MITE) Program at MIT. During one of the field trips that summer, I visited an Air Force Base in NH. There, I was able to sit in the control tower and fly in a flight simulator (I received a pilot’s score). UNITE was extremely instrumental in my consideration of career choices. It led me to the decision to enter the Aerospace field.
After graduating from high school with honors, I entered college at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where I received my Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering. During my undergraduate years at MIT, I was involved with several projects that were geared toward manned space flight.
When I graduated from MIT (the year of the Shuttle disaster), all the jobs offered in Aerospace Engineering were for strategic defense. It is extremely important to me that the projects I work on are not destructive. As a result, I was encouraged by my best friend, Melva Bradford Warner to return to school. I chose to attend her alma mater, Howard University (HU) in Washington, DC, as a graduate student in the Large Space Structures Institute. I obtained a Master of Engineering and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace option.
Currently, we are building CubeSats which are satellites that are the size of a coffee cup to a large shoebox. I, an African American Woman, am a leader for a NASA Team that holds a patent for 6 U Cubesat Architecture. The world is constantly changing and moving forward with technology. We can make the change to work together. You see, “There is enough Space for Everyone”.
What does Inclusive Leadership mean to you and what would you like others to know and do as inclusive leaders?
Thank you for sharing my vision of “Diversity colliding and sparking innovation”. I always say, “Diverse ideas collide and Spark Innovation!"
The vast majority of the members of my generation – born during the struggle to get the Civil Rights Act passed – consider the notion that people should be segregated based on the color of their skin to be both morally repugnant and downright ridiculous. Attitudes change quickly – especially after positive developments occur and everyone sees the correctness of the change. Fast forward 50 years and many of us continue to wonder what that future holds. Traveling in space is hard and dangerous but with people who dream, who dare, and who are committed, we will do hard things like go to Mars! It will require teamwork on an international level. As minorities and women, we are constantly combating negative perceptions. By making and highlighting our positive contributions to society we will change the negative perceptions about our race and gender. We must change the perceptions, the attitude, and the environment of today’s society. You must strive to change perceptions and to do this we must start internally and then work outward.
The prospect that the ethnic and racial composition of our STEM workforce will resemble the diversity of the U.S. population is a must. There must be more institutions that are inclusive like Rutgers University. Discrimination affects us all. The U.S. cannot afford to leave out the fresh perspective of more than 50% of the population by discriminating against women and minorities. When I work with my science and engineering teams, I know that each member is important. Their different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences afford that team different perspectives on how to solve the many challenges we face at NASA. We can be anything we want to be, regardless of what others think or tell us. All one has to do is believe in oneself, in one’s dream. “There is enough Space for Everyone”.
We engineers and scientists are agents of change. Every day we impact the future of the world. Our communities and countries are harnessed with many challenges. We have been trained to solve those problems. Find a way to serve your community and your country - an act that will help you stay connected to your fellow citizens and improve the lives of those around you. “Consider, Embrace, and Drive change”.
How can the GlobalMindED Inclusive Success Network inform, advance, and/or multiply your mission and goals?
I have had many mentors and have mentored others since elementary school. I have been able to continue to grow as a teacher and mentor throughout my career. My family members around me were great examples of teachers and mentors in their communities.GlobalMindED's mission of connecting first gen and underserved/underrepresented students to networks, experiences, mentors, and internships resonates. I am interested in connecting with other inclusive leaders as well as the students.
What is the legacy that you would most like to leave the world?
I am simply ecstatic with my opportunity to build cutting-edge science instruments and aerospace vehicles. It is an honor to work with so many bright people. NASA has invested in me and afforded me many opportunities to contribute as an engineer to ground-breaking science discoveries, from sexy science like, “the Big Bang theory”, investigating “Black Holes and Gravitational Waves”, to Earthly concerns, “Climate Change”, to “Living with a Star, Our Sun” to Space exploration on the “Moon and Mars”. I also have the opportunity to speak, teach, and mentor many young people across our country and the Globe. I get to inspire the youth and have an impact on the future Pipeline of Engineers and Scientists. Who could have asked for a better job with such a profound legacy?
