I Realized a Dream

By Dr. Elizabeth B. Ward

I began work at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC in the fall of 1993 as a National Space Grant Post-Doctoral Fellow nearly twenty years after I first graduated from college. My undergraduate degree is in Chemistry from East Carolina University. I graduated from college in 1975 when there were no personal computers, no personal calculators, and no word processors. I learned math and science using a slide rule. I spent two years in graduate school doing research in analytical Chemistry and teaching fundamental chemistry labs. In 1977, just short of graduation with a Masters in Chemistry, I dropped out to marry and have children.

After my children reached school age, I taught chemistry and biology at the local community college. Teaching again helped me realize that I loved working with students and I enjoyed it much more than working in a lab. So I returned to college to earn a Masters of Science Teaching degree at the College of William and Mary in Virginia. I stayed on to earn a Doctor of Education degree. While taking classes at William and Mary, I continued to teach at the community college. I graduated with my doctorate in the spring of 1993 at the age of 39. My father suggested I apply to work at NASA because it was just down the road from where I lived. Not expecting a reply, I appeased my dad by sending a brief letter of introduction and my dissertation abstract to the NASA Headquarters Education Division.

Shortly after sending the letter, I was surprised by a phone call asking me to come for an interview. Less than a month later, I started work in Washington, DC for the National Space Grant Program. There I learned the inner workings of a large federal agency and interacted with employees from many other agencies including the National Science Foundation. During those six years, I traveled to most of the states in the US and visited almost all of the NASA field Centers. By working at the national level, I gained valuable experience that helped my later work for NASA Langley Research Center. I was also able to complete another Masters Degree, this one in Space Studies from the University of North Dakota.

Since 2000, I have worked on various projects at Langley Research Center. I currently work the Aeronautics Research Directorate and the Strategic Relationships Office where I manage international student activities for both the Exploration Systems and the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorates. When I was a child, I loved science and all things space related. I often thought I’d become an astronaut. A kidney stone at the age of 18 crushed the hope of becoming a space farer, but at the age of 39, I realized a dream by beginning my work for NASA. The past sixteen years have been filled with adventure and excitement. I’ve learned that students come in all ages, all nationalities, and with a range of abilities. Working with them and with the people who do the technical work at NASA is what I enjoy most about my job.