February 8, 2001 NASA Aerospace Engineer to Deliver Women's History Keynote Address at the Library of Congress

Aprille Ericsson-Jackson, an aerospace engineer at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, will deliver the 2001 Women's History Month keynote address at the Library of Congress on Tuesday, March 6, in the Mumford Room, sixth floor, James Madison Memorial Building, at 10 a.m. The lecture is free and open to the public.

"We are pleased to have Ms. Ericsson-Jackson with us to kick off our monthlong celebration of women's history," said Federal Women's Program Manager Jean Parker. "This year's theme, created by the National Women's History Project, is 'Celebrating Women of Courage and Vision.' In a field that was historically nontraditional for women and African Americans, Ms. Ericsson-Jackson had the courage to envision and pursue a career in aerospace engineering."

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Ms. Ericsson-Jackson displayed an aptitude for math and science at an early age. She passed the examinations for the three major technical high schools in the New York area, but was sent to live with her grandparents in Cambridge, Mass. After graduating with honors from the Cambridge School of Weston, she attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she earned a bachelor's degree in aeronautical/astronautical engineering in 1986.

Ms. Ericsson-Jackson earned a master's degree in Engineering from Howard University in 1992 and accepted her current position at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center that same year. In 1995 she became the first African American woman to receive a doctorate degree in mechanical engineering from Howard University. In addition to her work at NASA, she has taught at Howard University and Bowie State University.

In 1996 and 1997, Ms. Ericsson-Jackson was included among the "Top 50 Minority Women in Science and Engineering" by the National Technical Association. In 1998 she received the NASA/Goddard Honor Award for Excellence in Outreach. That same year she received the Women in Science and Engineering award, given to the top female engineer in the federal government, and was acknowledged at the Black Engineers Conference with a Special Recognition Award. She was invited to the White House on March 5, 1998, when NASA announced the selection of Eileen Collins as the first woman space shuttle commander. In 1999 she received a Centurion of Technology Award at the Women of Color Technology Awards Conference.