Dr. Ellen Ochoa, the renowned former astronaut, former director of NASA's Johnson Space Center, and former chair of the National Science Board brings more than 30 years of experience to her new post on the board of directors at SRI International.

The company noted:

SRI is looking forward to the many valuable contributions and insights that Dr. Ochoa will bring to the institute as we continue to create and deliver world-changing solutions for a safer, healthier, and more sustainable future.

Ochoa’s Career 

Ochoa, who was born in Los Angeles in 1958, has a bachelors in physics from San Diego State University, and her masters and doctorate from Stanford University, both in electrical engineering.

Ochoa flew four missions as a NASA astronaut, being part of the first crew to dock with the International Space Station. She achieved nearly 1,000 hours in orbit during her career as an astronaut and received numerous decorations, including NASA's highest honor, the Distinguished Service Medal.

Her success story looks like this:

• In 1988, she joined NASA as a research engineer at the Ames Research Center.
• In 1990, she was selected for the astronaut corps.
• In 1993, she flew her first mission aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.
• In 2013, she became the first Hispanic director and the second director of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.
• In 2016, she joined the National Science Board

“As the first Latina astronaut, Dr. Ochoa applied her technology and operations experience during four space shuttle missions. She has been inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame and has six schools named after her. She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and the Optical Society of America (OSA),” highlights her LinkedIn profile.

Congratulations to #LCDAMember Ellen Ochoa (@Astro_Ellen) who was appointed to @SRI_Intl Board of Directors.

Learn More: https://t.co/oLaUJKXovz#LCDAOnTheRise #LatinaLeaders pic.twitter.com/DJkiY2ACdN

— Latino Directors (@LatinoDirectors) February 10, 2023

A philanthropic vocation

Ochoa is considered an active advocate for STEM education for women in science and engineering.

Currently, she serves as a member of the board of directors of Service Corporation International and Mutual of America, two Fortune 1000 companies, and is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), the Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA), and WomenCorporateDirectors (WCD).

Previously, she chaired the National Science Board and the National Technology and Innovation Medal Nominating Review Committee, and served on the boards of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, the Stanford University Board of Trustees, and the Foundation for Human Spaceflight Education, Inc.