Dr. Ericsson also holds a pioneering legacy at NASA, where she became the first African American female civil servant to earn a Ph.D. in engineering at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, dedicating more than 30 years to the agency. In her final role as New Business Lead for the Instrument Systems and Technology Division, she cultivated high-impact federal partnerships, enabling collaboration among industry, small businesses, and academia to address complex space science and national security challenges.

Most recently, Dr. Ericsson joined the Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network as a HEROES Research Fellow. Through the Hiring Experienced Researchers to Optimize Ecosystems in STEM (HEROES) program, she is helping to strengthen research capacity across U.S. colleges and universities by developing competitive funding strategies and expanding pathways for the next generation of scientists and engineers.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in the Bedford-Stuyvesant community, Dr. Ericsson’s journey reflects resilience and academic excellence. At age 15, she moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she attended the Cambridge School of Weston on a full scholarship. She later earned a bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, becoming the first African American female Cambridge resident to do so. She went on to earn both her master’s and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Howard University, becoming the first African American woman to receive a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the institution. Her doctoral research focused on developing practical design methodologies for large orbiting space structures, including the Space Station.

In addition to her technical accomplishments, Dr. Ericsson has earned a Leadership and Management Certificate from Johns Hopkins University, served as a Guest Researcher at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, and held adjunct faculty appointments at multiple universities. Her work has taken her across the globe, where she has presented research, forged international partnerships, and advanced collaboration in aerospace and emerging technologies.

Dr. Ericsson’s contributions have been recognized with numerous prestigious honors, including becoming the first person of color to receive the Washington Award from the Western Society of Engineers. She continues to serve on boards supporting STEM advancement and higher education, while actively mentoring and inspiring the next generation—particularly women and underrepresented minorities—to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Guided by the words of Norman Vincent Peale, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars,” Dr. Ericsson has consistently pursued ambitious goals and broken barriers. She is equally proud of her role as a mother; her daughter, Arielle, is an honors scholar at the School Without Walls High School, continuing a legacy of excellence and leadership. Read Less ^