Christine Darden

Christine Darden is a mathematician, engineer, and data analyst who worked at NASA for 4 decades and is known for her supersonic aircraft noise research.

Education

christine darden calculating photo

Attended Winchester Avenue High School and later transferred to Allen High School (formerly the Allen School for Negro Girls) where she graduated as valedictorian (1958)
B.S. degree and teaching certification from Hampton Institute (1962)
M.S degree in applied mathematics from Virgina State College (1967)
Ph.D. in engineering at Georgia Washington University (1983)

List of Accomplishments

photo of christine darden holding rocket

Awards
Candace Award for Science and Technology from the Coalition of 100 Black Women (1987) Black Engineer of the Year Award (1988) Darden received the Presidential Citizenship Award at Hampton University (2018) Congressional Gold Medal (2019) Featured in the book Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race (2016)

Quotes

photo of christine darden in front of equations on a blackboard

"I wanted to be in engineering. Men in engineering did research, gave talks, wrote and published papers, and got promoted. The women … followed the engineers’ orders."
"I was able to stand on the shoulders of those women who came before me and women who came after me were able to stand on mine"