About the Book

Have you ever built a cool science project? In middle school, Aprille Ericsson won second place in a science fair. She knew she wanted to keep creating amazing science projects. As an adult, she became an engineer and works at NASA building spacecraft. 

Ericsson was one of the few girls in her middle school who loved math and science. Years later, she became the first woman to receive a PhD in mechanical engineering from Howard University. At NASA, she's helped build spacecraft that can map the moon, monitor climate change, or even bring soil and rocks back from Mars. Learn how Ericsson's passion for science has helped her pave the way for future engineers.

About the Subject

Aprille Joy Ericsson '86 is currently the Capture (Mission) Manager for a proposed Astrophysics Mid-sized Class Explorer, STAR-X. Most recently, she served as the NASA GSFC Program Manager for Small Business Innovative Research/Small Business Technology Transfer Research (SBIR/STTR). Dr. Ericsson has held numerous positions during her 25+ year tenure with NASA. At Howard University, her research involved developing control methods for orbiting large space platforms like ISS. She sits on several Technical Academic boards at the National Academies, MIT, and previously Howard University, where she also served as a member of the Board of Trustees. Dr. Ericsson has won numerous awards and recognitions over the years, including the prestigious “2016 Washington Award” from the Western Society of Engineers. Dr. Ericsson received her B.S. in Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering from MIT in 1986. She went on to become the first female (and the first African-American female) to receive a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Howard University, and the first African-American female to receive a Ph.D. in Engineering at NASA GSFC. 

Waxman, Laura Hamilton. Aerospace Engineer Aprille Ericsson (STEM Trailblazer Bios). Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications, 2015.