Ellen Ochoa

11th Director, NASA Johnson Space Center

B.S. Physics (1980)

NASA astronaut. First Hispanic woman to go into space. Veteran of four American space flights with nearly 1,000 hours in orbit.
Recognized with several NASA awards including the Distinguished Service Medal and with the Federal government executive Presidential Distinguished Rank Award.
Earned Ph.D. in electrical engineering at Stanford. Co-inventor of three patented optical analysis systems and author of numerous technical papers.
Performed as a flutist in SDSU Wind Ensemble, Stanford Symphony Orchestra, and Livermore Symphony. Earned private pilot’s license.
Effective ambassador for NASA, delivering more than 300 speeches promoting science and engineering careers. Six schools bear her name in California, Washington, and Texas.

Notable CSU Alumni in aerospace & aviation