A Trailblazer in Aerodynamics and Engineering
Dr. Christine Darden, a former NASA engineer and a pioneer in aerodynamics, has often been asked which actress portrayed her in the acclaimed film Hidden Figures, which highlights the contributions of African American women who worked as human computers during the space race. Her response is always the same: “I am not in the movie, but I am in the book.” Speaking to an audience at George Washington University’s Lehman Auditorium, Dr. Darden explained that Hollywood chose to focus on a specific timeline, leaving her story out of the film. Nonetheless, her remarkable career and achievements remain an inspiration.
Dr. Darden earned her doctorate in mechanical engineering from George Washington University in 1983. Her work focused on aerodynamics rather than space flight, and she was still in high school during the period depicted in Hidden Figures. Despite not being featured in the movie, Dr. Darden’s legacy stands tall as she enjoyed a 40-year career at NASA’s Langley Research Center, where she became a leader in sonic boom minimization research. The event at GW, sponsored by the Dean’s Council of Women in Technology as part of Black History Month and Engineers Week, included a screening of the film followed by a discussion with Dr. Darden. It marked her 13th viewing of the movie, and she used the occasion to reflect on her career and share her insights with students, faculty, and young girls in attendance.
Dr. Darden joined NASA in 1967 as one of its human computers. Over the years, she transitioned into engineering, where she worked in a predominantly white and male environment. She credited Mary Jackson, one of the women featured in Hidden Figures, for advocating for her promotion within NASA. Jackson recognized that Dr. Darden was already performing work comparable to that of others who were advancing within the organization. While Dr. Darden acknowledged that she did not face the same level of racial discrimination as the women depicted in Hidden Figures, she did encounter challenges as a woman in a male-dominated field. She recounted an instance when her calculations were repeatedly questioned by a male colleague, only for her to discover an error in his own work. “He laughed one time and that got to me,” she said. “I said, ‘Bring me your sheet where you did your calculations and let me check yours,’ and there was a sine wrong in his calculations.”
By the time Dr. Darden joined NASA, the computer pools had been integrated, but she initially found it frustrating to perform calculations without understanding their purpose. This frustration motivated her to leave the computer pool and move into engineering, where she thrived despite the challenges. Over her career, NASA recognized her contributions with 10 certificates for outstanding performance and showcased her as one of seven inventors who significantly advanced the space program. A former high school math teacher, Dr. Darden transitioned to engineering after earning a graduate degree in applied mathematics. Her passion for mathematics and problem-solving drove her to pursue further education while working full-time. “It was the passion for the work itself that kept me pushing and going to school at George Washington University at the same time,” she explained.
Dr. Darden spent 25 years of her career working on minimizing and softening the shock waves from sonic booms, a critical barrier to supersonic air travel. She envisions a future where advancements in this field could reduce flight times from the East Coast to the West Coast to just 2.5 hours. “I liked the challenge,” she said. “I also liked not doing the same thing every day. Once I got into the engineering area, I’m writing programs and designing models. I am testing them in the wind tunnel. I’m writing papers and giving papers.”
During the discussion following the film screening, moderated by Samsara Counts, chair of GW’s SEAS Dean’s Council of Women in Technology, students asked Dr. Darden about the obstacles she faced as both a woman and an African American woman in engineering. She noted that while she did encounter challenges, they were not as severe as those faced by earlier generations of women at NASA. “Apparently I did not experience some of the things that I am hearing young women in school are now experiencing,” she said. “Maybe I was older and let it roll over my head except for the two instances I mentioned.”
Dr. Darden emphasized the importance of exposing children to mathematics and science from an early age and encouraged parents to challenge stereotypes about gender roles in engineering. “Don’t let people tell your girls that girls aren’t engineers, which I still hear people say,” she urged. Reflecting on her career, Dr. Darden expressed gratitude for the opportunities she had and for the colleagues who supported her along the way. Her story serves as a testament to perseverance, passion, and breaking barriers in science and technology. Through her work at NASA and her advocacy for women in STEM fields, Dr. Christine Darden continues to inspire future generations of engineers and innovators.