Women-in-Space has democratized the technology ecosystem, time and again!
Whether the first women spacewalk in 1963 by Valentina Terkova on the International Space Station or the upcoming NASA mission of 2026 that aims to land the first woman on the moon under the Artemis program– women’s achievements have completely disrupted the “Only Men lead the technology ” monopoly.
However, the journey has never been a cakewalk. From socioeconomic disparity in the workplace to lack of technological accessibility; women have crossed all the barriers with flying colors. Realizing such a roller coaster ride, where women have been at the forefront of the tech revolution while offering an inclusive lens, IMPAAKT Magazine feels humbled and grateful for the contributions that women have made to holistic social development.
In 2024, as the World celebrates 37th Women History Month, IMPAAKT Magazine dived deeper to discover a one-of-a-unique-kind leader who is not only spearheading technology leadership but also creating multiple avenues for fostering diversity and inclusion in the STEM and technology ecosystem.
Meet Dr. Christyl Johnson—Deputy Director for Technology and Research Investment at NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre who shines bright on the cover of our “10 Womenintech Accelerating Progress in 2024.”
While historical theories like Carlyle’s Great Man Theory or Vince Lombardi’s hard work philosophy suggest that leaders are either born or made, Dr. Johnson’s journey embodies a practical and strong perspective on leadership.
What sets her apart is her clear vision and unique leadership style. She has a knack for technical writing, research & development, and a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from George Washington University and brings a wealth of experience to the table. Throughout her career, she has navigated through various roles like honing skills in configuration management, business process improvements in science and the list goes on!
In our interview with Dr. Johnson, we discovered a forward-thinking leader with a growth mindset.
She reflects on her humble beginnings in Virginia, where she grew up around a beach and worked as a lifeguard, to her current role at NASA, she epitomizes excellence in leadership, technology, diversity, and growth.
Let’s delve into Dr. Johnson’s remarkable journey, from the Virginia Coast to the helm of NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre.
The Early Years: From Virginia Beach to NASA’s Laser’s Design Development
Dr. Johnson grew up in Virginia Beach in the United States and had been a lifeguard with several of her friends. Gradually, she did head out for greater professional goals, starting from Langley Research Center—Hampton, Virginia.
Reminiscing the early days, Dr. Johnson mentions, “The first summer when I started at Langley Research Center, they said—It would be in a physics lab. And for me, that was very weird. I was like, what in the world am I going to be doing in physics? And why would anyone want to work in physics? And when I stepped into Langley Research Center, they walked me down the hallway and said, this is the lab that you’re going to be in. And there was this big light on the door that said danger, laser hazard inside. And I was like, what in the world are we doing here?”
Further, Dr. Johnson rang the doorbell, and the person who opened the door handed her eyeglasses and cautioned her to not lean down to the level of the table because there was stray laser light going around the room and if it zaps her in the eye, she might get blind. Commenting on this, Dr Johnson says, “And I was like, oh, no, what am I getting myself into?”
“Once we went inside, he was adjusting the mirrors for the laser. Suddenly, I heard pop, pop, pop, and smoke because his sleeve got in the way of the laser beam.”
This experience didn’t stop Dr. Johnson; rather she got hooked on laser design and development she witnessed at NASA. That’s how leaders drive opportunities!
Commenting on the creative zeal of NASA, Dr Johnson shared that NASA pays you to think and to create something from absolutely nothing. They created an innovative environment where people would work in the lab and, if stuck – would go out in the mall or go out around the waters and once they came back –they would be in a creative zeal that got them to work with passion and interest.
She says, “At Langley Research Center, we designed several laser systems by combining work and play so that we can be creative. So that was the very start to my career.”
How Dr. Johnson Navigated the Diversity Challenges?
Starting at NASA—33 years ago, Dr. Johnson encountered challenges, just like anyone would face – early in their career. Being the only African American in the room which is usually dominated by male counterparts, she found that if she asked a question to any of the engineers—the response was not easy and welcoming as compared to men.
Understanding this difference, Dr. Johnson made sure to work hard and reach a place where she could truly add value to the table. She notes, “When you understand the value that you bring to the table and the significance of the contribution that you can make to a team, that shades and colors your actions and all behaviors.”
Advising on the diversity challenges, Dr Johnson shares her opinion, “If you let somebody else’s actions determine how you feel about yourself, you are always going to be on a roller coaster ride. That’s their problem, not yours.”
She cites an example noting her clear perspective on diversity challenges and says that if people have issues with you – it’s none of your business. Dr. Johnson’s strong perspective on fighting back against discrimination in the workplace is very well reflected when she says, “If somebody comes in with some stupidity. I’d say to myself, OK, how was I thinking and how was I feeling before they walked in and did that? And then I go back to that place? Because you can’t allow somebody to put you on a roller coaster ride, because every day you’ll be up and then down and then up and then down as opposed to living your life the way that you choose to live it.”
Inspiring Achievements of WomeninNASA!
Dr Johnson notes that there are 100s of success stories as NASA has been—for the past 8 years—voted as the ‘BEST PLACE TO WORK’ in the federal government in the United States.
For NASA, diversity is serious to business. With the space-critical missions and many times, nearly impossible goals—having a diverse team always helps.
She points out that people with diverse backgrounds can bring unique and innovative solutions rather than those of the same background and perspective. She quotes, “It’s only when you get people with very different backgrounds that are looking through life with very different lenses on it to look at your problem and then say, why are you doing it that way? Why don’t you think about it this way? They’re the ones that come up with the most revolutionary solutions and changes to everything that you’re doing to your challenges.
So we’ve had women who like me, have designed and built laser systems that no one else had ever achieved.”
The first one—the Chromium LiSAF laser, which is a completely solid-state laser that achieved 35 millijoules for the first time and was presented on a global forum and acknowledged for it.
Dr. Johnson developed a Piezoelectric Coefficient Laboratory where people from around the world came to measure their crystals.
In her laboratory, she had other women who developed specific lasers and those who had been leading the communications and navigation systems for the agency as all the information that comes down from the International Space Station goes through Goddard Space Flight Center.
Dr Johnson sharing about women’s achievements, points out, “We also have women who are at that connect point to receive the data, to transform that data into something usable for the community. Then, we have women that are communicating it to the external community and making it so that it’s palatable for them and something that can be infused into their applications all over the world.”
Within NASA, some women leaders are head of Johnson Space Flight Center. That is where all astronauts are housed and trained. That is where NASA has control centers that control communications back and forth between the astronauts on the International Space Station and the ground.
On the engineering side, NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre has photographers that are women. They have lawyers, accounting people, scientists. They have a huge site, a core of scientists who are executing the next generation of science and astrophysics, Earth science, heliophysics, and planetary science.
Dr Johnson comments, “And I could probably talk about this forever because we have so many amazing contributions from the women within NASA.”
Roadmap to Diversity Challenge: Setting Policy or Creating Environment?
The diversity talks face a primary challenge – whether to set up policy or create a pro-diversity process! Who wins?
Dr. Cristyl puts an end to age age-old question and suggests that even if organizations have policies in place, they are not going to make progress until the organizational environment is established so that they can support diversity within their organizations. She quotes, “There’s a huge difference between going out on a hiring blitz and hiring all these diverse people, women, and other diverse—cult groups of people. And when they get into the organization, they feel like they’re not included in the conversations. They’re not given opportunities to do the high visibility roles within the organization. They don’t get the experience or the mentoring. They don’t get all of those things that are crucial in supporting their growth within the organization.”
Dr Johnson states that organizations cannot have one without the other. “If one had a choice between having someone establish a policy versus working hard on those internal organizations to make sure they’re setting themselves up for diversity, I would focus on the organizational environment within the organizations to be able to support it. Those are the ones that are successful even without policy,” says Dr. Johnson.
As a seasoned leader, Dr Johnson understands the vicious circle of setting up policies. She has a strong opinion that policies are forced on people and even if one wishes to establish them, organizations need to deploy resources to regulate them. And, on top of that, reviewing the regulations becomes ahard nut to crack—which ultimately lands on to leadership role.
Dr. Johnson understands the role of top leadership involvement very well when it comes to diversity. She explains that, if the people at the top of the organization are not willing to walk the talk, the rest of the organization will always be lost when it comes to diversity.
She explains, “I think Policy is just like keeping checks and balances, but it’s not actually how everyone is implementing it or if everyone will be there because again with policy there comes regulations and then who is going to regulate it, how we’re going to regulate people’s behavior. And then there are N number of questions that come along with that.”
How WomeninNASA are leading the most complex projects like Artemis, Curiosity, and Voyager?
Diversity is deeply embedded in NASA’s DNA, with the integration of women into all aspects of the organization occurring seamlessly and naturally. Projects as intricate as Artemis, Curiosity, and Voyager are executed with seamless coordination between male and female counterparts.
Across NASA’s various centers, both men and women lead in implementing the agency’s policies, goals, missions, and objectives. Notably, the Johnson Space Center is led by a woman, highlighting the natural progression of gender equality within NASA’s leadership. Dr. Johnson emphasized, “For us, it’s just a natural thing, it’s like breathing, it’s like just speaking English.”
NASA’s Artemis mission, aimed at establishing a sustainable human presence on the moon by 2040, represents a monumental endeavor. Dr. Johnson articulated, “When I say sustainable presence on the moon; I mean we’re talking about sustainable presence having humans living there and thriving there and this is just so that we can test out the technologies and the capabilities to get us ready for our ultimate destination—Mars.”
The Artemis program, with its emphasis on diversity, builds on lessons learned from previous missions like Curiosity, Voyager, and the James Webb Space Telescope. Dr. Johnson reflected, “This Artemis mission is already instituting so much diversity.”
In NASA’s context, having women work side by side with men is as natural as speaking English. Women lead the design and integration of the entire Artemis program, including the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, which is crucial for the agency’s exploration efforts, led by a woman with both male and female deputies and division directors.
Roadmap: Career Path at NASA
Exploring www.nasa.gov and navigating to the Women of NASA section reveals a multitude of remarkable women contributing to NASA’s STEM careers. Dr. Johnson expressed, “That’s just a few of the amazing women that are engaged in STEM careers across NASA.”
NASA offers many educational programs from kindergarten through 12th grade, as well as programs for college and postgraduate levels. Dr. Johnson highlighted that NASA has internship programs where they invite students to come in and be a part of the community and learn what it’s like to be a part of NASA, not only for US citizens but also for international internship capability where people from other countries join and participate in NASA internship program.
Among these programs is the ‘STEM Girls Night In’ initiative, personally developed by Dr. Johnson. She explains, “In this program, there’s so many young girls that feel like math is too hard for them and STEM is just one of those things that’s not reachable for them.”
The program pairs high school girls with college-age mentors and a NASA woman, spending 24 hours together engaging in challenges and activities at the center.
Dr. Johnson also collaborated with Michelle Obama’s Let Girls Learn Program, connecting her girls with those in South Africa to broaden their perspectives. She emphasized, “But giving those girls an opportunity to see that they could do this and that, it’s exciting. It’s not just a geeky kind of thing, but they got a chance to envision themselves in a career like this.”
Continuing her efforts, Dr. Johnson initiated summits to address the gender gap in STEM fields, bringing together individuals from diverse fields to actively increase female representation. Dr. Johnson expressed her motivation, ‘I got tired of people saying—you know, we need more women in STEM, and I say, well what are you doing about it to move the needle”.
Challenges and Opportunities for Women in the Space Industry
Dr. Johnson reflected on the challenges and opportunities for women in the space industry. While there are numerous opportunities, challenges remain.
One of the key challenges Dr. Johnson highlighted is the presence of ‘good old boy‘ networks in some organizations, where senior positions are predominantly held by males. She emphasized the importance of recognizing personal biases in the hiring process, stating, “Every human being has personal biases and when you’re looking at hiring a person, you are going to lean towards the person you feel most comfortable with.”
“Personal biases do affect women when you have mostly males in the top-level positions, but ensuring you have a very diverse, well-rounded employee group, a staff that is very diverse, is the way ahead.”
To address these challenges, NASA is intentional about fostering diversity within its ranks. Dr. Johnson explains that it implements processes to mitigate unconscious biases in hiring, such as ensuring diverse interview panels and multiple layers of review for applications.
Dr. Johnson emphasized, “It’s not just selecting officials, looking at the resumes, throwing out ones that they can’t get a sense that this person is not going to be cool. For me, it goes through multiple layers of a process to get to who gets elected for a position within NASA.”
Advice for Aspiring Women in the Space Industry
Dr. Johnson offered advice to young women aspiring to join the space industry, emphasizing the importance of self-confidence. She shared, “Yeah, I would say the most important thing is to have confidence in yourself.”
Addressing imposter syndrome, Dr. Johnson encouraged women to recognize their value and unique perspectives. She emphasized, “Just the fact that you are a woman means that you bring a very different way of looking at things to the table. And that’s very, very valuable.”
