User:Brookeblough/sandbox

= Naia Butler-Craig =

Background and Education
Naia Butler Craig grew up in Orlando, Florida to two working class parents. She is a first- generation college student, and the first in her family to attend grad school. An 8th grade Earth-Space Honors class is where she was introduced to STEM. This led to her discovery of Aerospace Engineering, where it intersected all of her favorite subjects- science, space, math, and engineering. Shortly after graduating high school, Naia Butler-Craig was offered an internship at NASA, where she discovered her specialty- Electric Propulsion. Naia attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering with a concentration in Astronautics. Currently, she is a second year PhD student studying Aerospace Engineerin g at Georgia Institute of Technology. She works in the High-Power Electric Propulsion Lab.

Research and Career
At age 18, Butler-Craig was accepted for an internship with NASA, with a possibility of future employment. She has worked as a NASA Pathways intern in Science and Space Technology. Currently at Georgia Institute of Technology, she is a GEM Fellow, a NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Fellow, and is involved in the Black Graduate Students Association.

As a Pathways Intern at NASA in 2017, Naia Butler-Craig worked on the Albus Cubesat at NASA Glenn Research Center. As part of the same internship in 2018, she was involved in the Sub-Kilowatt Electric Propulsion Project (SKEP). In 2019, she worked for Los Alamos National Laboratories as a Graduate Research Scientist. There, she was involved in a LANL Vector Particle-In-Cell Simulation of Plasma Flow In a Hall Effect Thruster project.

Publications
Naia Butler-Craig has contributed to multiple scientific papers. In 2019 she collaborated with a number of other researchers on the paper “Development of a High-Propellant Throughout Small Spacecraft Electric Propulsion System to Enable Lower Cost NASA Science Missions”. This was published during her time working on the Sub-Kilowatt Electric Propulsion Project. Her senior capstone, “CubeSat Payload to Explore the Effects of Space Radiation Exposure on Cell Population Growth” was also published.

Awards
In 2018, Naia Butler-Craig was awarded the Region III Executive Board Member of the Year Award from the National Society of Black Engineers. In 2019 she was awarded the Excellence in Academics, Leadership, and Service Award during graduation from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, as well as a spot in the Women in Space Science Hall of Fame at the University of Louisville.

Butler-Craig made the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2021.

Additional Awards

 * 2020 NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Fellowship
 * 2020 Modern Day Technology Leader Award, Black Engineer of the Year, 2020
 * GRAD RISE Scholarship, Gerogia Tech Center for Engineering Education and Diversity, 2019
 * Excellence in Academics, Leadership, and Service Award, Spring 2019 Commencement, 2019
 * The Mars Generation, 24 Under 24 Leaders and Innovators in STEAM and Space Award Recipient, 2019
 * GEM (Graduate Education for Minorities) Fellowship Recipient, 2019
 * ERAU Undergraduate Research Scholar, 2019
 * Women in Aviation Space Engineering Scholarship, 2019
 * Make A Difference/Impact Scholarship Recipient, Alpha Omega Epsilon National Foundation, 2018
 * TE Connectivity Excellence in Engineering Society of Women Engineers Scholarship, 2018
 * 2nd Place Poster Presentation, ERAU Discovery Day Undergraduate Research Conference, 2018
 * National Society of Black Engineers Region III Executive Board Member of the Year, 2018
 * National Society of Black Engineers Region Reigns Supreme, 2018
 * Ford/Tech Sassy Girlz STEM Scholarship Winner, 2018
 * Inaugural AIAA Space Diversity Scholarship Recipient, 2017
 * 1st Place Poster Presentation, FIU McNair Research Conference, 2017
 * R3 NSBE Fall Regional Conference Technical Research Exhibition Participant Award, 2017
 * NASA’s Business Professional Women Award, 2017
 * ERAU College of Engineering Dean’s List (2) & Honor Roll (2), 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 R3 NSBE Hidden Figures in STEM Scholarship Award, 2017

STEAM Programs

 * Vision of Flight, Orlando - Volunteer
 * Tech Sassy Girlz, Orlando - Speaker, Volunteer
 * Dreams Soar Inc., Daytona Beach - Volunteer
 * 100 Girls of Code, Conyers - Volunteer, Workshop Host
 * Freedom Middle School Project Lead the Way, Orlando - Speaker iRise2STEAM, Daytona Beach - Speaker, Workshop Host, Volunteer BEST Academy, Los Alamos - Speaker, Volunteer

Technical Presentations

 * LA Astro Distinguished Seminar Series – ‘VPIC simulations of Astrophysical Outflows and Hall Thrusters’, 2019
 * Los Alamos National Lab Student Research Symposium, August 2019 American Institute Aeronautics and Astronautics Space and Astronautics Forum, September 2018 American Institute Aeronautics and Astronautics Propulsion and Energy Forum, July 2018
 * Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Discovery Day, April 2018
 * Region 3 National Society of Black Engineers Fall Regional Conference Research Symposium, Nov. 2017
 * Florida International University McNair Undergraduate Research Conference, Oct. 2017

Non-Technical Presentations

 * 2020 Space Gals x Engineering Gals Youtube Live Seminar- Speaker and Panelist 2020 Annual STEM Conference, St. Mark's School of Texas - Speaker and Panelist 2019 Empowerment: Making and shaping History: Women in Space Science, University of Louisville - Keynote Speaker
 * 2018 NSBE Jr. Presentation, Mt. Sinai Church Orlando - Keynote