(1958-).
The first Latino astronaut. Born in Los Angeles, California, Ochoa received her early education in Southern California and was awarded a B.S. degree in physics in 1980 from San Diego State University; she received M.S. (1981) and Ph.D.(1985) degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford University. Following her graduate studies, Ochoa became a research engineer at Sandia National Laboratories, and later at NASA/Ames Research center where she rose to become chief of the information sciences division. Soon thereafter she became an astronaut. In 1989, she received the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Award for the Most Promising Engineer in Government, and in 1990 she received the Pride Award from the National Hispanic Quincenntennial Commission. 7/1/96 |
