During her address at the 2017 Animus Women’s Innovation Summit, Yajaira Sierra discusses her life as a scientist and edupreneur and her mission to become the first Puerto Rican female astronaut.
Yajaira discovered her passion for nanotechnology during a research fellowship at Stanford University and went on to work at UPR’s Center for Advanced Nanoscale Materials and earn a PhD in nanomaterials chemistry from Cornell University. After working for startup companies developing nanocoatings, she applied to NASA’s astronaut program, where she was made Chief Science Officer of a Mars analog mission. There, she directed and conducted research on food systems and antimicrobial textiles for long-duration spaceflight missions.
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