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science projects. That same year, she published her well-received
autobiography, Managing Martians. She has also developed an elec-
tronic book called Managing Creativity. In January 2003, Shirley
became director of Seattle’s innovative Science Fiction Hall of Fame
and Museum.
In addition to receiving two Group Achievement Awards from
NASA, Shirley has been honored by groups such as Women in
Technology International. She has also been chosen as a Woman
of the Year by Ms. magazine and received Glamour magazine’s
“Women Who Do and Dare” award. Recognition aside, Shirley
believes that what really counts is the number of women who are
overcoming obstacles to achieve top-rank careers in engineering and
science. In a “chat” on a NASA Web site, she had this advice for
young people:

The main thing is to be flexible. Usually you don’t get to work in the
same field your whole career. If you get a sound technical education
and are willing to learn and work hard throughout your whole life
you’ll be O.K. and get to do fun stuff.

Chronology

1941 Donna Shirley born in Wynnewood, Oklahoma
1963 Shirley graduates from the University of Oklahoma with a
degree in technical writing; she works for McDonnell Aircraft
in St. Louis
1965 Having returned to the University of Oklahoma, Shirley earns
a B.S. degree in aerospace engineering
1966 Shirley begins work at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in
Pasadena, California
1968 Shirley earns a master’s degree in aerospace engineering at the
University of Southern California
1970 Shirley becomes the mission analyst for NASA’s Mariner 10
Venus-Mercury expedition