Celebrate All Scientists: Aaron Yazzie
November is National Native American Heritage Month, and this month, Liberty Science Center highlights the work of Aaron Yazzie, a Diné (Navajo) mechanical engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Aaron Yazzie was born in Tuba City, Arizona, a part of the Navajo nation, to his math teacher mother and civil engineer father. Raised in Holbrook, Arizona, Yazzie inherited a love for learning from his parents, who encouraged him to pursue a college education since they were both first-generation college students. Yazzie was inspired to apply to Stanford University after attending a program for Navajo students and meeting an admissions counselor. He was accepted into Stanford and excelled in his academics and professional experiences while attending. Yazzie interned at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and the Glenn Research Center during his undergraduate years, where he developed his engineering skills even further.
After graduating from Stanford in 2008, Yazzie joined the Jet Propulsion Lab at NASA. He still works at NASA, primarily with planetary samples. Specific NASA projects he has worked on include the Mars Science Laboratory, InSight, and Mars 2020. Outside of his work at NASA, Yazzie is heavily involved in inspiring Native American youth to pursue careers in science and engineering, as he has been a long-standing member of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society. He served as President of his Stanford chapter while pursuing his undergraduate degree and is now a lifetime member.
You can find out more information about Aaron Yazzie and his professional success on NASA’s website!
