Ellen Stofan’s New Frontier

This week, scientist Ellen Stofan takes a historic step as the first woman to become director of the National Air and Space Museum, one of the world's most visited museums about aviation and space technology. 

Stofan has trained for this moment since childhood. The daughter of a NASA rocket scientist and a science teacher, she attended her first rocket launch at Cape Canaveral, Fla. at age 4. She went on to intern at the National Air and Space Museum as a college student, earn a PhD in geological sciences and serve as NASA's chief scientist. 

As museum director, Stofan's goal is to inspire visitors just as she was inspired as a young scientist. "They'll see the Spirit of St. Louis, the Viking spacecraft, the Apollo capsule, and they'll say, 'You know what, I can do that!' I want them to come here and just be inspired to be that next generation of explorers and innovators," she said. 

Throughout Stofan's career, she has embraced innovation--including developing plans to bring humans to Mars--and has worked to increase diversity and inclusion of underrepresented groups in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

"I love what I do--I love space, I love aviation," Stofan said. "Trying to convey to the public why we explore, why we're always trying to leave the ground and get up into the air and out into space, it's something that I'm passionate about."

Learn more about Ellen Stofan in her video profile: