Dr. Patricia S. Cowings (1948-present) was born and raised in the Bronx, New York City. Her career at NASA began in 1971 as a graduate student when she received a fellowship in NASA’s Graduate Research Science Program. She graduated in 1973 with her psychology doctorate from UC Davis.
A few years later in 1979, she became the first African American woman scientist to be trained as an astronaut by NASA. Though she never made it to space, she spent her 34-year career at NASA researching the effects of gravity on human physiology and performance.
Dr. Cowings helped develop and patent the Autogenic-feedback training exercise (AFTE) method and system. This intense 6-hour training was developed to teach astronauts to voluntarily control their physiological responses (space sickness). In 2009, Patricia was inducted into the Women in Technology Hall of Fame (WITI). We celebrate Dr. Patricia S. Cowings and her advancements for women in STEM.
Melanie Dixon
Pronouns: she/her/hers Why pronouns?
Vice President of Diversity Equity and Inclusion
Building 1000 (Administration) Room 1019A
Day at a Glance 
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