Space Enabled Doctoral candidates Yiyun Zhang and Ufuoma Ovienmhada were featured in "Future Leaders in Aerospace," hosted by the MIT Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AeroAstro) on October 11-13, 2023.  The Future Leaders in Aerospace Symposium aims to increase the participation of people underrepresented among Aerospace Engineering professionals in academia and research. 

Yiyun Zhang is a PhD student in the Space Enabled research group at MIT Media Lab.  Her research project is to broaden the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM education activities. She is working on the Zero Robotics program, which is a middle school and high school coding competition using the NASA Astrobee free flyer. The final event is live streamed from the International Space Station (ISS). 

Ufuoma Ovienmhada is a PhD candidate at MIT in the Aeronautics and Astronautics Department. She studies applications of satellite remote sensing data for environmental justice. In her dissertation, she researches distribution of environmental hazards in carceral landscapes. Prior to beginning her PhD, she completed a Masters in the MIT Media Lab. Her Master's Thesis focused on applying remote sensing, low-cost sensors, drone data collection and community-centered design techniques to invasive plant species management in West Africa. Before arriving at MIT, she completed a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and worked at Public Lab, a community science nonprofit. Outside of research, Ufuoma is involved in campus activism pertaining to DEI and alternative forms of public safety.