Photo by NASA_LANGLEY on Flickr
Katherine Johnson, former NASA mathematician and lead character in the award-winning movie Hidden Figures, just gained more commendation for her incredible work. On Friday in Hampton, Virginia, NASA’s Langley Research Center unveiled a new building which bore the name Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility, or CRF for short.
Johnson is most known for her assistance to the orbital mission of John Glenn in 1962. Possessing a brilliant mind and natural mathematical skills, Johnson remains as a symbol for women with careers in STEM. She was one of the first black women to work for NASA and she dedicated over thirty years there. Aside from having a NASA building named after her, Johnson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by previous president Barack Obama. She gained further recognition thanks to Taraji P. Henson’s portrayal of her in the movie, Hidden Figures.