Wanda M. Austin, president and chief executive officer of The Aerospace Corporation, will speak in the 2009 Walter and Leonore Annenberg Visiting Professors in Leadership and Management Series “Leadership, Globalization and the Economy” at Harvey Mudd College (HMC) Tuesday, April 28.

A reception and dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Green Room at HMC’s Platt Campus Center, followed by the lecture beginning at 7 p.m. Seating is limited and reservations are required. Please R.S.V.P. by Friday, April 24, to (909) 607-6726 or danyel_reed@hmc.edu.

About Wanda Austin
Wanda M. Austin, who US Black Engineer and Informational Technology Magazine named the 2009 Black Engineer of the Year, is president and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation, an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to the objective application of science and technology toward the solution of critical issues affecting the nation’s space program.

Before assuming her current role, Austin was senior vice president of the company’s National Systems Group, which supports the national security space and intelligence community in the acquisition, launch and orbital operation of advanced technology space systems and their ground data stations. Prior to that, Austin served as general manager of the Military Satellite Communications (MILSATCOM) Division, where she was responsible for systems engineering support to the Air Force in the architecture, acquisition, development and orbital operation of advanced satellite communications systems and programs. She was general manager of the Electronic Systems Division before her assignment to the MILSATCOM organization.

Prior to joining Aerospace, Austin was a member of the technical staff at Rockwell International.

Austin, who is internationally recognized for her work in satellite and payload system acquisition, systems engineering and system simulation, earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Franklin & Marshall College, a master’s degrees in systems engineering and mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh, and a doctoral degree in systems engineering from the University of Southern California.

A member of the National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, she has received numerous awards and citations, including the Air Force Scroll of Achievement, the National Reconnaissance Office Gold Medal, NASA’s Exceptional Public Service Medal, the Air Force Meritorious Civilian Service Medal, and the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center’s Martin Luther King Spirit of the Dream Award. She also received the Women in Aerospace Outstanding Achievement Award and the Torrance (Calif.) Chamber of Commerce Corporate Leadership Award. Austin is a member of the WITI (Women in Technology International) Hall of Fame and the International Academy of Astronautics.

Former Mayor of Los Angeles Richard J. Riordan opened HMC’s Annenberg Lecture Series Tuesday, Feb. 17. An archived video of his talk can be viewed here.

Irwin Mark Jacobs, co-founder of Qualcomm Incorporated, spoke on Tuesday, March 24. An archived video of his talk can be viewed here.

Marye Anne Fox, renowned chemist and chancellor at the University of California, San Diego, spoke on Tuesday, March 31. An archived video of her talk can be viewed here.

Richard F. Rashid, senior vice president of Microsoft Research, spoke on Tuesday, April 7. An archived video of his talk can be viewed here.


This speaker series, supported by the The Walter and Leonore Annenberg Fund for Leadership Development, allows the HMC community to engage in important thought and discussion about the role of leadership in the world by bringing distinguished leaders and scholars to campus.