By Sarah Marino, Times West Virginian
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A former NASA engineer said it is unfortunate that the world did not get to know the West Virginia woman who helped put a man on the moon until her career had long ended.
The late NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson was the focus of a virtual Black History Month panel hosted by Meshea Poore, WVU’s vice president of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion featuring former NASA engineer and WVU alum Kerri Knotts. In 2019, Johnson’s legacy was honored with the renaming of the NASA IV & V facility here in Fairmont.
Knotts said it was incredible that Johnson contributed to putting the first man on the moon and since then 24 men have been to the moon. She said in the future the first woman will go on the moon.
“To honor Katherine Johnson and to think about that I wish we had known about her earlier. We didn’t, and how many people are we missing out on? How many people like Katherine are out there that are being overlooked?” said Knotts…