About

The Spaced Out Doc community is a direct reflection of Dr. Michaelyn’s thoughts, experiences, and research through storytelling in efforts to build community with a shared vision of women empowerment in the space industry. As a woman of color and executive leader in a profession with few people who look like her, her perspective is unique, and her goal is to educate, motivate, and inspire as many people as possible to pursue space education and space careers. She believes that women empowerment objectives are not just for women, but rather, these objectives are for everyone to succeed, because inclusive business is good business. 

Professionally, Dr. Michaelyn is an accomplished and strategic senior executive leader with nearly two decades of space start-up and traditional industry experience in both the private and public sectors. She is also a part-time engineering professor for graduate students. Dr. Michaelyn has an extensive success record in system-of-systems engineering; modeling, simulation, and analysis; digital engineering; technical program management; strategy; acquisitions; and business operations for complex space systems. Dr. Michaelyn is considered a space systems expert with a strong emphasis on uplifting people around her while building strong, dynamic teams.

Scholastically, Dr. Michaelyn is a published author and belongs to two academic honor societies: 1) Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society, the Maryland Alpha chapter; and 2) Dobro Slovo, the national Russian language honor society. She holds a doctorate degree in organizational leadership from University of La Verne; a master of science degree in space systems engineering from Johns Hopkins University; a master of business administration (MBA) degree from University of Redlands; and a bachelor of arts degree in political science, public law with a minor degree in Russian language from California State University, Long Beach. 

Dr. Michaelyn has a deep passion for space exploration, space systems innovation, and STEAM education. She is also very passionate about giving back, and she pays it forward by dedicating her spare time to inspire as many kids and adults to pursue STEAM education and careers by leading “space chats” around the world; leading as a mentor to many students ranging K-12 through graduate students; leading as an executive mentor for the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship program; leading as a student advisory board member for Tau Beta Pi headquarters; and leading as the Tau Beta Pi Maryland Alpha alumni advisor.