Johnson Recognizes Outstanding Team Members During Black History Month

Each February, NASA celebrates the generations of Black Americans whose spirit, culture, and achievements have uplifted our country and our world. The agencywide commemoration of Black History Month honors a legacy of people whose determination has summoned the strength of our nation and challenged America to live up to its founding promise.

To help recognize the many contributions of Black Americans to the agency’s mission, the African American Employee Resource Group for NASA’s Johnson Space Center nominated several outstanding employees to be featured on RoundUp Reads. Scroll below to learn how these individuals are helping NASA push the boundaries of what is possible and cultivate an inclusive environment.

Meet Candice Palacios-Hoang, Agreements Integration Analyst

Candice Palacios-Hoang loves tackling a new challenge and looking at processes from every angle. Her current role at  Johnson – agreements integration analyst in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer – lets her do both every day.

“Our job is to make the financial side of the agreements process more streamlined and understandable for resource and program analysts and other agreement stakeholders at the center,” she said. “I’m kind of like a Rosetta Stone that helps my team and these stakeholders communicate.” 

Palacios-Hoang’s previous experience as a resource analyst for the Exploration Integration and Science Directorate gives her a different perspective from her teammates, all of whom are accountants or have a finance background. She recently collaborated with a colleague in the Business Integration Office to create a web-based Agreements Hub that provides detailed information about every aspect of an agreement and how each component is created. “The hub helps people on the resources side understand what’s expected of them and the next step of an agreement process, and agreement managers can see what their resource analyst is working on,” she said.

Palacios-Hoang said her team is currently looking at how the aerospace economy is changing to determine how agreements need to be structured, and what policies and systems need to be in place to support NASA’s future business model and continued partnerships with industry. “It’s a very behind-the-scenes job but it’s very important to how we choose to do business going forward,” she said.

Her most memorable NASA experiences so far include being a panelist for the agency’s 2023 Juneteenth celebration at Johnson. Being onstage at the Teague Auditorium and having a conversation with leadership about creating an inclusive environment was “a super amazing experience,” she said. “I was also the only early career individual on the panel, which I thought was a great opportunity for people in the audience to see someone who was like them – not a director or senior executive.” She was also proud to be selected for the NASA 2040 Process Workstream team.

Palacios-Hoang is a former chair of Johnson’s African American Employee Resource Group (ERG) and remains involved in several ERGs. She praised center leadership’s strong support for ERGs at Johnson, which goes beyond encouraging community members to be part of these organizations to enabling ERG events, involving executive sponsors in ERG meetings, and providing a platform for employee representation via the Inclusion & Innovation Council. “It’s a really big deal to be able to tell our leaders this is the feedback we’re receiving, these are the things we think need to be done better, or these are the things we think are going really well and want you to continue supporting,” she said.

Involvement in ERGs has enabled Palacios-Hoang to grow in her career, mostly due to the connections she has made with executive sponsors, managers, and other teammates. “They helped on those days that felt impossible,” she said. “I loved that I could be there for other people and that they could be there for me.” She believes it is important that people feel seen, represented, and heard in the workplace, and that sometimes all colleagues want is to know that someone is willing to listen and help them find what they need. “That’s a very unique opportunity that you get working with ERGs in particular, that you get to touch so many different people,” she said.

Employees who are not involved in an ERG can also make a big difference in a colleague’s experience, and with very small actions, Palacios-Hoang said. She recalled seeking career advice from a colleague who did not have a particularly helpful answer to her question, but instead of saying, “I don’t know,” the colleague referred Palacios-Hoang to someone else. “That person became my mentor and she changed everything,” she said. “Now when someone asks me a question that I don’t know the answer to, I try to take that extra moment to help them find what they’re looking for. That’s such a small thing.”

Palacios-Hoang would also like to see more conversations about diversity and inclusion happening organically and originating from employees instead of being driven by leadership or following a specific schedule. This would help people share their stories in a way that makes them comfortable, she said, and allow some breathing room between heavier conversations.

“Houston is such a diverse city and I love that our center looks like the city we live in, in a lot of ways,” she said. “Seeing someone you can relate to in the space you want to be is really important.”

***

Meet Crystal Williams, Operational Psychology Specialist

As an operational psychology specialist within the Behavioral Health & Performance (BHP) group at Johnson, Crystal Williams aids in the development and implementation of support resources that help astronauts aboard the International Space Station and CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog) crew members successfully complete long-duration missions. Helping the CHAPEA crew and their families stay connected and get through their year-long mission is a particularly fulfilling part of her work, she said. “I participate in onsite and community events at JSC, bringing along their flat counterparts. I capture moments through photos and videos and share them to lift their spirits,” she said.

Williams relishes any opportunity to share knowledge about NASA’s mission and programs with people of all ages – a nod to her previous role as an education program manager for the Office of STEM Engagement. “As an educator, one of the highlights of my NASA experience is when someone asks about the project I’m involved in,” she said. “It gives me the opportunity to educate them and raise awareness about the groundbreaking, long-duration analog mission taking place in a 3D printed habitat on Mars for the betterment of humanity.”

Participating in Bring Youth to Work Day with her two young children is also a cherished memory from her time at NASA. “Reflecting on my own experience accompanying my mother to work, I now have the joy of sharing that remarkable experience with my daughters,” she said, proudly adding that both girls enthusiastically educated other participants about CHAPEA and even led hands-on science experiments with other children.

Williams believes that NASA’s emphasis on educational outreach programs is an important part of the agency’s commitment to supporting diversity. Through collaboration with schools, universities, and community organizations, these programs inspire and encourage students from various backgrounds and underrepresented communities to pursue careers in STEM fields. “This not only contributes to a diverse agency workforce but also plays a crucial role in advancing the broader goals of space exploration and scientific discovery,” she said. “NASA’s dedication to educational outreach is a positive example of how to actively support diversity by investing in the development of talent from diverse backgrounds.”

Williams is currently serving her third term as the African American Employee Resource Group’s (AAERG) outreach and engagement chair – a position that plays a leading role in the group’s planning and execution of varied events and initiatives, such as a thought-provoking workshop series on topics like race and unconscious bias. Being a part of AAERG has given her a strong sense of community and support and contributed significantly to her personal and professional development. “It allowed me to discover my specific role onsite while contributing to a cause greater than myself,” she said. The group has enabled Williams’ creative expression as well, through campaigns like “Little Leaders” which encouraged parents to envision their children as bold figures in Black history.

Williams has also worked to advance inclusivity as an ERO Champion. She helped to facilitate several Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) focus groups with employees and leadership, organize a panel discussion featuring prominent DEIA leaders at NASA, and host a speaker series and workshops on DEIA topics.

She thinks one opportunity for NASA to support both greater diversity and professional development would be to establish mentorship and sponsorship programs specifically for underrepresented groups within the agency’s contractor workforce. Building these types of relationships between experienced team members and those in the early or mid-stages of their careers could address potential barriers to advancement, create a more supportive work environment, and promote a culture of diversity and equity, she said.

Williams also believes that every Johnson employee can help create an inclusive environment by actively listening to and seeking to understand diverse perspectives during team discussions and meetings. “Fostering open communication and showing genuine interest in the ideas and experiences of others can contribute to a culture of inclusivity,” she said. “This simple yet powerful act promotes collaboration, respect, and a sense of belonging, ultimately cultivating an environment where everyone feels valued and heard.”

***

Meet Jordyn-Marie Dudley, ARES Project Manager and Scientist

For Jordyn-Marie Dudley, a Jacobs project manager and scientist who works within Johnson’s Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) division, watching the OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule landing in September 2023 stands out as a top NASA experience.

“I work in astromaterials with many of the curators that prepared for the OSIRIS-REx sample return,” she said. “It was nice to celebrate their success live during the recovery, and now be a bystander as they process the returned materials in ARES laboratories.”

Dudley manages the technical, cost, and schedule for the JETS II contract’s support of the Mars Sample Return Sample Receiving Project. She has prior experience researching planetary volatiles and measuring hydrogen in meteorite minerals. “The most rewarding part of my job is facilitating my team,” she said. “My primary responsibility as a project manager is to remove roadblocks for my colleagues, and to help push our collective goal forward.” She noted that the Mars Sample Return Campaign to return and curate the first samples from the Red Planet is a monumental effort that involves numerous components and partners. “I’m inspired by the work that everyone on the team is doing and excited for the opportunity to support the mission.”

Dudley has also established herself as a champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Johnson and in the community. She served as the recruitment lead for Johnson’s AAERG in 2023 and is currently a co-ambassador for Jacobs’ Harambee Black employee network. She is a co-lead of Supporting Women at NASA (SWAN), as well. SWAN is an employee-founded volunteer group that hosts professional development seminars, networking events, and in-person and online STEM outreach activities for K-12 students. A recent event with a Girl Scouts chapter in San Jacinto involved an interactive lesson about the phases of the Moon, for example. SWAN events are led by NASA professionals with different experiences and expertise to help expose students to a variety of STEM career paths.

“As a first-generation college graduate, Black woman, and early-career scientist, I am committed to cultivating a diverse STEM community,” Dudley said. She added that her involvement in AAERG “puts some of my core values to practice and helps me pursue my personal goals within my own workspace.” She encourages all Johnson employees to join an ERG, participate in groups like SWAN, or connect with other existing networks to foster greater diversity. “There are some really great initiatives happening at Johnson right now and they all need support,” she said.

Dudley believes that NASA’s internship program, including its intern recruitment efforts, is one area where the agency excels in promoting diversity. “Internships are extremely valuable for high school and college students, and I’m happy that Johnson and NASA continue to provide these experiences,” she said. She also encourages members of the Artemis Generation to create their own opportunities. “The space ecosystem is growing,” she said. “There are so many ways to get involved.”

Dudley sees an opportunity for the agency to create robust internal mentorship programs that would support the development of early to mid-career professionals. “I would love to see an accessible, cross-center, and cross-organization mentorship program to help build relationships with other professionals in senior positions,” she said.

Working to build new relationships is one small way everyone at Johnson can help create an inclusive environment. “The next time you are seated or standing next to someone you don’t know, say hello and introduce yourself,” Dudley said. “Bonus points if you join a table of new people for lunch.”