Ariel Walker began her career at NASA through the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) program. This opportunity led to two internships—the first at Glenn Research Center, and the second at Goddard Space Flight Center, where she worked as a web developer. She graduated from Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology in 2020 with a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, with options in Software Development and Cybersecurity & Digital Forensics. Upon graduation, she joined Goddard as a Flight Software Engineer.

In her role as a Flight Software Engineer, Ariel focuses on automation and supporting secure development practices for the core Flight System. Her technical achievements include enhancing testing methodologies and creating robust automated workflows that have significantly improved development efficiency, system reliability, and security protocols. Beyond her primary responsibilities, Ariel continues to apply her web development expertise to maintain and expand NASA websites.