Patricia S. Cowings
Personal Information
Born: 1948
Country of Birth: USA
Nationality: USA
Ethnicity: Black
Education
State University of New York-Stony Brook 1970, BA Psychology; University of California-Davis, 1971 MA, 1973 PhD, Psychology
Professional Life
Field of Study: Aerospace Psychophysiologist
Institution/Corporation: NASA Ames Research Center
Degrees & Memberships: none
Awards & Achievements
Awards: 1989, Candace Award, National Coalition of 100 Black Women; 1993, NASA Individual Achievement Award; 1997, Black Engineer of the Year Award; NASA Group Achievement Award; 1999, AMES Honorary Award for Technology Development;2002, NASA Space Act Award for Invention; 2006, National Women of Color Technology Award; 2008, NASA Space Act Board Award; 2010, Ames Africa American Advisory Group (AAAG) Achievement Award; 2014, Celestial Torch Award, National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE); 2009, Women in Technology International Hall of Fame; 1976, Young Investigator Award, AsMA Space Medicine Association
Achievements: 1st African American female scientist to be trained as a scientist-astronaut by NASA; researched effects of gravity on human physiology & performance; created AFTE
1st American female trained as a scientist astronaut by NASA <br>
Continues to work at NASA to prevent & control motion sickness of astronauts <br>
Was involved in African dance & step<br>
As part of an engineering class in grad school she helped design a space shuttle <br>
While at NASA Ames Research Center, she developed & patented a physiological training system called Autogenic-Feedback Training Exercise (AFTE) which enables people to learn voluntary self-control of up to 24 bodily responses in 6 hours<br>
Holds 1 patent