About
Hi — I'm Annika
I'm an engineer, storyteller, and passionate advocate for gender minorities in STEM. Currently, I'm a Senior Human Centered Design Engineer at Draper, where I spend a lot of time thinking about human/autonomy teaming, human performance, and the long arc of technology for future space missions.
I got my start studying aeronautical and astronautical engineering at MIT, where I also minored in creative writing and literature while rowing at the Division I level. Those early summers took me to the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Team X and Juno operations) and Aurora Flight Sciences.
After MIT, I headed to CU Boulder for graduate school, where my research focused on emerging technology assessment for deep space habitats through the NASA HOME Space Technology Research Institute. I defended my PhD in 2023 and moved to Boston to lead technology development and habitat-focused engineering at Aurelia Institute before joining Draper.
I've been lucky to be named a Matthew Isakowitz Fellow (2019), an Amelia Earhart Fellow (2020), and to serve as president of the AIAA Women of Aeronautics and Astronautics during grad school. Outside the lab, I run trails, write fiction, and devour fantasy and science fiction.
Mission Timeline
Stations along the way
I received my B.S. in aero/astro engineering at MIT, where I also minored in creative writing and rowed at the Division I level. During my summers, I interned at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where I worked on early project formulation with Team X and operations for the Juno Spacecraft.
I was selected as a Matthew Isakowitz Fellow, through which I worked as a guidance, navigation, and control engineer at Blue Origin.
My PhD research developed a framework for assessing emerging technology for deep space habitats through the NASA HOME Space Technology Research Institute. I also served as president of the AIAA Women of Aeronautics and Astronautics national chapter.
I was named one of 35 fellows worldwide by the Zonta International Foundation, which recognizes women pursuing advanced degrees in aerospace sciences and engineering.
After defending my PhD, I led technology development and habitat-focused engineering at Aurelia Institute: a nonprofit architecture R&D lab, education and outreach center, and policy hub dedicated to building humanity's future in space.
Now, my primary focus is on human/autonomy teaming, human performance, and design. I spend a lot of time thinking about how these fields inform technology maturation and architecture for future space missions.