Our Executive Mentors

Yajaira Sierra-Sastre

Dr. Yajaira Sierra Sastre is a materials scientist, educator, and passionate leader with more than fifteen years of R&D and project management experience in academia, start-up companies, and the US federal government. From exploring the properties of nanoscale materials to evaluating technologies for future missions to the Moon and Mars, she is always excited about pushing the boundaries of innovation.

Yajaira earned her B.S. from the University of Puerto Rico and her Ph.D. in Nanomaterials Chemistry from Cornell University. As part of her doctoral studies she conducted research at Los Alamos National Laboratory. After earning her PhD, Yajaira worked for two start-up companies serving the biomedical, textiles, and Li-ion battery sectors. In 2013, Dr. Sierra Sastre was selected from over 700 candidates, and was the only Hispanic, to participate in a NASA-funded Mars analog mission. Yajaira lived with five crewmembers for four months in conditions of confinement and isolation, in a habitat located on Mauna Loa volcano, Hawaii.  During that time, she led research operations onsite, including a space food study, exploration of lava tubes, and the evaluation of antimicrobial clothing for astronauts. Yajaira now serves as the Project Manager for the Mars Spring Tire, Mars Sample Return mission at NASA Glenn Research Center. She also supports mobility testing for the lunar VIPER rover. Prior to NASA, Yajaira served as project manager at the US Department of Treasury’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing where she managed projects for the development of anticounterfeiting technologies for US banknotes. She was also the Department of Treasury’s representative at the White House’s Nanotechnology Science, Engineering, and Technology Subcommittee (National Science and Technology Council).  

A teacher-turned scientist, Yajaira is extremely passionate about STEM education and has built multiple coalitions for the execution of citizen science initiatives in The Americas. Yajaira was recently selected by the company Meta (Facebook, Inc) to join an esteemed group of writers and public figures on their new Bulletin platform. Yajaira has been a highly qualified applicant for NASA’s Astronaut Candidate Program and aspires to fly to space someday.