Emily Matula

Dr. Emily E. Matula is an extravehicular activity (EVA) flight controller and astronaut instructor. She ensures safe spacewalk execution and ISS EMU maintenance through her data reviews and lesson plans. As a part of her role, she is the EVA flight operations liaison to the Human Health and Performance (HHP) division, providing the flight operations stance to medical professionals and flight surgeons. She is also the EVA Lead for JAXA/NASA’s Pressurized Rover, contributing EVA insight to JAXA for their designs. Dr. Matula is currently a lecturer at the University of Michigan for a course entitled, “Engineering Considerations and Research for Supporting Human Spaceflight”. Her current volunteer activities include directing Martian Greenhouse, taking part in the AIAA Distinguished Mentors Program and OSU Starlab Expertlink, and acting as faculty at the Juneau Icefield Research Program. 

Dr. Emily E. Matula earned her B.S. in mechanical engineering and M.Eng in space engineering at the University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering sciences with a focus in bioastronautics from the University of Colorado. Her graduate research explored using bioregenerative technologies (algae) for environmental control and life support systems in spacecraft. Her research was funded through a NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship, the AIAA Neil Armstrong Graduate Award, and the John A. Vise Graduate Award. She has also been awarded multiple NASA Johnson Space Center Group Achievement awards.