Choose to Challenge: Penina Axelrad

Penina Axelrad is a distinguished professor in the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder. 

Her research focuses on astrodynamics and satellite navigation with a focus on global positioning system technology and applications. She has received several awards throughout her career, including the Women in Aerospace Educator Award in 2016, the Institute of Navigation Samuel Burka Award in 2012, and most notably, induction in the National Academy of Engineering in 2019.

She received her PhD in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University in 1991 and joined the University of Colorado Boulder in 1992 as an assistant professor. Since then, she has distinguished herself as a dedicated and skilled researcher, educator and member of the CU and aerospace communities. 

Axelrad found her passion in aerospace from a young age. In a 2015 interview with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Axelrad credited the Apollo moon landings for sparking an interest in aerospace. She described how she and her sister would play, “tying pillows on our backs and jumping around like we were walking on the moon.” 

As her career developed, she describes a major turning point when she worked as an intern at Hughes Space & Comm (now Boeing) in the mid-1980s.

“I had the opportunity to work with Dr. John Kelly on the idea of using the up-and-coming Global Positioning System to determine the orbit of the Space Station,” she said. “This formed the basis for my MS thesis, and this experience later helped me get a graduate research position working with Professor Brad Parkinson (the father of GPS) at Stanford for my PhD. Getting involved in GPS research in the mid-1980s gave me a chance to see and be a part of its rapid application to an unbelievably wide range of fascinating problems.” 

Axelrad credits many of her “inspiring and supportive” mentors for setting her on her career path. 

“My father, a chemistry professor, definitely set me on a path towards science and teaching from the start,” she said. “Many professors at MIT and Stanford had a great influence on my career through their teaching and creativity. Most notable, of course, is my PhD advisor, Brad Parkinson, whose guidance helped me to grow as a researcher and whose ongoing support has opened up incredible opportunities for me throughout my career. When I joined the faculty at CU, George Born was instrumental in helping me to get off to a good start and continued to actively support my advancement as a faculty member.”

When it comes to offering her own mentorship to students at CU, Axelrad inspires and advises students to challenge themselves and learn from their mistakes. In the 2015 AIAA interview, she tells students to “become comfortable with getting things wrong, recognizing your mistakes and moving on to correct them.” 

She also encourages students to “learn as much as you can, as deeply as you can while you are in college – this prepares you to have success on lots of projects and helps you bring new ideas to solve problems in ways you didn’t expect.” 

When asked about the future of engineering at CU Boulder, Axelrad remarked that “CU Boulder is truly unique in the breadth and depth of work going on in aerospace. I expect to see this strength continue to expand with advances in science and technology, commercial innovations, human and robotic exploration, and critical national security challenges. I am also really excited about the growth of other interdisciplinary, collaborative themes throughout the campus. I can see that this structure will help CU Boulder continue to grow as a creative, inclusive and impactful educational force.”

About the Author

Jane Manalo is a 2017 graduate of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. She currently serves as executive assistant to interim Dean Keith Molenaar and is pursuing a doctor of medicine degree from the University of Colorado School of Medicine.