Isaiah Miguel Blankson: Meet NASA Scientist Who Was 1st African To Hold PhD in Aerospace Engineering
- Isaiah Miguel Blankson was a NASA Scientist who was born in Cape Coast in the Central Region of Ghana
- He had his secondary education at Mfantsipim School where he wrote the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level and had the highest score in Ghana
- Blankson was the first African to ever acquire a PhD in Aeronautics and Astronautics
Over the years, many Ghanaians have raised the flag of the country high through their amazing works around the world.
Dr Isaiah Miguel Blankson is one of such Ghanaians who have excelled in their field of work and their contributions have been massively recognized.
Source: UGC
YEN.com.gh has therefore highlighted the life story of the brilliant Ghanaian man who works as a NASA Scientist and was the very first African to acquire a PhD in Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Isaiah Miguel Blankson's potential to excel got accelerated after attaining a scholarship to study at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he pursued a degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Before moving abroad, Isaiah had his secondary education at Mfantsipim School along with former UN General Secretary, the Late Kofi Annan.
He also became the top candidate in West Africa in the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level after taking it in 1964.
After his undergraduate education, the Cape Coast born Ghanaian went ahead to acquire his master's and doctorate degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics in the year 1973 which made him the first African to ever hold a doctorate in that program.
Isaiah Miguel Blankson's journey at NASA
After his studies, Blankson worked with a centre called General Electric's Corporate Reasearch Center in 1982 where he conducted research on hypervelocity plasma-armature projectile launchers and gas-dynamic circuit breakers.
In 1988, he joined National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as a program director and through hardwork and resilience got promoted to deputy director of the Hypersonics Research Division at NASA headquaters in Washington, DC in the year 1991.
1n 1997, he got promoted again to senior technologist in the Hypersonics Division.
He served as the US national delegate to the NATO Research and Technology Organization's work group in hypersonic vehicle technology in 1998.
Some of the awards Isaiah Miguel Blankson received in his life time
At MIT, Blankson received the Luis de Florez Award for excellence in engineering in 1969 and in 2002, he received a medal for the NASA Exceptional Service.
He became the National Emerald Honors Scientist of the year in 2006 and received two presidential awards in the US.
Isaiah Miguel Blankson was born in September 28, 1944 but passed on November 19, 2021 at the age of 77.
Meet the Former NSMQ Contestant Who Now Doubles As An Army Oficer And A Scientist
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh earlier reported that a recent publication on the official website of the National Science and Maths Quiz scheme highlighted the life journey of one of their earliest contestants.
Laurinda Adusu-Donkor, now a military officer and a biomedical scientist represented her school, St Roses Senior High School in the maiden edition of the NSMQ back in 1994.
According to the report, now Lt Col Laurinda Xolali Adusu-Donkor along with her teammates got eliminated from the quiz by Achimota School in the Southern sector semifinals.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
