Kitty Joyner

Kitty Joyner
Joyner analyzing the operation of a wind tunnel turbine at NACA Langley in 1952
Born	Kitty Wingfield O'Brien[1] (1916-07-11)July 11, 1916 Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S.
Died	August 16, 1993(1993-08-16) (aged 77)
Alma mater	Sweet Briar College University of Virginia[2]
Occupation	Electrical engineer
Years active	1939–1971
Employers	NACA NASA
Organization	IEEE
Known for	First woman engineer at the Memorial Langley Aeronautical Laboratory
Spouse	Upshur T. Joyner
Children	2
Awards	Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award

Kitty Wingfield Joyner (née O'Brien; July 11, 1916 – August 16, 1993) was an American electrical engineer with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), and then with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) upon its replacement of NACA in 1958. She was the first woman to graduate from the University of Virginia's engineering program in 1939, receiving the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award upon graduation. When she was hired by NACA the same year, she became the first woman engineer at the organization, eventually rising to the title of Branch Head and managing several of its wind tunnels. Her work contributed to research on aeronautics, supersonic flight, airfoils, and aircraft design standards.