NASA Physicist is First in Delgado’s ‘She Means Business’ Speaker Series

February 20, 2020

On Thursday, Feb. 20, Delgado Community College hosted the first in a planned series of “She Means Business” luncheon discussions at the Delgado City Park Campus in New Orleans. K. Renee Horton, Ph.D., was the speaker and guest of honor. She spoke on the topic of diversity, inclusion, and women in STEM professions.

About 90 women attended the event, including educators, professionals, government officials, and economic development officials.

Dr. Larissa Littleton-Steib, Delgado chancellor, welcomed Horton to Delgado before turning the proceedings over to Arlanda Williams, Delgado vice chancellor for workforce development and institutional advancement, and dean of the college’s Technical Division.

“Although more women than men are now earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees, women are underrepresented at the executive level,” said Steib.

“Ladies working in non-traditional fields are making a difference,” said Williams, recognizing many of those in attendance who are active in educating women and helping them achieve career goals.

“It is a true honor to be speaking before an audience of ladies who are on the move,” said Horton. “It’s never too late to become the person you are meant to be.”

Bobbie Fontenot and Taunya Stewart of Delgado Workforce Development also made remarks.

Dr. K. Renee Horton, who notes that she is a hearing-impaired mother of three, is a native of Baton Rouge and a lifelong lover of science and NASA.

A graduate of Louisiana State University with a B.S. in electrical engineering with a minor in math in 2002 and a Ph.D. in material science with a concentration in physics, Dr. Horton became the first African American to graduate from the University of Alabama in 2011 in this area.

Dr. Horton currently serves as the space launch system (SLS) quality engineer in the NASA Residential Management Office at Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) in New Orleans. She worked for NASA, first as a student from 2009 to 2011, and then started her career as a mechanical test engineer in 2012.

In 2016, Dr. Horton was elected president of the National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP) as the second woman to hold the office. She has served the physics community abroad as a member of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) Women in Physics Working Group and currently serves on several advisory boards dedicated to a more diverse inclusion in physics. In 2017, she was elevated to a fellow in the NSBP, which is the highest honor bestowed upon a member.

Dr. Horton has been an invited speaker for the first International Women and Girls Day at the United Nations, Essence Power Stage, March for Science – New Orleans and recently the LSU Engineering Spring Commencement. She has spoken all over the world including South Africa, Brazil, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, and the Virgin Islands. She is the author of Dr. H Explores the Universe, Dr. H and her Friends, and Dr. H Explores the ABCs.