Are you interested in hiring Donna Shirley to speak at your event, conference, trade show, meeting, or convention?
As a keynote speaker, she knows how to command a stage where she can deliver a powerful presentation that will captivate your audience.
On this page you can contact Donna Shirley’s speaker booking agency to learn more about her speaking fees and availability.
A booking agent will respond to you within two business hours to let you know if they are available and how much they cost.
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Donna Shirley’s credentials as a creative team manager, educator, speaker, consultant, and trainer are well-known. She is also the president of the company she started, Managing Creativity. She retired from her post as Manager of the $150 million-per-year Mars Exploration Program at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, where she had worked for 32 years, in August of 1998.
After more than four decades of expertise in the engineering of aerospace and civil systems, serving as an assistant dean at the University of Oklahoma, and leading the Mars Exploration Program, Donna Shirley chose an early retirement in 2003 to focus on establishing her business, Managing Creativity. Donna Shirley was an associate dean at the University of Oklahoma prior to her retirement.
At the University of Oklahoma, where she later lectured, she had previously held the position of assistant dean. In addition, she served as the university’s assistant dean. Managing Creativity is a company that offers guidance on the management of creative teams via speaking engagements, consultation projects, and training sessions. As president of the company, Donna oversees these numerous operations and projects.
Shirley accepted an early retirement in 1998 from her position as Manager of the Mars Exploration Program, after spending 32 years at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She resigned from that position as well (JPL). She was the first woman to oversee a NASA programme, the first woman to direct a spaceflight programme, and the first woman to serve as an engineer at JPL. These achievements were all firsts for women. Pasadena, California is the location of Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Her accomplishments include becoming the first woman to handle flight equipment at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
On July 4, 1997, people from all over the world watched as two rovers, named Sojourner and Mars Pathfinder, safely landed on Mars. Donna was the leader of the Sojourner Truth team, the first crew of a planet-exploring rover. Pathfinder’s deployment of the innovative robot created by the robotics team working on this project and delivered to Mars is an example of their work.
Pathfinder was the first American attempt to land on Mars in twenty years. Sojourner was the world’s first robotic planetary rover, demonstrating that rovers could operate successfully on Mars. Pathfinder was also the first U.S. attempt to land on Mars in twenty years.
The next Spirit and Opportunity rover missions are still active on Mars, as it was determined that robot rovers could function on the red planet.
The Sojourner spacecraft exceeded everyone’s expectations by transmitting to Earth breathtaking images of the Martian landscape. Millions of individuals from all over the world who were tracking the mission’s progress online were able to view the first photographs as they were uploaded.
1997 was a noteworthy year since it was the year that the Women in Technology Hall of Fame was established. Shirley received the Washington Award for American engineers in the year 2000, and in 2003, she was inducted into the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame. These awards are presented to engineers in the United States. In addition, she has received four honorary doctorates, each in a distinct field of study.
Shirley’s book titled “Managing Martians: the extraordinary story of a woman’s lifelong quest to “get to mars” – and of the team behind the space robot that has captured the imagination of the world” was published in 1998 and 1999. This book’s author is Shirley. In 1998 and 1999, the game “Managing Martians” was released.
Shirley explains in her book, Managing Martians, how both her life and work were spent yearning for the heavens. Shirley defied expectations from the very start of her life, beginning with her idealistic goal of aeroplane construction at age ten. She subsequently abandoned this ambition in favour of studying mechanical drawing in high school, and at the age of sixteen, she obtained her pilot’s licence.
Shirley’s life has been characterised by her propensity to go above and beyond expectations. Shirley tells the arduous fights she fought to retain her vision and the Creativity and ingenuity of her committed employees in a novel brimming with action, adventure, and thrilling twists.
The tale is presented in a way that facilitates comprehension. Her account of Pathfinder’s touchdown and Sojourner’s first timid foray over the sands of Mars brilliantly depicts the achievement of a long-held ambition and heralds a bold new era of space exploration. Pathfinder was the first spacecraft to successfully land on Mars. Her narrative is full of moment-by-moment cliffhangers that keep the reader on the edge of his or her seat.
Request SpeakerSpeaking Fees
Donna Shirley’s speaking fees can vary depending on the type of event you are producing and where it is located.
Her speaking fee can also vary depending on whether you need them to deliver a live or virtual presentation.
Please note we do not work with organizations looking for speakers to speak for free, do podcasts or interviews, or do non-paid charity work.
Contact Donna Shirley
To inquire about her speaking fees and costs, contact Keynote Speakers Agency today to book Donna Shirley for a live or virtual event, meeting, special appearance, conference, or trade-show.
Our agent will respond within two business hours.