Aerospace Leadership

Sheila Widnall ’60, SM ’61, ScD ’64, faculty

From 1993 to 1997, Widnall served as US Secretary of the Air Force, making her the first woman to lead an entire branch of the military in the US Department of Defense. An Institute Professor who is internationally known for her work in fluid dynamics, specifically in the areas of aircraft turbulence and spiraling airflows, she was also the first woman to chair the MIT faculty.