Carol W. Carroll

B.S., MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, VIRGINIA TECH, 1983
SR EXECUTIVE FELLOWS PROGRAM, HARVARD / KENNEDY SCHOOL OF GOVT, 2006

Carol W. Carroll is the Deputy Center Director at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, where she guides technology development and research in aeronautics, science and exploration technologies that support aeronautics and space missions for NASA and the nation. She has been with NASA for more than 25 years and has served in a variety of engineering and management positions.

Prior to her current position, Carol served as the Director of Human Capital at Ames, a position she held from March 2016 until her appointment to Deputy Center Director in August 2017. Before then, she served as the Director of the Ames International Space Station Utilization Office from 2013-2016 and the Deputy Director for Science at Ames from 2009-2016.

During her time as Program Manager for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, Carol led the restructuring of the SOFIA Program and positioned the government to successfully complete development of the world’s largest flying observatory -- a Boeing 747 aircraft specifically modified to hold a 2.5-meter diameter telescope to conduct infrared astronomical research.

Carol has served as a Program Executive at NASA Headquarters and as a Division Chief and Project Manager at Ames responsible for delivering critical thermal protection system flight hardware for numerous NASA missions including Mars Exploration Rovers, Mars Pathfinder and X-37. Carol came to Ames as a contractor working on the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel Modernization Project. Prior to NASA, she worked in industry for 9 years where she designed and developed missile launch systems for the Department of Defense.

Carol earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech and completed the Senior Executive Fellows program at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government. She has received numerous honors and awards including the Presidential Rank Award, NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, the Boeing Pride in Engineering Excellence Award and numerous NASA Group Achievement Awards. Carol lives in San Jose, California, with her husband, Charlie and she has two sons, Doug and David. She enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends.