Michelle Hawkins

Dr. Michelle Hawkins is the Program Manager at NASA Headquarters, where she advances the use of Earth observations to enhance societal resilience to episodic and chronic extreme events.

Before joining NASA, Michelle served as the Senior Advisor for Sustainability at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). There, she integrated sustainability considerations into HUD’s operations, ensuring communities could prepare for and recover from extreme events.
Prior to HUD, Michelle held the position of Chief of the Severe, Fire, Public, and Winter Weather Services Branch at NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS). She oversaw the development of requirements and procedures for NWS forecast and warning services for some of the nation’s most dangerous weather hazards. Additionally, Michelle spearheaded interagency initiatives to enhance understanding, communication, and mitigation of health impacts associated with extreme weather events.

In 2019, Michelle received the Black Engineer of the Year Modern Day Technology Leader Award, recognizing her influential role in shaping the future of STEM through her professional contributions and community involvement. She is a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society and holds a B.S. in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences from Howard University.