| Dana Bolles | |
| Fields: | Rehabilitation engineering |
| Workplaces: | NASA |
| Known For: | disability rights advocacy |
| Awards: | 2014 NASA Equal Employment Opportunity Medal |
Dana Bolles is an American spaceflight engineer and advocate for those with disabilities in STEM. She has worked at NASA since 1995 in a variety of fields. She is also an ambassador for the American Association for the Advancement of Science's If/then initiative.[1]
Bolles was born without arms or legs.[2] She has stated that she became interested in visiting space at an early age since it would allow her to move without the assistance of her wheelchair.[3]
She credited teachers who accepted her in mainstream classrooms as very important to setting her on a path for success in her chosen career.[4] [5]
Bolles earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from California State University, Long Beach in 1993, and has a master's degree in rehabilitation engineering and technology from San Francisco State University.[6]
Bolles started working at NASA in 1995 as an engineer in regulatory compliance, including work on environmental regulations.[7] This later expanded to work in protecting humans in outer space and scientific communications.
She also volunteers as an advocate for women,[8] people with disabilities, and members of the LGBT community. Her advocacy has a particular focus on the challenges that people with disabilities encounter in their lives,[9] and has spoken about the stereotypes they often face, mentioning that people tend to respond the most to disability compared to other intersectionalities.
In 2021 Bolles joined a group of people with physical disabilities in a zero gravity parabolic flight.[10] [11]
Bolles was one of the women depicted in the Smithsonian Institution's 2022 exhibit spotlighting women in STEM.[12]