10 things you didnt know about Diana I. Centeno - Gómez

1. She was a cheerleader for the basketball team in high school.
2. She was part of a modern dance company in college and danced Jazz.
3. She is Related to Roberto Clemente.
4. She was born in Santurce and raised in Carolina.
5. She "Studied Japanese but is not fluent."
6. She has been married 28 years to Luis Gomez.“ they toured Paris and Spain together along with their only Daughter.
7. She is the 1st Grandchild to her Grandparents.
8. She has one sister
9. She was featured in Latina Style magazine ‘Latinas in STEM Careers”
10. She works for NASA John Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.

This month's MI GENTE Spotlight is Diana I. Centeno - Gómez is a research engineer at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. As a NASA Subsystem engineer, her responsibility is to be NASA’s expert of the Shuttle’s Purge, Vent and Drain (PVD) subsystem functions, hardware, and analysis.

In other words, before a shuttle launching, Centeno-Gómez ensures the safety of the shuttles subsystem and works with other engineers in the Mission Evaluation Room at NASA’s Johnson Space Center 11 hours before a scheduled launch to monitor the shuttles PVD subsystem.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Centeno-Gómez is the daughter of an elementary science schoolteacher; therefore growing up and learning about math and science both at home and in the classroom was to her advantage. She attended the University of Puerto Rico where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Math. Soon after, she moved to the U.S. to the state of New York to attain her master’s in Applied Math from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and later obtained her second MBA in Computer Information Science from Cleveland State University. She joined the NASA team in 1983 and has been employed with them ever since.

Being with NASA for 27 years, she recalls how much of a minority she was as a woman and as a Latina in this field. “There have been instances where I have been the only women and the only person of color in a room. Especially in the beginning of my career where people make assumptions of who you are and your abilities are based on where you are from,” Centeno-Gómez said. Despite the obstacles, she always found a way to overcome stereotypes with the support and mentorship of peers and supervisors. Today she recalls how “it is good to have someone that you could share what you’re thinking and someone that can give you advice in terms of career opportunities.”

In being a community activist herself, Centeno-Gómez serves as a board member for several organizations that work for the empowerment of Latinos. Yet she never forgets her role as trailblazer and the necessity of engaging Latinas in pursuing STEM careers. “17 percent of science engineers are women, and only 1 percent are Latinas. So we have a long way to go in increasing our representation in STEM fields,” she said. “But I think it can be done. We just need to support one another. And most importantly, support young Latinas, from elementary all the way to college and into their careers.”

Read the 'Latina Style Magazine' article online