Growing up in Uganda, Catherine Nakalembe always loved geography but never imagined she’d work with NASA.
It wasn't until several computer science classes in college that the University of Maryland, NASA-funded researcher developed an interest in satellite data and mapping which led her into a career helping communities use satellite data to increase food security.
Food security is a major concern in many African countries, and millions of people are particularly vulnerable to hunger due to drought and other sources of crop failure. Now thanks in part to Nakalembe's work to bring Earth science data into their decision making, farmers in eastern and southern Africa are better able to look into the future of their food supply.
Nakalembe and her sister grew up in Kampala, Uganda. Nakalembe's father, Steven Busulwa, was a self-taught car mechanic, and her mother Rita still owns and operates a restaurant in Makindye that sells "chicken and chips." She received her undergraduate degree at Makerere University in Uganda, before leaving home for John Hopkins University in Baltimore and eventually receiving her Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, College Park.
"There are many young scientists, young women, people of color or who grew up like me, who don't yet have a clear path. I hope to inspire them that there's room for them in science, that they can help people and be recognized for the work that they do," Nakalembe said.
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