Prof. Wood serves as the Faculty Lead for African and African Diaspora Studies at MIT. Within the Media Lab, Prof. Wood leads the Space Enabled Research Group, which seeks to advance justice in Earth's complex systems using space-enabled designs. The research "Space Enabled" designs systems that use tools from Space to promote sustainability on Earth and develops approaches to support sustainability in Space.
Prof. Wood's background includes satellite design, Earth science applications, systems engineering, and technology policy. In her research, Prof. Wood applies these skills to design innovative systems that harness space technology to address development challenges around the world. Prior to serving as faculty at MIT, Professor Wood held positions at NASA Headquarters, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Aerospace Corporation, Johns Hopkins University, and the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs. Prof. Wood studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she earned a PhD in engineering systems, SM in aeronautics and astronautics, SM in technology policy, and SB in aerospace engineering.
Prof. Wood's lecture at SAASST was titled "51 Years of US-UAE Space Cooperation: From Moon Rocks to Innovative Partnerships for a Sustainable Future." Her Space Enabled message is that six types of space technology support societal needs, as defined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These six technologies include satellite Earth observation, satellite communication, satellite positioning, microgravity research, technology transfer, and the inspiration we derive from space research and education. While much good work has been done, barriers still remain that limit space technology's application as a sustainable development tool. The Space Enabled research group works to increase the opportunities to apply space technology to support the Sustainable Development Goals. Prof. Wood's research applies six methods: design thinking, art, social science, complex systems, satellite engineering, and data science. She pursues her work by collaborating with development leaders who represent multilateral organizations, national and local governments, non-profits and entrepreneurial firms to identify opportunities to apply space technology in their work. She strives to enable a more just future where every community and country can easily and affordably apply space-enabled technology to improve public services and solve local challenges.
Prof. Wood mentioned that the work toward her mission covers three themes:
- Research to apply existing space technology to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
- Research to design space systems that are accessible and sustainable
- Research to study the relationship between technology design and justice