Maria Nowak currently serves as Goddard Space Flight Center’s Flight Projects Directorate (FPD) Sr. Executive for Flight Project Execution (Acting).  She has also served in deputy roles for both the Engineering Technology Directorate and the Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate and was part of the Center’s senior leader perspective exchange.  Ms. Nowak’s extended career with NASA began as an intern and transitioned to an optical integration and test engineer, supporting various sounding rocket projects, as well as serving as the metrology lead for the James Webb Space Telescope Integrated Science Instrument Module.  Maria has continued to pursue one of her greatest passions while at Goddard, working with and supporting its people, mentoring young engineers, and participating in various recruiting and outreach projects.  Ms. Nowak earned a BA in theater from the University of California, San Diego, a BS in physics from San Diego State University, and an MS in physics from Johns Hopkins University.