Faces of UNC Asheville

Fatima Johnson Conroy

Alumna’s Career is out of this world

Fatima Johnson Conroy (class of 1998) keeps her eyes on the stars, as well as on the vehicles that enable space exploration in our solar system and beyond.

As an executive officer in NASA’s Office of Infrastructure, Conroy works closely with all units within the organization to make sure everyone has the tools they need to get the job done.

Because her office manages all of NASA’s facilities and logistics, as well as environmental policy and management, she is in contact with all divisions within NASA as well as members of Congress and other government leaders.

No day is ever the same, Conroy said, and priorities change constantly, which keeps things interesting. As NASA prepares its shuttle fleet for retirement next year, Conroy is preparing for the transition by going through shuttle property and getting it ready for the public domain. “Everyone wants a piece of a space shuttle,” she said. “We work to make sure all of the shuttle property goes to good homes.”

After graduating from UNC Asheville with a degree in political science, Conroy attended law school at the Catholic University of America, where she earned a Juris Doctor degree in 2002. She worked for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for five years before joining NASA in 2007.

She said her liberal arts background helped prepare her for the challenges she faces at her job today. “A lot of my job is very technical, very scientific and not necessarily something that I do on a day-to-day basis,” she said. “But having learned early on to embrace those things that are new really helps me in my current job.”