Darden has become a national expert in the areas of sonic
boom prediction, sonic boom minimization and supersonic wing design.
Born in Monroe, North Carolina, Darden always has made education
a priority. Her mother was a teacher, and her parents always emphasized the
significance of education. This encouragement led her in the right direction
and made her determined to make it in life.
Darden left North Carolina to attend Hampton
Institute, now Hampton University, where she received a bachelor of science
degree in mathematics. After years of teaching at the high school level, Darden
received a master's degree in applied mathematics from Virginia State University
and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from George Washington University.
In a recent article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch,
Darden encouraged students of all colors and backgrounds to get involved in
math and science, grasp all the knowledge they can and always explore the
endless possibilities they have in life. She has advocated for more racial
minorities and women entering the engineering profession.
The mother of three adult children has been
recognized with dozens of honors and awards. Among them are several NASA Outstanding
Performance and Achievement Awards and the Women in Engineering Lifetime Achievement
Award.
She urges those who see success in their view
to "use the 4P planning framework — perceive, plan, prepare and
persist."
