From NASA to Miss Universe Ireland: Refusing to Pick a Lane & Redefining STEM

2026-01-12

Download

What if refusing to "pick a lane" is exactly what makes you unstoppable?In this episode, host Kelly Shungu sits down with Fionnghuala "Fig" O'Reilly — systems engineer, NASA Datanaut, first woman of colour to win Miss Universe Ireland, CBS Mission Unstoppable correspondent, Broadway producer, and the youngest Honorary Fellow in the 186-year history of Engineers Ireland.Fig holds a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering from George Washington University, worked in NASA's data science program, and has flown in z...

What if refusing to "pick a lane" is exactly what makes you unstoppable?

In this episode, host Kelly Shungu sits down with Fionnghuala "Fig" O'Reilly — systems engineer, NASA Datanaut, first woman of colour to win Miss Universe Ireland, CBS Mission Unstoppable correspondent, Broadway producer, and the youngest Honorary Fellow in the 186-year history of Engineers Ireland.

Fig holds a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering from George Washington University, worked in NASA's data science program, and has flown in zero gravity as an aspiring citizen astronaut. In 2019, she made history by winning Miss Universe Ireland. In 2021, she shattered another ceiling, becoming the youngest Honorary Fellow at Engineers Ireland. And most recently? She made her Broadway producing debut as Co-Producer for the revival of The Wiz.

If you've ever been told you can't be brilliant and beautiful, technical and creative, or that you need to choose between STEM and the arts, Fig's story will prove otherwise.

We dive into:

✨ What a NASA Datanaut actually does and what it feels like to fly in zero gravity

✨ The decision to compete for Miss Universe Ireland as a systems engineer with NASA on her resume

✨ Navigating the "pick a lane" pressure when people can't reconcile all the parts of you

✨ The actual barriers women of colour face in STEM spaces beyond awards and recognition

✨ How systems thinking and engineering connect to producing a Broadway show

✨ What imposter syndrome looks like at the highest levels and how to handle it

✨ One action you can take this week to start building a multifaceted STEM career

Whether you're constantly told to dim one part of yourself to shine in another, or you're about to walk into a room where you'll be the only one who looks like you, this conversation will remind you that you never had to choose. You can be all of who you are.

🎧 Listen now: [Add podcast link]

Follow the Women in STEM Podcast: