•Vanguard Award •

Education:
-Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) — University of Saint Thomas (Houston)
-B.A. in Public Administration — University of Houston–Clear Lake
-A.A. in Business Administration — San Jacinto Junior College

For more than four decades, Guadalupe “Lupita” M. Armendariz stood at the forefront of NASA’s educational outreach, championing efforts to engage K-12 students—particularly those from underserved communities—in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Long before such engagement became a hallmark of the agency, let alone ubiquitous in America, Lupita sought partnerships and programs that opened NASA’s doors to young learners, ensuring that students previously left on the margins didn’t just admire America’s space program from afar, but fully engaged with it. 

Lupita began her NASA career in 1980 at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, quickly advancing to become Hispanic Employment Program Manager. In this role, she forged partnerships with Houston-area schools and universities, laying the groundwork for mentoring and tutoring programs that directly addressed dropout rates among Latino students. NASA employees eagerly volunteered during work hours, and hundreds of donated computers and other materials solidified JSC’s commitment.

Later, as Program Manager for the Minority University Research and Education Program (MUREP), she managed millions of dollars in research grants to Hispanic Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Tribal Colleges and Universities. Alongside direct research support, Lupita ensured MUREP included K-12 initiatives such as NASA Space Days, summer bridge programs like Texas PREP, and Career & Education Days at national events like the Great Minds in STEM Conference. She was also instrumental in the early development of GMiS’s “Viva Technology” program, which brings real world engineers and near-peer college students majoring in STEM degrees to middle and high school campuses to engage with students in a series of hands-on activities and challenges. These initiatives brought astronauts, engineers, and scientists into direct dialogue with middle and high school students, planting seeds of ambition in thousands of young minds.

Even after retiring from NASA in 2006, Lupita’s commitment to education never slowed. She continued to serve as a consultant, presenter, and mentor—whether leading STEM discussions with International Space Station astronauts for South Texas schools, volunteering at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, or helping students navigate scholarship opportunities. Her sustained influence has made her a trusted bridge between NASA and communities historically left at the margins of STEM engagement.

Born in San Benito, Texas, in 1943, Lupita grew up in a family that valued education despite her parents’ limited formal schooling. Encouraged by their example, she pursued higher education while raising two children as a young single mother. 

Her persistence and determination became her hallmark. She often reflected on the words of a supervisor who once told her she was, “spreading seeds all over the U.S. without ever seeing the flowers bloom.” Years later, she did see them bloom: college students who approached her at conferences to share how her programs had inspired their STEM careers.

Lupita credits her husband, Romeo, her children, and her faith community for the support that allowed her to balance family, studies, and a demanding career. She has inspired countless young people, many the first in their families to consider STEM careers, to believe that they, too, could contribute to America’s journey to the stars.