2024 STEM Hero Honorees

Education: PhD in Electrical Engineering, Arizona State University; Masters in Applied Electromagnetics, Bachelors in Electrical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico

Throughout her career as a professor, active-duty Air Force Service member, and  Department of Defense civilian researcher, Nivia Colón-Díaz has vigorously pursued  technologies to improve the defense of our nation while helping develop the next generation of Hispanic engineers.

Nivia began her career as an Air Force targeting radar engineer in the early 2000s, when she led technology developments for high-priority Defense radio frequency modeling and simulation for radar and electronic warfare applications. There she planned and directed important new technology demonstrations and transitions to warfighters.

For her design and system analysis of RF antennas for small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle programs with significant size and weight constraints, she won both the Company Grade Officer of the Year Award and the Company Grade Officer Research & Development Award, in addition to the Air Force Research &  Development Award – all in 2004.

Nivia later joined Air Force Research Laboratory as a civilian researcher and has continued advancing sensor technologies to transition to new capabilities, leading to  multiple research and development achievements in radar aperture designs, GPS applications, and conformal array elements. 

After earning her doctorate, she honed expertise in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar technology to improve radar resolution and sensitivity, leading to marked improvements in detection and tracking.  Nivia also managed a small Software Define Radio research testbed to minimize risks of advanced sensors, and was appointed to establish the first SDR laboratory for Sensors Directorate, which envisions developing, enhancing, and strengthening research using SDRs for the next generation of radio frequency systems.  

At her current post as Technology Advisor for the Passive RF Sensing Branch,   at AFRL, Nivia over the last six months, has led nearly 20 junior and mid-career staff to redesign the entire Passive RF Sensing portfolio needed to deliver next generation global persistent awareness and tracking. These programs enable operation in contested air, space, and cyber domains for the Air Force, Defense Department, and Intelligence Community technology mission partners.  

Nivia has helped promote diversity at AFRL through summer internship programs in the Sensors Directorate.  She has been key in recruiting more than 200 summer interns from across the nation, many of which were students and faculty from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. 

She also acted as a technical advisor for the  Minority Leaders Program with the University of Puerto  Rico to establish long-term collaboration relationships with AFRL through joint technology development and infrastructure support.