'Slap in the face' | NASA purges DEI star, signalling agency culture shift

NASA has come under scrutiny after quietly removing references to diversity and inclusion from its website and internal programs, in line with recent White House directives eliminating DEI initiatives across federal agencies.

The changes included the deletion of the agency’s Diversity and Equal Opportunity (ODEO) pages, revisions to language on the Artemis mission, and the removal of several staff profiles, including that of Rose Ferreira, a Dominican-American NASA analyst whose life story had previously been showcased as a testament to the power of inclusion in STEM careers.

Ferreira, who overcame extreme poverty, homelessness and abuse to earn a degree in space systems engineering and secure a full-time position at NASA, said the deletion felt like “a slap in the face.”

Staff unease and DEI rollback

The website changes began just days after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, whose administration ordered the elimination of all federal DEI programs. Ferreira’s profile, widely used in classrooms to inspire students in underserved communities, was among the first to be purged.