Retired Marshall scientist, Jeanette Scissum-Mickens, was honored by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey at the Alabama Historically Black Colleges and Universities Roundtable Discussion: Minority Women in STEM event held at the University of Alabama A&M in Huntsville, Alabama. Scissum-Mickens was honored as the “Hidden Figure of Alabama A&M.” She was the first African-American mathematician hired by Marshall in 1964.

Governor Kay Ivey recognized retired NASA Space Flight Center team member, Jeanette Scissum-Mickens on Sept. 27 at the Alabama HBCU Roundtable Discussion: Minority Women in STEM held at the Alabama A&M University. Scissum-Mickens was honored as the “Hidden Figure of Alabama A&M.” She was the first African American mathematician hired by Marshall in 1964. While at Marshall, she was a space scientist and helped improved forecast models of the sunspot cycle and led activities in Marshall’s Atmospheric, Magentospheric, and Plasmas in Space project.

Jeanette Scissum joined NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in 1964 after earning bachelor's and master's degrees in mathematics from Alabama A&M University. Scissum published a NASA report in 1967, “Survey of Solar Cycle Prediction Models,” which put forward techniques for improved forecasting of the sunspot cycle. In the mid-1970s she worked as a space scientist in the Space Environment Branch of Marshall’s Space Sciences Laboratory and later led activities in Marshall’s Atmospheric, Magnetospheric, and Plasmas in Space project.In 1975, Scissum wrote an article for the National Technical Association, “Equal Employment Opportunity and the Supervisor – A Counselor’s View,” which argued that many discrimination complaints could be avoided “through adequate and meaningful communication.” Scissum later worked at NASA Headquarters as a computer systems analyst responsible for analyzing and directing NASA management information and technical support systems.