Power lists like Fortune India MPW help shun self-doubt: NASA’s Krishnamurthy

Akshata Krishnamurthy, Principal Investigator and Mission Science Phase Lead at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory says education has always played an important role in her life. Speaking to Fortune India, the 35-year-old space scientist, ranked 40th in the Most Powerful Women list for 2024, talks about her parents’ role in imparting good values, and advice to budding scientists, the meaning of care in her life and the role of power lists like Fortune India MPW 2024.

A PhD in aerospace engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the U.S., Krishnamurthy credits her Indian values for laying the foundation of good education. “My parents have been my biggest role models. Not coming from a lot of wealth, it was always important that I get a good education. So I learned the value of education very early on. But, in general too, as Indians we learn core values...like love, compassion and respect teach us to give our best without thinking about success or failure. Those kinds of values were really important and put in the foundation to go on, cross hurdles and achieve more in life.”