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Evelyn Miralles: virtual visionary who revolutionized NASA
Evelyn Miralles has been recognized as a visionary in virtual reality and has left a permanent mark on the aerospace industry thanks to her work at NASA. Since her beginnings at the space agency, she has been a key figure in the development of virtual reality technologies that have transformed the way astronauts prepare for their missions.
Evelyn Miralles: virtual visionary who revolutionized NASA
Evelyn Miralles has been recognized as a visionary in virtual reality and has left a permanent mark on the aerospace industry thanks to her work at NASA. Since her beginnings at the space agency, she has been a key figure in the development of virtual reality technologies that have transformed the way astronauts prepare for their missions.
As a child, Evelyn Miralles wanted to be an architect so she could build things. She never imagined her dream would lead her to create a virtual reality software. For the past 25 years, her software has been used train astronauts for some of their most dangerous tasks: spacewalks and robotic operations.
Evelyn was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and is the youngest of five children. She comes from a family of engineers who placed a great value in education. From an early age, her father, who worked in the oil industry, stressed the importance of a college education and becoming an independent woman.
Evelyn began her university studies at Andrés Bello University in Caracas. Her move to the U.S. was a natural step on her path to academic and professional success. She moved to Texas and graduated from Lamar University in 1990. In 1992, she earned degrees in computer science and computer graphics from the University of Houston at Clear Lake, and in 2012 she completed a master's degree in technology management.
Evelyn spent 27 years at NASA's Johnson Space Center. During her time there, she was the lead engineer of the Virtual Reality (VR) Laboratory, and one of only four female engineers on the VR lab team. She is the co-creator of the software known as DOUG (Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics), which has been used to train astronauts by simulating space operations where astronauts are outside the spacecraft. Her software was used by the STS 61 mission team to help repair the Hubble Space Telescope and has continued to be used for all space shuttle and International Space Station missions since 2000.
During her career, Evelyn has earned numerous awards and honors. While employed at NASA, a longstanding community partner of Reliant, she was awarded the 2012 Silver Snoopy Award, which astronauts present to NASA staff in recognition of their efforts toward flight and mission safety. In 2009, she was awarded the NASA Exceptional Award for Innovation for developing the DOUG graphics and exploration software. In addition, she was included in the BBC's 100 Inspiring Women list in 2016 and CNET's 20 Most Influential Hispanics in Technology list in 2015 and 2016. She is in the XR Hall of Fame for her impact on the field of virtual reality and is a Distinguished Alumna of the University of Houston at Clear Lake.
Evelyn Miralles has been a tireless advocate for Hispanic women in the field of STEM education. She believes in the importance of inspiring both boys and girls to pursue studies in this discipline. Her efforts in the community have focused on giving talks and presentations at conferences. She has been the keynote speaker at numerous conferences, including Hispanicize 2017, to highlight the importance of science and technology education.
She has remained connected to her family and cultural heritage, not only through music and food. She has also kept her Venezuelan accent and speaks Spanish with her daughters so that they can practice and communicate with their grandparents and other relatives.
Evelyn is currently the CEO of Xploration LLC, a technology consulting firm she founded in 2023. She also returned to the University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL) as associate vice president in 2019. Her commitment to STEM education and innovation continues. Her mission is to support individuals, businesses and educational organizations in adapting to the ever-changing digital world and using technology to find innovative solutions.
At Reliant, we believe in being a positive influence in the community and powering innovation, which is why we highlight the contributions from innovators like Evelyn Miralles.
Sources:
"Evelyn Miralles." Wikipedia, 8 Sept. 2025, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evelyn_Miralles.
"Evelyn Miralles: Virtual Visionary." Latino Leaders Magazine, December 2017, www.latinoleadersmagazine.com/marchapril-2017/2017/12/29/evelyn-miralles-virtual-visionary.
"Evelyn Miralles Brings Space Down to Earth." AARP, August 2017, www.aarp.org/events-history/evelyn-miralles-hispanic-heritage-month-2018/.
"Evelyn's Story..." Evelyn Miralles, 2025, www.evelynmiralles.com/biography/.
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