NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Pasadena, CA, April 16, 2025: Neela Rajendra, who previously served as the Chief Inclusion Officer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), has been dismissed from her position in the wake of a sweeping federal executive order targeting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) programs.
Rajendra’s termination comes after JPL reportedly attempted to protect her role by changing her title to “Head of the Office of Team Excellence and Employee Success.” The move was seen by many as a strategy to preserve DEIA values under a different name following President Donald Trump’s January 20, 2025 executive order that mandated the termination of all DEIA-related positions and programs across federal agencies.
The executive order, which the administration claims is aimed at eliminating “discriminatory and fiscally irresponsible” initiatives, has led to the shuttering of DEIA offices throughout the federal government. In response, NASA’s acting administrator Janet Petro instructed the closure of diversity offices and canceled all associated contracts and programming.
Neela Rajendra had been a leading voice for inclusive practices at JPL. She had previously voiced concerns about the fast-paced, high-pressure culture within space organizations like SpaceX, arguing that such environments could often hinder efforts toward building inclusive workplaces.
Cover photo courtesy: jpl.nasa.gov
