Meet Candy Cordwell – Assistant Director

As the assistant director of the NASA WV Space Grant and EPSCoR programs since 2021, Cordwell remains a passionate supporter of STEM education and skilled at working with students and faculty across diverse audiences.  

Previously, Cordwell served as program manager, leading projects from inception to delivery, and she participated in growth within the Space Grant Consortium regarding how NASA can impact and provide STEM opportunities to citizens across our state where it was previously unavailable.  She also served as assistant director for graduate programs at the College of Business and Economics and co-managed an asbestos and lead removal company.   

As a consistent learner (new ideas, new processes, new solutions), Cordwell is a first generation – the first in her family to graduate college, and a nontraditional student — where she worked to pay for her education while balancing family and other responsibilities.  She is a veteran of the U.S. military and a twice alumna of WVU, receiving her B.Sc. in Business Administration and M.Sc. in Safety Engineering.    

Throughout her career, Cordwell has been unwavering in her dedication to diversity and inclusion at all levels. She organized, recruited members, solicited industry for sponsorship, and led a team from Statler College for the American Cancer Society, raising $11,300 for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.  Her commitment is further evidenced by her two-time award recipient of the WVU Values coin and past recipient of the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering Employee of the Year.  She participated as a principal investigator on several HEPC grants, a NASA IV&V cooperative agreement, and as a Co-I on projects such as the EDA -Center for Small Sats.  

Her background as a native of Clarksburg, her professional and personal experiences along with her education help guide her professional life. What motivates Cordwell is her devotion to helping others along their chosen path, whether in STEM or another field. Connecting and understanding with one’s origins from is essential to understanding one’s present and future identity.