In a significant move aligning with a new federal directive, NASA has terminated Neela Rajendra, the former head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The decision follows an executive order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump mandating the elimination of all DEI-related roles and programs across federal agencies.
Rajendra, an Indian-origin executive, had served in a key leadership role for several years, leading major initiatives such as NASA’s “Space Workforce 2030” pledge. The initiative focused on increasing the representation of women and minorities within the space agency’s workforce.
In an attempt to comply with the executive order while retaining Rajendra’s expertise, NASA initially reassigned her to a newly created position titled “Head of the Office of Team Excellence and Employee Success.” Despite the title change, her responsibilities remained largely unchanged, including oversight of internal affinity groups like the Black Excellence Strategic Team.
However, with stricter enforcement of the order taking effect, Rajendra was officially relieved of her duties in early April 2025. According to reports, quoting a report from the Daily Mail, an internal email from JPL Director Laurie Leshin confirmed her departure, stating: “Neela Rajendra is no longer working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. We are incredibly grateful for the lasting impact she made to our organisation. We wish her the very best.”
Rajendra had previously survived mass DEI-related layoffs in 2024, when nearly 900 such roles were cut across various government entities due to budget constraints. Even after NASA shut down its DEI office in March 2025, she continued in her reassigned role until her eventual removal this month.
Her departure marks NASA’s alignment with other federal agencies that have already complied with the Trump administration’s controversial directive. The administration argues that DEI initiatives have created division and led to the misallocation of taxpayer resources, a claim that continues to spark heated national debate.
