Nancy Wilks' love for spacecraft and aircraft began as a child. Growing up in the 1960s Nancy's mother ensured that no National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) televised event was missed.

Mrs Wilks went on to study Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University and began her NASA career at Johnson Space Center (JSC) by enrolling in the Cooperative Education Program in 1988. Early in her NASA career Mrs Wilks worked in the Mission Planning and Analysis Division. She also worked in the JSC Engineering Directorate in the Systems Engineering Division.

In April 1994 Mrs Wilks joined the International Space Station (ISS) Program Office and works on the Assembly and Configuration Team. This team is responsible for developing the strategic plan for the ISS assembly.