The AAS Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy maintains this blog to disseminate information relevant to astronomers who identify as women and share the perspectives of astronomers from varied backgrounds. If you have an idea for a blog post or topic, please submit a short pitch (less than 300 words).
The views expressed on this site are not necessarily the views of the CSWA, the AAS, its Board of Trustees, or its membership.
AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of January 10, 2025
eds: Jeremy Bailin, Nicolle Zellner, Sethanne Howard, Ferah Munshi, and Hannah Jang-Condell
[We hope you all are taking care of yourselves and each other. Happy New Year!--eds.]
CSWA Sessions & Events at AAS National Harbor 2025
by Karly Pitman, CSWA Chair
We look forward to seeing you at the 245th American Astronomical Society meeting to be held January 12-16, 2025 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.
CSWA will be hosting and co-hosting several events early in the week. Please come by to meet your CSWA representatives, network, and support the advancement of women in our field.
AAS and CWSA Meeting Schedule:
Sun. Jan. 12:
AAS Grad School & REU Fair
Prince George’s Exhibit Hall E
5:30-7:00 p.m. ET
Come hear about CSWA's strategic plan and current activities and how you can get involved with AAS at the CSWA table!
Mon. Jan. 13:
CSWA Hackathon - Take Action for Equity
Chesapeake 6
1:00-3:15 p.m. ET
The AAS Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy (CSWA) has recently authored several papers with recommendations by and for our community on ways to support gender equity and the success of women in astronomy. In this interactive, solutions-oriented session, attendees will choose from a menu of canonical and systemic problems facing women in our field (e.g., issues impacting employment pipeline and retention, compensation, two-body problem, workplace civility, barriers to power and leadership, etc.) and collaborate in real time to brainstorm practical and tactical solutions to address them. We all know what the problems are - what we need is dedicated time together to solve them. If you don’t have time to volunteer for a committee but want to effect change and take action, this is your opportunity.
Tue. Jan. 14:
1400 Degrees and AAS CSWA Networking Event at AAS245
(Offsite event at Rosa Mexicano, RSVP link below; 6:30-9:00 p.m. ET)
1400 Degrees is partnering with the American Astronomical Society’s Committee for the Status of Women in Astronomy for an evening networking and community-building event at the AAS245 meeting in National Harbor, Maryland, on January 14th, 2025. Connect over dinner and beverages with scientists from different institutions, career stages, and scientific sub-disciplines within physics and astronomy in a casual and comfortable environment. Feel free to share this invitation with your (21+) women and gender minority colleagues attending the AAS conference. Space is limited, so make sure to RSVP quickly. We hope to see you there!
AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of January 3, 2025
eds: Jeremy Bailin, Nicolle Zellner, Sethanne Howard, Hannah Jang-Condell, and Ferah Munshi
[We hope you all are taking care of yourselves and each other. --eds.]
On November 24, 2024, Emily Calandrelli, an aerospace engineer and popular science communicator, became the 100th woman to reach space. Calandrelli joined five other passengers on Blue Origin’s ninth space tourism flight. Blue Origin streamed the launch and Calandrelli’s reaction, which brought hundreds of supportive comments online, but Calandrelli also received some toxic and sexist comments disparaging her response.
Seeing our planet for the first time, a dream decades in the making.
You’re seeing so many emotions intertwined. Excitement, awe, and pride - but to be honest a little fear and confusion too. You just launched on a rocket and you’re seeing something you’ve never seen before… pic.twitter.com/HlL85ENshC
Calandrelli received degrees in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the University of West Virginia. She then attended MIT and earned master’s degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics and Technology and Policy in 2013. Calandrelli also interned at NASA.
Since 2013, Calandrelli has worked as a science communicator, advocating for STEM education, particularly for girls, through various media. She is the host of Xploration Outer Space, part of Fox’s Xploration Station, which targets pre-teens and teens with mainly STEM-based programs. Calandrelli had already filmed YouTube videos with the engineering department at the University of West Virginia and had a growing online following as The Space Gal on her social media channels when Fox tapped her to host the program.
Calandrelli also pursued writing with Ada Lace, a STEM adventure series for kids. This six-book series follows 8-year-old Ada Lace as she uses science to solve problems. Calandrelli has also written a picture book, Reach For The Stars, and two science experiment books for kids.
In 2020, Calandrelli took her passion for STEM education a step further. She pitched the idea for a children’s science show to Netflix and the company picked up the show. Calandrelli, who was pregnant with her first child, got to choose whether she wanted to film the series pregnant or wait until after delivery. The science communicator took the opportunity to film the entire series of Emily’s Wonder Lab while 36 weeks pregnant.
In an interview with Parentaly, Calandrelli said, “On TV, you don’t usually see someone who is pregnant doing something other than being an expectant mother - or hiding it.” While the show wasn’t renewed for a second season, it still ranks high on Netflix’s list of shows.
Calandrelli has continued to support STEM education and careers for girls and women through her YouTube channel, recently launching Emily’s Science Lab, where she demonstrates science experiments for kids. Calandrelli also maintains active social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, and Bluesky, where she reaches several million followers as The Space Gal.
When Calandrelli traveled past the Kármán line in November, fulfilling a long-held dream to travel to space, she posted her reactions online, despite the risk of all-too-familiar disparaging comments from internet trolls. Calandrelli posted on Instagram, “I refuse to give much time to the small men on the internet.” Instead, she continues to focus her efforts on advocating for STEM and space exploration for all, particularly for girls and women.
The AAS Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy has compiled dozens of interviews highlighting the diversity of career trajectories available to astronomers, planetary scientists, etc. The interviews share advice and lessons learned from individuals on those paths.
Below is our interview with Mallory Conlon, the Outreach Astronomer at Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. She earned her M.S. in astronomy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has been engaged in science education and outreach for most of her career. She describes her current position as a collaboration of science education, astronomy, public outreach, and event management.
What were the most important factors that led you to leave astronomy and/or academia?
There were several factors - both internal and external - that led me to leave astronomy, and then eventually to leave academia. First, my reasons for leaving astronomy: My first semester as a graduate student was incredibly difficult. I was overwhelmed by my teaching duties, a too-high course load, and starting a new research project with a less-than-supportive advisor. I didn’t, at that time, feel comfortable setting boundaries or positively advocating for myself (in fact, I’m better but still struggle with that today). I found myself not enjoying the field anymore and wanting to finish my degree as quickly as possible. One positive of this time period is that I discovered how much I loved teaching and sharing science with others, as opposed to doing traditional research. My interests and skills were better aligned with the field of science education than astronomy, and I wanted to pursue that career path. I was incredibly lucky that the astronomy department I was in supported this exploration - this is not always the case. They agreed to me having an external advisor for my Master’s research (which focused on astronomy education). They also provided me with a teaching assistantship position focused on educational media design for an ASTRO 100 course, which ultimately led to my first job in instructional design after graduating. I can’t overstate how crucial that support was in transitioning from traditional science to science education.
After graduating, I stayed in academia working in educational consulting for almost 7 years before deciding to return to science outreach and education as a career. Though my immediate colleagues were fantastic to work with, I was quickly reminded how toxic certain people in academia can be toward women in STEM and those without PhDs. These stories are for another day…but after an unpleasant start, I felt limited support and very little desire from others to work toward systemic change that would improve the work environment or change the culture. Hence, my reason for leaving academia after almost 10 years: the bureaucracy of R1 academia moved too slowly and was too resistant to changes that would support people like me (e.g., non-faculty, non-PhD, education-focused, women). I needed to work in a place that was willing to grow and change, and the idea of joining what was essentially a start-up non-profit where I could help shape the work environment was incredibly appealing. It also offered a return to astronomy that filled me with so much excitement. It’s not without its challenges, but the flexibility and willingness to grow and change offered by Yerkes is something I never quite found in
Yerkes at night, during a lunar eclipse in 2022. Photo Credit Brian Finch,
academia.
If you have made a career change, what was your age at the time?
I’ve made two career changes. One was when I was 23 years old, and I transitioned almost completely away from science and astronomy and into general curriculum development and higher education consulting. During this time period, I did some consulting work for a publishing company focused on generating astronomy content for K-12 learners, but in general did not do any science education or outreach work until I transitioned into (or back into) science education and outreach at age 29.
What have been particularly valuable skills for your current job that you gained through completing your degree?
The skills from my astronomy degrees that have been especially valuable at my current job are: problem solving, time management, comfort using technology, setting up and using small telescopes, and writing and presenting about complex science concepts. Of course, as an astronomy educator, the astronomy content I learned is also incredibly valuable.
Describe a typical day at work.
One of my favorite things about my job is that there isn’t really a typical day. Some days I’m welcoming school groups for tours of the observatory, some days I’m working with interns on their
Mallory and students conduct an experiment with lasers in 2021. Photo credit: Ebony Cox / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
research presentations, some days I’m preparing to host an open house or other large scale event for the public. There’s also a lot of writing (emails, proposals, reports), coordinating, and planning that happens behind the scenes.
How many hours do you work in a week?
It depends on the week! Typically it is 35-40 hours, but there are occasional weeks with many events that end up closer to 50-60 hours.
How family-friendly is your current position?
The leadership at Yerkes are incredibly supportive and accommodating of the needs of people with families or other caretaking responsibilities. They provide very flexible work-from-home options so you can go to doctor appointments or on field trips without using vacation or sick days; no questions asked when you have to bring your child into work during holiday breaks or other random situations that come up when you are a parent; and just in general are supportive of the idea that work doesn’t always have to come first in a person’s life in order for great work to be done.
What advice do you have for achieving work-life balance (including having a family)?
Some workplaces are more open than others to providing options that improve work-life balance, and it comes from a place of privilege to be able to put up boundaries that protect your time. I’m incredibly lucky that I’m in a position where work-life balance is an option, and where I, for example, can turn down job offers that won’t provide me with the work-life balance I need. With that said, I’ll speak from my experience of navigating work-life balance in academic and academic-adjacent positions.
Yerkes staff, summer interns, and mentors (2024).
In general, I’ve found that roles within or adjacent to academia are surprisingly flexible, with two caveats. First, you have to ask. Seriously, just ask. Some jobs offer hybrid work options up front, but this isn’t quite the norm (yet). Any time I am negotiating a job offer, especially since having my son, I always inform them up front that I need flexible work hours and a set number of days I work from home. If they aren’t open to negotiation, then I move on (however hard that may be). Second, having work-life balance may lead to your career moving more slowly than those who value work more than their personal lives. Unfortunately, excessive work is still a virtue in the U.S., and while you may not be actively punished, you will not be rewarded for setting boundaries around how you work. This is something I’ve had to accept, which has not been impossible to navigate because I have a supportive partner and extended family. Ultimately, no one will protect your time but you. It's up to you to know what aspects of life are important to you and what you are willing to compromise, and then set those boundaries accordingly based on your needs, even if it means less money or rewards over time.
What do you do for fun (e.g., hobbies, pastimes, etc.)?
I have a 5-year-old son, and I love to spend time with him and my husband exploring our state and traveling. I enjoy running and ran my first half-marathon this year in Disney World, and I’m currently training for the Door County Fall 50 relay at the end of October. I also spend a lot of my free time volunteering as a foster and social media coordinator for Fetch Wisconsin Rescue, a local dog rescue non-profit based out of Madison, WI.
Can we include your email address for people who may want to contact you directly about your specific career route?
Yes! It is mconlon_at_yerkesobservatory.org (replace the _at_ with @).
By Chelsea Sharon and Amit Vishwas on behalf of the Employment Committee
In the lead up to the AAS January meeting, the Committee on Employment invites you to explore some of the resources we provide to the AAS community, both at the meeting and throughout the year! We're excited to bring you a wealth of online resources and upcoming events designed to support your career journey. Whether you're seeking guidance on job searches, professional development, or networking opportunities, we have plenty to explore.
While you might be familiar with the Job Register, the AAS Careers page hosts information on a variety of employment topics for all career stages. For our undergraduate members, there is a long list of summer research opportunities to explore. Or if you find yourself frequently fielding questions from high school students interested in astronomy careers, we have recently updated a detailed description of the skills, educational background, and career path options that you can pass along to prospective young astronomers. The Career Resources page has useful compilations of advice, such as
Astronomy-powered careers. Image Credit: AAS Committee on Employment
networking and job hunting in general. If you are serving on the hiring side of employment, we also have resources on best practices in equitable hiring with references. If you’re considering careers outside of academia, but aren’t sure where to start, we have an extensive archive of Panel Discussions on the AAS YouTube channel, as well written profiles on astronomy-powered careers.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please reach out to anyone on the Employment Committee, and we’ll see what we can do to help! We are always open to suggestions about new resources we can provide the community, and we aim to support all types of careers paths in astronomy and beyond.
For those attending the Winter Meeting in National Harbor, the Employment Committee is putting on two workshops that you could benefit from:
"Effective Project Management for Everyone: How to Get Things Done” on Sunday January 12th from 8am until noon. This workshop will cover many of the tools and best practices for project management that astronomers can adopt from our friends in industry! So if you are struggling to juggle multiple projects, are applying to faculty positions and want to have skills in place to manage your group, or are thinking about transitioning to industry and want to learn some useful skills for outside academia, this workshop is for you!
And don’t forget about the Beyond Academe career panel and roundtable discussion groups during the meeting on Tuesday the 14th at 2pm and 3:30pm, respectively! We have a diverse line up of panelists, including folks from the world of philanthropy, science communication, aerospace, and data science. The more personal and informal roundtable discussions after the panel are a great avenue to network and explore ideas for professional growth. The roundtables also include people from traditional academic roles and at different types of institutions, such as folks working at observatories, primarily undergraduate institutions, nonprofits, and public outreach institutions, so there is something for everyone.
In addition to these workshops and roundtables, there is a whole host of other pre-meeting workshops you can sign up for. Topics include data science skills, specific telescope tools, proposal writing, classroom teaching, and more! If you didn’t sign up for a workshop when you first registered, you can still add one.
Follow the meeting registration link, log in, scroll all the way down to the workshops, and click on the “Add” button to add them to your shopping cart.
Proceed to checkout, enter the payment information and submit. You will see the confirmation page and receive an email when registered.
We encourage you to explore the Employment Committee resources at the AAS meeting if you are attending, and online if you are not. Let's connect, learn, and grow together! You can find the contact information of the Employment Committee on the AAS website here.
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