AASWomen Newsletter for November 6, 2026

University of Waterloo chemist Linda Nazar is the 2026 winner of Canada's top science prize

AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of November 6, 2026
eds: Jeremy Bailin, Sethanne Howard, Ferah Munshi, Stella Kafka, and Ben Keller

[We hope you all are taking care of yourselves and each other. --eds.]

This week's issues:

1. Meet Your CSWA (and Join Us!)
2. UT San Antonio's Haunted Observatory blends Halloween, Día de los Muertos and astronomy
3.
4. Chemist who transformed energy storage nabs Canada's top science prize
5. Why curiosity and confusion are so important for scientists
6. Job Opportunities
7. How to Submit to the AASWOMEN newsletter
8. How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the AASWOMEN newsletter
9. Access to Past Issues

An online version of this newsletter will be available at http://womeninastronomy.blogspot.com/ at 3:00 PM ET every Friday.

Meet Your CSWA (and Join Us!)

Last week we issued a call for new members to join the Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy. This volunteer opportunity connects you with others supporting women astronomers in various ways. If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out the Google form.

Since 1979, over 100 people have been members of the CSWA and have worked to recommend to the AAS Board of Trustees practical measures that can be taken to improve the status of women in astronomy and encourage their entry into this field. The CSWA's Resources page and External page have a plethora of information to help women advance in the field. 

Thank you to the past members of the CSWA and the work you have done for us. 

CSWA Current Members

Name: Jeremy Bailin

Institution: University of Alabama

Specialty Research Area: Galaxy Formation, Globular Clusters

Something Interesting: Former radio DJ

Name: Regina A. Jorgenson
Institution: Maria Mitchell Association, Director of Astronomy

Specialty Research Area: Galaxy Formation and Evolution

Something Interesting: I’m an ethical and compassionate vegan.

Name: Stella Kafka
Institution: Independent contributor
Specialty Research Area: Cataclysmic Variables
Something interesting about me: I have a 6-year-old Yorkie; I work for him.
Why I enjoy/value being part of the CSWA: Being part of the CSWA is especially meaningful to me because it brings together my passion for astronomy, equity, and empowering the next generation of scientists. Co-editing the newsletter gives me the opportunity to amplify diverse voices, celebrate achievements, highlight persistent challenges, and foster conversations that can lead to meaningful change. Most of all, I value being part of a community committed to making astronomy more inclusive, welcoming, and equitable for everyone.

                                                        

Name: Dr. Karly Pitman (she/her/hers)

Institution: Chair, AAS CSWA

Specialty Research Area: planetary & ISM dust; radiative transfer & laboratory astrophysics

Something Interesting: I design and sew clothing.

Name: Rayna Rampalli

Institution: Dartmouth College

Specialty Research Area: Galactic Archaeology 

Something Interesting: I swim with the UV Rays master's team in White River Junction, VT  (which is part of the upper valley, or UV, region hence our team name). 

Name: Sukanya Chakrabarti

Institution: UAH

Specialty Research Area: precision measurements to constrain dark matter

Something Interesting: I am starting to do karate again after about 7 years and am currently on my way to a karate camp 😀

Name: Eric Hooper

Institution: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Specialty Research Area: AGN and galaxy connection; radio surveys.

Something Interesting: I've been a downhill skier since my 6th birthday.

Name: Emily Moravec

Institution: Green Bank Observatory

Specialty Research Area: Galaxy clusters, radio-AGN, and the interaction between clusters and radio-AGN

Something interesting about me: I am a paragliding pilot and enjoy growing flowers.

Why I enjoy/value being part of the CSWA: I want to contribute to making the field of astronomy/astrophysics a more inclusive environment. 

Name: Libby Fenstermacher

Institution: UH Manoa Sociology PhD student

Specialty Research Area: Space, Society and Sustainability 

Something interesting about me: I was a 3x NASA intern.

Why I enjoy/value being part of the CSWA: I’m interested in making science and space more accessible while exploring the social systems shaping our future on Earth and beyond.

Name: Kimberly Mitchell

Institution: Independent contributor, chief blogger CSWA

Specialty Research Area: Science Communication

Something interesting about me: I currently live in Portugal.

Why I enjoy/value being part of the CSWA: I enjoy using my love of space and science and my communication skills to highlight this important committee and women in astronomy in general.

AASWomen Newsletter for October 30, 2026

AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of October 30, 2026
eds: Jeremy Bailin, Sethanne Howard, Ferah Munshi, Stella Kafka, and Ben Keller

[We hope you all are taking care of yourselves and each other. --eds.]

This week's issues:

1. AAS and Partners Send Letter to NASA Raising Concerns About Grant Programs
2. Archival Feature: Vera Rubin Made Dark Matter A Household Name
3. Join the CSWA and Support Women in Astronomy
4. Share Your Career Journey: Diverse Pathways in Astronomy
5. Cornell astronomy researcher to head planetary science workforce survey
6. Two Astronomers Honored for Excellence in Science Communication
7. Haunted Observatory Celebrates Women Astronomers and Their Legacies
8. Thoughts on “Female Student Quota” for Admissions: Quota spurs aspirations for elite universities
9. Call for Applications: Female Science Talents Intensive Track 2027 – Fully Funded Travel and Career Development Program for Women in Science
10. STEM4Girls Day inspires the next generation of STEM leaders
11. Anthropic STEM Fellowship - funding opportunity
12. How to Submit to the AASWOMEN newsletter
13. How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the AASWOMEN newsletter
14. Access to Past Issues

An online version of this newsletter will be available at http://womeninastronomy.blogspot.com/ at 3:00 PM ET every Friday.

Archival Feature: Vera Rubin Made Dark Matter A Household Name

As Halloween approaches, we enjoy tales of ghosts and spooky stories as we remember how our ancestors tried to make sense of the invisible and unknown in our universe. Few cosmic phantoms are as mysterious as dark matter. In this archival feature originally published by Smithsonian Magazine on December 28, 2016 (just days after her passing), writer Linda Kramer traces how astronomer Vera Rubin fought through systemic biases to fundamentally change our understanding of the universe, proving that most of the cosmos remains hidden in the dark.

 Vera Rubin measuring spectra in 1974 at the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism at the Carnegie Institution in Washington, D.C. 
Photo: NOIRLab via Wikimedia Commos

“I remember being startled even that first night,” says Vera Rubin. On November 14, 1977, she and colleague Kent Ford were down at the big Mayall telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona, testing a brand-new technique to study the motions of stars within spiral galaxies. And Rubin, who has the air of a feisty, energetic grandmother (which she is), couldn’t wait to see how things were turning out. So every now and again she left Ford at the helm of the telescope and took a freshly exposed photographic plate downstairs to the observatory’s darkroom, where she developed it on the spot.

What each plate recorded (they hoped) was the spectrum of each galaxy, from the brightest point in its center to the faintest edges of its spiral arms.

Read the full article at:Vera Rubin Made “Dark Matter” a Household Phrase (Smithsonian Magazine).

Meanwhile, Rubin's work continues today. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, featuring the world’s largest digital camera, is currently executing its 10-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). By mapping billions of galaxies and probing weak gravitational lensing, the observatory bearing her name is carrying forward her work—moving astrophysics from demonstrating that dark matter exists to uncovering what this celestial phantom actually is.

AASWomen Newsletter for October 23, 2026

AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of October 23, 2026
eds: Jeremy Bailin, Ferah Munshi, Stella Kafka, and Ben Keller

[We hope you all are taking care of yourselves and each other. --eds.]

This week's issues:

1. Join the CSWA and Support Women in Astronomy
2. Call for AASWomen Newsletter Editors
3. AAS Employment Committee - share your career experience on the AAS website!
4. For women academics, feeling devalued can be a fatal career blow
5. The SAIR Prize: nominations open
6. L’Oréal USA Names 2026 For Women in Science Awardees, Supporting the Future of Scientific Discovery
7. Job Opportunities
8. How to Submit to the AASWOMEN newsletter
9. How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the AASWOMEN newsletter
10. Access to Past Issues

An online version of this newsletter will be available at http://womeninastronomy.blogspot.com/ at 3:00 PM ET every Friday.

Join the CSWA and Support Women in Astronomy

The American Astronomical Society’s (AAS) Committee for the Status of Women in Astronomy (CSWA) is currently soliciting applications for new committee members. We welcome applicants at all career stages, from individuals within and outside academia, regardless of gender, identity, or background. 

The Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy (CSWA) is a standing committee of the American Astronomical Society dedicated to supporting and encouraging women in the field. 

What Do CSWA Members Do?

Meet online once a month to discuss current issues and plan for upcoming events, particularly with the AAS winter and summer conferences.
Publish the weekly electronic newsletter AASWomen, highlighting astronomy news focused on women and current job opportunities.
Publish the Women In Astronomy Blog, which includes original interviews with women in astronomy and astronomy-adjacent fields.
Conduct community surveys and formulates recommendations on reducing workplace harassment, improving ethics, and supporting career development.
Organize networking sessions and special events at AAS meetings (such as AAS 247 in Phoenix).

CSWA members are volunteers who serve staggered, three-year terms. If you have any interest in joining or finding out more about what it means to serve on the committee, please fill out the following interest form by November 15th, 2026, to indicate your interest.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeivBXzMT7LOKj8LEw468BZNaVyU9PQ-2Av4_FgeYw4LpDZKg/viewform?usp=header

Call for Newsletter Editors

AASWomen is the CSWA's weekly electronic publication. It consists of timely news items, advice solicitations and responses, and job postings relevant to women in astronomy. Relevant contributions are welcome from anyone, and anyone may subscribe.

About being an editor:

The AASWomen editorial team consists of 4-5 editors who rotate responsibility for preparing and sending out the weekly newsletter from the news items, job postings, etc. that have been sent in by members of the community and the editorial team, as well as communications from the CSWA and AAS. It typically takes less than an hour to prepare the newsletter, and each editor averages about one per month.

If you'd like to volunteer to be an editor on the newsletter, please fill out the form above. You do not need to be a CSWA committee member to be a newsletter editor, but you can volunteer for both if you'd like to.

Join the CSWA and support women in astronomy in a new way. We'd be happy to have your voice on the committee or as part of the editorial team.

AASWomen Newsletter for October 16, 2026

Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, item 4.
Credit: Annual Reviews of Astronomy & Astrophysics

AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of October 16, 2026
eds: Jeremy Bailin, Ferah Munshi, Stella Kafka, and Ben Keller

[We hope you all are taking care of yourselves and each other. --eds.]

This week's issues:

1. The Life of Margaret Hamilton
2. SGMA's AAS #249 LGBTQ+ Resource Guide to Salt Lake City
3. Annie Jump Cannon recognized as a Legacy Honoree by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
4. Kites Rise Against the Wind: An Autobiography by Jocelyn Bell Burnell
5. Prof Lorraine Hanlon named Chair of ESA Space Science Advisory Committee
6. Study finds gendered messaging can backfire
7. Job Opportunities
8. How to Submit to the AASWOMEN newsletter
9. How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the AASWOMEN newsletter
10. Access to Past Issues

An online version of this newsletter will be available at http://womeninastronomy.blogspot.com/ at 3:00 PM ET every Friday.