Issue of October 9, 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. Crosspost: Anna Quider advises the STEM community on federal policy
2. David Byrne Awakens the Story of Dark Matter
3. Margaret Hamilton, computing pioneer who led software development for the Apollo program, dies at 90
4. APS expands programming to support women and gender minorities in physics
5. Beth Willman Named Interim Director of NSF NOIRLab
6. Women astronauts are challenging the image of who belongs in science through fashion, family, and pop culture
7. 9th International Conference on Women in Physics (ICWIP2027)
8. IAU Women in Astronomy STEM Ambassador Awards 2025–2026 Announced
9. Federal Research Grant Awards Fall to a Six-Year Low
10. Applications open for new CSWA members
11. Job Opportunities
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.
While working on her PhD in astronomy at the University of Cambridge, Anna Quider realized that although she loved knowing and promoting science, discovering something like a new stellar population wasn't motivating for her; she would be happy to be "the champion for the person who is making those discoveries." She earned her PhD in 2011, ditched her plans to pursue an academic career, and pivoted to science policy. In 2023, she launched her consultancy, the Quider Group, through which she advises research and higher-education organizations on science policy, congressional and agency engagement, grantsmanship, and advocacy.
Read more at: https://womeninastronomy.blogspot.com/2026/10/crosspost-anna-quider-advises-stem.html
In an excerpt from his new book, "Sleeping Beauties," the musician and writer revisits the brilliant discoveries by astronomer Vera Rubin. "As a woman in astronomy, Rubin didn't have it easy. Her struggles began early. Her high school adviser told her not to go into science, but Rubin ignored him, got a scholarship, and went to Vassar College. Rubin hoped to then get a doctorate from Princeton, but the astrophysics program there did not admit women, so she went to Cornell, which proved to be lucky."
Read more at: https://nautil.us/david-byrne-awakens-the-story-of-dark-matter-1285530
Margaret Hamilton, a profoundly influential computer scientist best known for leading the software engineering team at MIT's Instrumentation Lab during NASA's Apollo program, died on Sep. 30. She was 90. A computing pioneer who authored over 130 publications, Hamilton helped to establish software engineering as a dedicated discipline. She worked at MIT from 1959 until the mid-1970s, after which she became a successful computing entrepreneur and CEO.
Read more at: https://news.mit.edu/2026/margaret-hamilton-computing-pioneer-dies-1007
Beginning in 2027, APS will offer three dedicated conferences across career stages. Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers will meet in the spring, and undergraduates will meet in the fall. This expansion of programming will spread throughout the year, allowing each conference its own program, dedicated support, and more opportunities designed around the unique needs of participants.
Read more at: https://www.aps.org/initiatives/inclusion/gender-inclusive
NSF NOIRLab and the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) welcome Dr. Beth Willman as the Interim Director of NOIRLab. Dr. Willman will take over from Dr. Pat McCarthy on 5 October 2026 while AURA begins the search for a new permanent Director. Dr. Beth Willman is a leader in the science and management of ground-based astronomy facilities. Most recently, she was the CEO of the LSST Discovery Alliance. Previously, she served on AURA leadership as NOIRLab Deputy Director and as the first Project Director for the US Extremely Large Telescope Program, as well as Deputy Director of the Rubin Observatory construction project.
Read more at: https://noirlab.edu/public/announcements/ann26019/
Pink flight jackets, Taylor Swift references, and Astronaut Barbies don't look much like science outreach. A new study suggests they're part of how three women astronauts share science on Instagram. On the researchers' reading, the personal posts and pop-culture nods worked alongside the science, aimed at wider audiences while each woman built a recognizable personal brand.
The International Conference on Women in Physics (ICWIP) of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) will take place at the National University of Singapore (NUS) during 7-11 June 2027. The ICWIP2027 is the 9th in a series of triennial conferences by IUPAP since 2002 that brings together practitioners from all over the world in order to deliberate on both topics in physics and processes within physics practice, with the goal of transforming physics into a welcoming inclusive enterprise for everyone.
Read more at: https://events.cqt.sg/icwip2027/
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) Women in Astronomy Working Group is delighted to announce the 2025–2026 IAU STEM Ambassador Awardees, recognizing outstanding individuals who are actively advancing gender balance, inclusion, and equal opportunities in astronomy and the broader STEM community. This year's awardees are Dr. Gloria Dubner, Dr. Sarah Pearce, Dr. Lara Rodrigues da Costa Gomes de Sousa, Dr. Sheila Kanani, Dr. Alan Alves Brito, and Dr. Marie Korsaga. The awardees will be officially recognized at the 33rd IAU General Assembly.
Read more at: https://www.iau.org/Iau/News/Ann2026/WiA-STEM-Ambassador-Awards-2025%E2%80%932026.aspx
An independent grant tracker's analysis of NIH's own award records shows the agency has issued fewer grant awards this fiscal year than in any of the past six. NIH issued 60,924 grant awards during fiscal year 2026 through September 24, about 11 percent fewer than the 68,561 the agency had issued by the same point, on average, in the previous five fiscal years. Fewer awards mean fewer research programs getting off the ground, a squeeze likely to hit early-career investigators seeking their first major grant harder than established labs already holding multiyear awards.
Read more at: https://www.the-scientist.com/federal-research-grant-awards-fall-to-a-six-year-low-75078
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.
Read more at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeivBXzMT7LOKj8LEw468BZNaVyU9PQ-2Av4_FgeYw4LpDZKg/viewform
For those interested in increasing excellence and diversity in their organizations, a list of resources and advice is here:
https://aas.org/comms/cswa/resources/Diversity#howtoincrease
- Future Faculty in the Physical Sciences Postdoctoral Fellowship at Princeton University in Princeton, NJ
https://apply.interfolio.com/193776
To submit an item to the AASWOMEN newsletter, including replies to topics, send email to aaswomen_at_lists.aas.org .
All material will be posted unless you tell us otherwise, including your email address.
When submitting a job posting for inclusion in the newsletter, please include a one-line description and a link to the full job posting.
Please remember to replace "_at_" in the e-mail address above.
Join AAS Women List through the online portal:
To Subscribe, go to https://aas.simplelists.com/aaswlist/subscribe/ and enter your name and email address, and click Subscribe. You will be sent an email with a link to click to confirm subscription.
To unsubscribe from AAS Women by email:
Go to https://aas.simplelists.com, in the "My account and unsubscriptions", type your email address. You will receive an email with a link to access your account, from there you can click the unsubscribe link for this mailing list.
No comments:
Post a Comment