Showing posts with label girls in science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label girls in science. Show all posts

Thursday, January 2, 2025

Emily Calandrelli: 100th Woman in Space

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.

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.


Find out more about Emily Calandrelli at thespacegal.com. 



Friday, March 8, 2024

AASWomen Newsletter for March 8, 2024

AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of March 8, 2024
eds: Jeremy Bailin, Nicolle Zellner, Sethanne Howard, and Hannah Jang-Condell

[In celebration of International Women's Day, we thank the women in our lives for all they do.  --eds.]

Ruby Payne-Scott
Ruby Payne-Scott
(Image Credit: Hall Family) 
This week's issues:

1. Cross-post: The Forgotten Star of Radio Astronomy
2. Unveiling Gender Imbalance, Efforts, and Consequences in Astronomy 
3. Women and Girls in Astronomy Program: 2024 Call for Proposals
4. Women of NASA Langley Research Center
5. Simone Daro Gossner
6. Nature publishes too few papers from women researchers — that must change
7. Save the Date for the October 15-16 2024 Public Summit on Preventing Sexual Harassment! 
8. Call for Presentations for Public Summit on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education
9. How to Submit to the AASWomen Newsletter
10. How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the AASWomen Newsletter
11. Access to Past Issues of the AASWomen Newsletter

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

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1. Cross-post: The Forgotten Star of Radio Astronomy
From: Nicolle Zellner via womeninastronomy.blogspot.com

Australian physicist Ruby Payne-Scott helped lay the groundwork for a whole new kind of astronomy: radio astronomy. By scanning the skies for radio waves instead of the light waves that we can see with our eyes, Payne-Scott and her colleagues opened a new window into the universe and transformed the way we explore it. But to keep her job as a woman working for the Australian government in the 1940s, Payne-Scott had to keep a pretty big secret.

Read more at 

https://womeninastronomy.blogspot.com/2024/03/cross-post-forgotten-star-of-radio.html

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2. Unveiling Gender Imbalance, Efforts, and Consequences in Astronomy  
From: John Leibacher <jleibacher_at_nso.edu>

In celebration of International Women's Day, the IAU Women in Astronomy (WiA) Working Group (WG) is excited to organize the event: "Unveiling Gender Imbalance, Efforts, and Consequences in Astronomy." This initiative aims to acknowledge both permanent and contractual researchers who have made exceptional contributions to advancing gender equality in Astronomy, encompassing achievements in research, mentorship, and advocacy. Our objective is to honor individuals who consistently foster a supportive environment for every member of our community.

The event will take place online via Zoom on 8th March 2024, from 13:30 to 15:30 CET and it will be recorded.

Information about the session can be found at

https://forms.gle/KpsVLVJeFm5YFTUq6

Learn more about the special WiA WG session and view the recording at 

https://sites.google.com/view/iau-women-in-astronomy/home

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3. Women and Girls in Astronomy Program: 2024 Call for Proposals
From: Yasmin Catricheo <YCatricheo_at_aui.edu>

The Women and Girls in Astronomy Program (WGAP) inspires and supports women, girls, and underrepresented genders in the field of astronomy. The program, implemented by the NA-ROAD, targets aspiring astronomers and current professionals alike to establish a network to uplift, educate, connect with, and promote astronomy for development in women and girls.

The Program is looking to fund 10 projects that use astronomy for development activities to promote, support, and uplift women and girls in the field. Qualifying projects must align with at least one of the NA-ROAD’s five Strategic Goals 1 through 5, and take place in Canada, United States, the Caribbean, Mexico, or Greenland. Projects are encouraged to approach astronomy from a unique lens, including, but not limited to, scientific, social, technical, cultural, and artistic perspectives.

Learn more and apply at

https://naroad.astro4dev.org/na-road-projects/women-and-girls-astronomy-program/

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4. Women of NASA Langley Research Center
From: Nicolle Zellner [nzellner_at_albion.edu]

By Monika Luabeya

In honor of Women’s History Month and those who paved the way for them, hundreds of female staff – from artists to administrative support, educators to engineers, and scientists to safety officers – gathered in front of the Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, on Feb. 6, 2024.

See the picture and read more at

https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/women-of-nasa-langley-research-center/

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5. Simone Daro Gossner 
From: Sethanne Howard <sethanneh_at_msn.com>

Since I was Chief of the Nautical Almanac Office, Gossner is an important part of my history.

Simone Daro Gossner (1920–2002) was a Belgian-American astronomer who specialized in eclipses at the Nautical Almanac Office of the United States Naval Observatory. She received her education in Brussels. During World War II, when the universities in Brussels were closed due to the German occupation, she became an underground teacher. In 1946, she was brought to Radcliffe College in the United States through a program by the American Association of University Women, which aimed to provide educational opportunities for young women affected by the war.

Read more at

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simone_Daro_Gossner

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6. Nature publishes too few papers from women researchers — that must change
From: Nicolle Zellner [nzellner_at_albion.edu]

By The Editors

This journal will double down on efforts to diversify the pool of corresponding authors and referees.

During the period analysed, some 10% of corresponding authors preferred not to disclose their gender. Of the remainder, just 17% identified as women — barely an increase on the 16% we found in 2018, albeit using a less precise methodology. By comparison, women made up 31.7% of all researchers globally in 2021, according to figures from the United Nations science, education and cultural organization UNESCO (see go.nature.com/3wgdasb).

Read more at

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00640-5

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7. Save the Date for the October 15-16 2024 Public Summit on Preventing Sexual Harassment! 
From: John Leibacher <jleibacher_at_nso.edu>

The 2024 Public Summit will take place on October 15-16, 2024 at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, with the option of attending virtually or in-person. The Public Summit of the National Academies’ Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education is an open forum for those in the higher education ecosystem to collaboratively identify, discuss, and elevate innovative and promising approaches and new research on addressing and preventing sexual harassment. This annual event brings together a diverse group, including members and partner network organizations of the Action Collaborative, the broader higher education community, sexual harassment researchers and response practitioners, grassroots and nonprofit organizations, public and private foundations, and federal and state policymakers.

Learn more at

https://www.nationalacademies.org/event/42244_10-2024_action-collaborative-on-preventing-sexual-harassment-in-higher-education-2024-public-summit

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8. Call for Presentations for Public Summit on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education
From: John Leibacher <jleibacher_at_nso.edu>

The Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education invites submissions for presentations, posters, and sessions on practices to address and prevent sexual harassment in higher education and research that can help inform such practices. Individuals across higher education and those that want to contribute to the discussion around preventing sexual harassment in higher education are encouraged to submit about their work, ideas, and research so it can be included at the Action Collaborative’s Annual Public Summit. The submission deadline is Friday, June 7, 2024.

For more information, please see

https://www.nationalacademies.org/event/42244_10-2024_action-collaborative-on-preventing-sexual-harassment-in-higher-education-2024-public-summit 

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9. How to Submit to the AASWOMEN newsletter

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.

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10. How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the AASWOMEN newsletter

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/aaswlist/subscribe/ , 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.

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11. Access to Past Issues

http://womeninastronomy.blogspot.com/search/label/AASWOMEN 

Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Gratitude and Giving for the Holidays

A message to our readers from members of the CSWA and editors of AASWomen: As we enter the holiday season in the United States and other parts of the world, we wish everyone health and happiness.


In a tradition going back almost 10 years (and maybe longer), Women in Astronomy is providing a gift-giving guide to help you with your holiday shopping. Links and ideas are listed below and feel free to tell us about your favorite gifts in the Comments section.

STARtorialist continues to provide a universe of Astro-fashion! STARtorialist is a women-owned small business founded by professional astronomers to curate space- and science-themed products, support independent designers, and contribute to STEM education and outreach. New (to me) this year? JWST-themed drinking glasses (and more!), JWST-themed clothing, and Artemis items.

Image Credit: Dreamtime
Space.com recently posted its 2023 list of best telescopes. Check out the guide from Sky & Telescope first, though, so the telescope doesn't end up as a doorstop. 

Sky & Telescope magazine offers annual print and digital subscriptions and a variety of  maps and globes in its shop. Speaking of maps and globes, check out Mova's light-powered rotating globes! The lucky recipient will think them out of this world!

For the youngsters (and those young at heart), A Mightly Girl, which boasts "the world's largest collection of books, toys and movies for smart, confident, and courageous girls", continues to have a wide selection of science toys and kits, free (yes, FREE!) posters celebrating women role models and mighty women in STEM, and children's book about girls and women in science. Crazed about Barbie? Mattel's Career Dolls series includes scientists, pilots, and doctors.

Penguin Random House publishers has a list of "Stellar Books That Take Place in Space"; space.com published its best books for 2023; and Goodreads has a list of popular space books. Are your favorite books on any of these lists? If not, add the title and author in the Comments section.

Perhaps you know someone who just needs to get away. Maybe that someone is you. Check out some locations that support astrotourism. Going Cosmic, "a one-stop global forum for all aspects of astrotourism... that provide[s] a range of unique features to help celebrate our world and others", has a list of unusual holiday ideas to add stargazing to your travel plans.

galaxy popcorn
Image Credit: mamacheaps.com
Or maybe staying in is the holiday gift. Marie Claire published a list of the 44 best space movies of all time. Buy some space candy, make some galaxy popcorn, and settle in!

BTW, the Van Cleef and Arpels astronomical watch (with accurate orbits of the planets around the Sun), which we mentioned in our 2016 Holiday Gift Guide, is still available. Just sayin'.



Need more ideas? Check out GeekWrapped's best space & astronomy gifts, and NASA's on-line Space Shop lets you shop, well, for space things. Finally, an extensive list with other ideas was posted in our 2014 Holiday Gift-giving Guide, so check that out, too!






Friday, September 6, 2019

AASWomen Newsletter for September 06, 2019

AAS Committee on the Status of Women AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of September 06, 2019
eds: JoEllen McBride, Nicolle Zellner, Heather Flewelling, Maria Patterson, and Alessandra Aloisi

[We have a *new email address* for receiving submissions to the newsletter: aaswomen_at_lists.aas.org. An editor will reply with a confirmation of receipt. Please update us in your contacts, and thank you for your submissions. --eds.]

Mary Ward, from item 6
This week's issues:

1. AAS Board Reflections: Stuart Vogel

2. Astrophysicist releases kids book Under the Stars: Astrophysics for Bedtime to inspire a passion for STEM

3. Women Scientists Form a Policy Advocacy Network in the Mid-Atlantic

4. Fifteen tips to make scientific conferences more welcoming for everyone

5. Survival Tips For Women In Tech: Who else is the only woman on their dev team?

6. Mary Ward: Feminist famous as the first person to be killed in a car accident

7. New data analysis proves science is sexist

8. All-female robotics team wins major awards while slashing stereotypes of women, Latinos in STEM

9. Girls Would do Better in Maths and Science Tests if Exams Were Made Longer, Study Finds

10. A better future for graduate-student mental health

11. Make science PhDs more than just a training path for academia

12. Job Opportunities

13. How to Submit to the AASWomen Newsletter

14. How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the AASWomen Newsletter

15. Access to Past Issues of the AASWomen Newsletter

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Cross-post: We need to start being honest with girls about science

As an avid science communicator and astronomy subject matter expert for hire, Dr. JoEllen McBride, CSWA member, strives to make science inclusive for anyone who wants to participate. In this blog post, Dr. McBride discusses how we have to be honest with young women; not just about the set backs they may face when doing science but the systemic hurdles they'll face within their scientific institutions.

Read more at

http://www.astropunkin.com/2018/07/we-need-to-start-being-honest-with.html

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

What can your CSWA do for you??

Members of 500 Women Scientists pass Trump International Hotel
on Pennsylvania Ave in D.C. (Robinson Meyer / The Atlantic)
This is a week of calls to action. If you have not taken action to advocate for science, to advocate for women, to advocate for people of color, to advocate for LGBTQIA people, to advocate for astronomers with disabilities, to safeguard the standing of the United States in the World, to protect your children's future... it's time you get it together. It's time you advocate for yourself. It's time to ask us to advocate for you.

I am writing to ask how the CSWA can serve you in this new year. In the same vein as Jessica's post on Monday, I request your direct comments**, your input, on how the CSWA can advocate for you, what action we should take, what action we have not yet taken that might benefit you. We are a resource to the astronomical community, to women in this community, and we hope to become a better resource to minoritized astronomers in the coming years.

Thursday, November 24, 2016

2016 Holiday Gift Guide

Image From NASA: courtesy of The Cassini-Huygens Project team.
For the past few years, the Women in Astronomy blog has posted a holiday gift guide in preparation for the vast array of holidays celebrated in December. The 2014 post included links to various shopping and blogging sites focused on science and empowering girls (many of which are still useful today), and the 2015 post focused on a gift giving guide from the creators of STARtorialist. Just in time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, here's the 2016 Holiday Gift Guide, which is mostly links to help get the perfect gifts for the space fans in your life this holiday season.


Wednesday, December 10, 2014

2014 Holiday Gift Guide

With the holidays fast approaching, a common question that I see many of my colleagues struggling with is what to purchase our next generation of budding scientists for the holidays.  A recent study featured in CBE-Life Sciences Education showed that family plays a vital role in initially attracting young people to the science, technology, engineeringand math (STEM) fields.  As we look towards toy aisles, we are distracted by the massive aisle of pink for girls and robots, action figures, and toy weapons for boys, which have lead to many calling out the normalization of gender roles at very early ages that may also impact the career paths young girls take later in life.  All of this leads to a dilemma for many of us with young girls in our lives to look outside of the standard pink aisle for gifts for those that have a genuine interest in the sciences.  Legos, one of the greatest toys of all time, has stepped up several times and recently posted this great commercial for girls, which even focuses on the difference between how young children play (boys typically follow the design on the box, while girls tend to build from their imagination).  Here are some shopping and blogging sites focused on science and empowering girls for my version of a 2014 Holiday gift guide (aside from Legos, found nationwide, and etsy, or as I call it, the online land for everything homemade).

Friday, March 7, 2014

AASWomen for March 7, 2014

AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of March 7, 2014
eds: Michele M. Montgomery, Daryl Haggard, Nick Murphy, & Nicolle Zellner

This week's issues:

1. Sometimes Being Good Isn’t Enough
2. Part II Nail Salons: Appropriate Astronomy Women’s Group Venue? Survey Results
3. The 2013 CSWA Demographics Survey: Portrait of a Generation of Women in Astronomy
4. Childcare Available at Boston AAS Meeting
5. Career Profile: Astronomer to Director for the Centre of Excellence for All-Sky Astrophysics
6. L’Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science Fellowships: UK and Ireland
7. How to Level the Playing Field for Women in Science
8. In Academia, Women Collaborate Less With Their Same-Sex Juniors
9. Sexism plagues major chemistry conference: Boycott emerges amid growing outrage
10. A Mighty Girl: Mighty Careers
11. Change sought in women's depiction in text books
12. How to Submit to the AASWomen Newsletter
13. How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the AASWomen Newsletter
14. Access to Past Issues of the AASWomen Newsletter

Monday, January 27, 2014

5 Myths

The news web site livescience.com has a series on "5 myths" in areas of health, science and society.  Not all of the articles in that series are to my taste, but I liked the recent one on 5 myths about girls, math and science.  Here is a summary and my take on solutions.  The data in the piece come from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Research on Gender in Science and Engineering (GSE) program. 

Myth 1:  The myth is that girls don't like science as much as boys do.  The reality is that girls and boys have equal science interests in early grade school, but already think of scientists as white males.  That perception begins to turn girls off to science in later grades.  My take:  role models are all important.  Things will improve as the number of visible women in science increases.

Myth 2:  The myth is that devoting extra classroom attention to girls' interest in science runs the risk of alienating the boys.  The reality is that the effect is bogus.  My take:  extra attention to individual interests and needs in school can benefit all.  Kids will perceive that the teacher is making a special effort and generally enjoy the class more.