One of the first things learned by women who embark on careers in aerospace is there aren’t very many women in the field. But that may be about to change, thanks to the newly founded Women’s Aerospace Network (WAN), which was created in January to help women in STEM fields make contacts and grow their careers.
The organization was founded by NASA engineer Holly Pascal, who describes it as “a platform for community and support among women working in the aerospace industry.”
A big part of the organization is recognizing the women who have achieved excellence and created areas of innovation in their field. To that end the organization has launched the inaugural Women in Space awards.
“We believe that by highlighting the achievements of a diverse group of individuals in the field, we will inspire the next generation of leaders to reach higher and explore further,” Pascal said in a statement.
The organization is accepting nominations for awards in eight categories: leadership, entrepreneurship, science and innovation, education and outreach, student leadership, medicine and health, business, and pioneer.
According to WAN, it has received more than 100 nominee submissions from 20 countries.
The submission period for nominees is open until May 1, with finalists being announced on May 27. The winners will be selected based on a combination of open voting and through an evaluation panel made up of a diverse set of experts from across the aerospace industry.
Nominations may be submitted here.
“These awards are an exciting opportunity to highlight the incredible contributions and innovations being made by women all over the world,” said Jennifer Rochlis, president and CEO of Advancing Frontiers, former NASA division chief, and WAN adviser. “It’s thrilling to reflect how much progress is being made advancing space exploration, and I’m excited to meet this first cohort of finalists that are showing us the way.”
