Des Moines Register
10-29-07
Women take command in space
By ERIN CRAWFORD
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
Men dominated the NASA internship program that Erin Anderson participated in
this summer.
That's why the 22-year-old Drake University student and Topeka, Kan., native
hopes younger women will draw inspiration from astronauts Pamela Melroy and
Peggy Whitson to close the gap.
On Tuesday, the space shuttle Discovery launched with Melroy in command.
Whitson, an Iowa native, has been in command of the International Space
Station since Oct. 12.
This is the first time in the history of space travel that two women are in charge of
two spacecraft at the same time.
"It's great that women are getting to take on these positions," Anderson said. "It
will inspire younger girls and women to pursue their dreams and not be deterred
because these positions have been previously filled by a male (scientist)."
When Whitson returns from space, she'll bring back an inspiring story ... and a Tshirt. The shirt will go to Iowa State University's Program for Women in
Science and Engineering.
"We're eagerly awaiting her return to talk about all the exciting things that go on
up there and get girls interested, not just in space travel, but aerospace
engineering and the sciences," said Carol Heaverlo, outreach program
coordinator for the ISU program .
Astronauts are particularly high-profile role models.
"I cannot just have a career, I can be a leader. That's what it shows," said Karen
Zunkel, who directs the program.
While women have closed the achievement gap in some areas of science, such
as biology and medicine, other disciplines still struggle to attract female students.
Women comprise fewer than 15 percent of the undergraduate engineering
students at Iowa State, Zunkel said. That's comparable to the national average.
Many astronauts come from an engineering background.
"Through our research, we've found young women tend to choose careers that in
some way, shape or form will help society," Heaverlo said.
"Our challenge is to provide information that you can be an engineer and that
they do help society every day."
The Program for Women in Science and Engineering holds conferences in the
fall and spring to expose young women to science careers.
Young women like Tia Fisher, a 14-year-old freshman at North High School in
Des Moines, who's already planning to go into medicine and is pursuing a
scholarship to attend Iowa State University.
Seeing female role models in the sciences, like her science teacher Melissa
Spencer, her mom, a medical assistant at Broadlawns Medical Center, and
Whitson, shows her what she can achieve.
"It's great to see women taking a lead in contributing to the world and they can
see how special women are. ... It's good for younger girls to see there are women
out there who can do anything they want to if they put their mind to it. We're not
just stay-at-home people and mothers," said Fisher.
Fisher said Whitson's achievements also show that Iowans are intelligent and
capable.
Sophomore Mayra Romero, 15, who's considering a degree in forensic science,
agrees.
"I don't get to talk to anybody who's really into it. ... (Seeing women in science)
shows us we can get to do the things we want to and have a better life."
Organizers at the Program for Women in Science and Engineering say providing
positive female role models is important not just for individual young women
considering their careers, but to society.
"When you're sitting around the table trying to figure out a solution to the
problem, a very small percentage of voices are women. And in this growing
global society it's important to have both voices represented," Heaverlo said.
Reporter Erin Crawford can be reached at (515) 284-8438 or
ecrawford@dmreg.com