Women@NASA celebrated Women's History Month with the public on March 8, 2012 with our co-sponsor George Washington University.  During the event, the NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver gave the keynote speech noting both the positive progress made towards increasing women in science, engineering, technology, and math (STEM) fields as well as recognizing the room left for improvement.  NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden and The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Assistant Director for National Security Pat Falcone closed the session.

Representatives from Women@NASA present for the unveiling were from L-R: Tiffaney Miller Alexander from Kennedy Space Center, Darlene Boykins from Headquarters, Mr. Charlie Bolden, Charlene Butler from Goddard Spaceflight Center, Charmel Jones from Kennedy Space Center, and Hashima Hasan from Headquarters.

During the morning session, Lori was joined by an esteemed panel of women who held a question and answer session with the attendees.  The panel featured Veronica Villalobos, Director of the Office of Personnel Management, Marcia Smith, from SpacePolicyOnline.com and Space and Technology Policy Group LLC, Catherine Didion, from the National Academy of Engineering, and Kathryn Sullivan, Deputy Administrator of NOAA and first female to perform a spacewalk.  The panel answered questions about their own experiences and how we can learn from them.  Moreover, they spoke to both the advances we have made and the ones still required in STEM.  During the afternoon session, the attendees were briefed on new releases concerning women and STEM.  Kamla Modi from the Girl Scout Research Institute presented data from a survey that essentially showed the significance of adult mentorship in furthering young girls' interests in STEM.  Most importantly, the survey showed that girls are already interested in math and science. However, they are also very well rounded and interested in many of other areas too.  In fact, one of the students from the invited middle school asked the panel what she should do if she was interested in math, science, and fashion.  Catherine Didion replied that much of fashion and art uses digital products and that required knowledge in technology.  She suggested that the young girl's dream was achievable and that she could mend together her interests and still find a career in STEM.  What a great answer that gives real paths to making a young girl's interests into a real career possibility.  I then presented the new Women@NASA profiles, highlighting the stories of these women.  Making sure it was known that no matter the obstacle, these women prove that it can be done.  Dreams can be achieved. 

To see the recorded version of the event, please visit YouTube.  To see pictures of the event, please visit the Women@NASA events page.  To see the NASA feature on the project, visit the main NASA site.

To further celebrate Women's History Month, Women@NASA continues to blog shout outs every day of this month.  To celebrate women's contribution to society year round, the original shout outs began in January of this year as a weekly recognition post.  This month, however, the majority of our shout outs come from suggestions from our social media followers on Facebook, Twitter, and this blog!  What an exciting way to be involved with our fans.  In other news, if you missed Lori Garver's Women's History Month message, you can read it at her blog.  It's just what we need to remember why this month is so important.  And remember, this month is not about "rah rah'ing" women just to do it. For us, it's because in 2012 women still only represent 25% of the STEM workforce.  Going to Mars or finding alternative fuels are no easy tasks.  It would behoove us to make sure we are tapped into to every market of diverse brains to ensure that we are maximally creative, innovative, and efficient.