Ten NASA employees, representing various Centers, attended the Out and Equal Workplace Summit for LGBTQ+ in Seattle on October 1-3.
The 2018 Summit (20th annual!) featured 3 days of educational opportunities including over 135 workshops, featured panels, community advisory roundtables, special networking mixers, receptions and events, and inspirational plenaries featuring prominent LGBTQ/ally leaders.
In addition to NASA folks, there were 6000 attendees from 48 states and 32 countries, with 700 of the Fortune 100 companies represented.
Please join the NASA Headquarters Pride Alliance Employee Resource Group in Conference Room 3D42 on October 24 for a lunch-and-learn discussion of LGBTQ history. October is National LGBTQ History Month and the members of the HQ Pride Alliance would like to invite anyone interested to participate in this open discussion.
NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope
In recognition of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) for 2018, the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Disability Awareness and Action Working Group (DAA WG) Employee Resource Group is sponsoring an informational fair with the theme “Talent Has No Boundaries.” It will be held on Wednesday, October 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the Headquarters Building front lobby, elevator area, and cafeteria. Twenty different vendors from both on- and off-Center will showcase resources and services they have available to KSC employees and family members. This fair is open for everyone to attend.
The DAA WG will also be sponsoring Disability Mentoring Day for area students and job seekers with disabilities on Thursday, November 8. If you are interested in being a mentor for the day, please reach Nicole Delvesco, 321-222-9307, or Annie Williams, telephone 321-867-8720.
The Women of Color (WOC) National Conference and STEM Career Fair is a premier conference and career fair for women of color in the United States. This year is the 23rd WOC Conference and Fair.
Women of Color is a three-day national conference with students and professionals – with representation from more than 3,000 thought leaders in engineering, computer science, and business.
WOC features a variety of educational and professional opportunities including workshops, expert panels, networking mixers, and prominent keynote speakers.
NASA was a sponsor at the Women of Color STEM Conference again this year, and participated in a pre-college seminar for secondary students. Students worked with NASA representatives on hands-on, competitive activities that engage and challenge them to consider STEM careers as real options. NASA employees also held a seminar where participants learned about a broad range of career opportunities at the Agency.
NASA was well-represented, with participants from Ames Research Center, Glenn Research Center, Goddard Space Flight Center, Langley Research Center, and Headquarters. Eleven NASA employees won awards this year at WOC for their spectacular career accomplishments.
Conflict Resolution Day, officially celebrated this year on October 18, 2018, is an internationally recognized event created by the Association for Conflict Resolution to promote awareness of the many creative and proactive methods for resolving and managing conflicts. At NASA, each Center holds commemorations and conducts educational awareness events throughout the month of October. These events highlight NASA’s commitment to resolving conflicts at the earliest possible stage.
Each Center leverages this time of the year to promote awareness and use of early and peaceful means of resolving workplace conflicts such as Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Ombudsman Program, Conflict Resolution Program, Anti-Harassment Program, Process for Handling Dissenting Opinions, NASA Safety Reporting System, Employee Assistance Program, Negotiated Grievance Process, Administrative Grievance Process and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO).
For Conflict Resolution Month events at each Center, please visit:
The Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) National Conference and STEM Career Fair is the largest conference and career fair for Asian Americans in the United States, with over 3,000 students and professionals and representation from over 100 universities nationwide.
NASA attended SASE again this year, talking with hundreds of students and presenting a workshop on NASA internship opportunities. In the words of participant Lien Moore, from Marshall Space Flight Center, “I just want to say thank you for the opportunity to represent NASA and MSFC at SASE 2018. It was so much larger than the last time I attended (maybe 2-3 years ago). The students’ interest in working at NASA is as strong as ever! I enjoyed spending time with all you and appreciate the chance to taste Chicago deep dish pizza with some of you! I had a lot of fun!”
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope trained its razor-sharp eye on one of the universe’s most stately and photogenic galaxies, the Sombrero galaxy, Messier 104. The galaxy’s hallmark is a brilliant white, bulbous core encircled by the thick dust lanes comprising the spiral structure of the galaxy. As seen from Earth, the galaxy is tilted nearly edge-on. This brilliant galaxy was named the Sombrero because of its resemblance to the broad rim and high-topped Mexican hat.
NASA’s Modern Figures story, with an emphasis on elevating women in Government, will be featured at the Women’s Leadership Program: Strategies for Accelerating Impact, Influence and Advancement, at the George Washington University from October 24-26. The program presented by GWU’s Center for Excellence in Public Leadership is a joint effort by women leaders for women leaders, and will provide new strategies and tactics for women to take the lead and succeed at higher levels in their organizations.
This breakthrough women’s leadership program features highly respected guest speakers, including a panel “From Hidden Figures to Modern Figures,” featuring the following:
•Julie Williams-Byrd, Acting Chief Technologist at NASA Langley Research Center
•Michelle Ferebee, Deputy Director for Strategy in the Aeronautics Research Directorate
at NASA Langley Research Center
•Dr. Wanda Peters, Deputy Director for Planning and Business Management in the Flight Projects at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
While gender diversity is recognized as a hallmark of the most successful organizations, studies—including “Women Rising: the Unseen Barriers” reported in HBR—reveal that gender bias continues to exist in most organizations.
Whatever the organizational climate, there are key actions and behaviors women can take to lead successfully and improve workplace engagement, culture, and operational execution. Participants will have the opportunity to network and build community with the speakers and participating women leaders.
“The skills, habits, and nuances learned in this program will begin to move the needle in gender equity and create better leaders,” says Leslie Grossman, Senior Fellow and Executive Coach at GWU Center for Excellence in Public Leadership, and Faculty Director of the program.
The program tackles such topics as building trusted relationships and influential networks, the mindfulness of confidence, workplace harassment, and emotional intelligence as a pathway to leadership.
The three-day program will take place on GW’s Washington, D.C. campus. There are a few more spaces for qualified candidates. For more information about GW’s Women’s Leadership Program: www.gwu.edu/cepl.
The Samuel J. Heyman Service to America awards (nicknamed the “Sammies”) are known as the “Oscar” awards for government service – they are a highly respected honor conferred after an extremely vigorous selection process. Named for the Partnership for Public Service’s late founder who was inspired by President Kennedy’s call to serve in 1963, these awards align with his vision of a dynamic and innovative federal workforce that meets the needs of the American people.
An award winner is selected for each of the following categories:
• Federal Employee of the Year
• Career Achievement
• Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
• Management Excellence
• National Security and International Affairs
• Promising Innovations
• Science and Environment
For each category, nominees must show:
• Strong commitment to federal service
• A significant accomplishment within their field that meets the needs of the American people
• Excellence in customer service to citizens or other beneficiaries
Award recipients are chosen from the field of finalists by a selection committee comprised of national leaders representing government, business, entertainment, media and the non-profit/foundation community. The members of the selection committee rank the finalists in each category based on:
• The significance and impact of their accomplishments
• How well they foster innovation
• Demonstrated leadership
• The extent to which they exemplify excellence in public service
Winners are announced at a black-tie gala in the early fall, and winners receive cash in the amount of several thousands of dollars. A complete list of this year’s winners is available here, and a list of previous winners (including individuals such as Bill Gerstenmaier) is available here, and I encourage all interested individuals to read about the amazing accomplishments of our Federal employees.
What’s in your backpack, and is any of it baggage? For today’s multi-cultural and multi-generational workforce to be effective, we all need to be prepared to engage in open communications. This event will identify effective strategies for cross-cultural communications at the workplace, for supporting employees with disability or health condition, and to utilize active listening for better understanding of needs and workplace issues.
Does unconscious bias, unspoken interactions and, ultimately, fear get in the way? This will get you thinking and maybe acting in a different way with people who are not like you.
JSC is streaming this event on Thursday, October 4 at http://ustream.tv/channel/nasa-jsc (viewing from 8-9:30am PST / 9-10:30am MST / 10-11:30am CST /11am-12:30pm EST). This event is hosted by JSC Safety and Health Action Team, No Boundaries Employee Resource Group, and JSC Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity. There will be 2 ASL interpreters supporting the event at JSC. Their image will be inserted via the livestream video feed.
Steve Shih, NASA’s Associate Administrator for the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity, traveled this month to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) to participate in a number of events in support of the KSC workforce. Steve served as the moderator of a Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) program at the KSC Supervisor All-Hands Meeting held by KSC Director, Bob Cabana, to emphasize the importance of D&I. Subsequently, Steve taught two classes on anti-harassment to KSC leaders.
Steve also visited a number of KSC organizations to interact with KSC personnel and to learn more about KSC’s missions. Finally, Steve visited the KSC Visitor’s Center, where he observed the new Astronaut Training Experience for the public and also visited the Astronaut Hall of Fame, in which KSC Director Cabana is inducted.
