When the Eiffel Tower was built in 1889, the names of 72 of France’s greatest scholars were inscribed on the tower’s first floor in golden capital letters. More than 130 years later, Paris authorities are seeking to right a historic wrong by adding the names of 72 illustrious women.

Astronomer Dr. Julianne Dalcanton has spent her career trying to understand the mysteries of space, while helping make room for others who want to join in this journey. Dr. Shruti Shrestha interviews Dr. Dalcanton for AWIS Magazine. When we look up to the stars, we think the night sky is for everyone. Astronomer Dr. Julianne Dalcanton believes this to be true and has spent her career trying to understand the mysteries of space, while helping make room for others who want to join in this journey. Dr. Dalcanton focuses her research on galaxy formation and evolution with an emphasis on stars, gas, and their interactions. She also explores the extremes of galaxy formation. Early in her career, when analyzing data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to find unusually broad, faint galaxies, she accidentally discovered a comet, Comet C/1999 F2, later named Comet Dalcanton in recognition of her identification. Comet Dalcanton orbits close to the Sun approximately every 136,000 years, in contrast to Halley’s Comet, which returns every 76 years.

The story behind a recent STEM bootcamp in rural Alabama reveals the profound impact of dedicated educators and the power of community, showcasing how a school counselor can be a pivotal change leader in expanding access to computing and STEM education. Kim Crumbley, an Alabama school counselor and an NCWIT Counselors for Computing (C4C) champion, initiated the idea after experiencing a heartbreaking event: A student from a challenging home environment was found salvaging old science materials from the school dumpster, retrieving items to be able to continue engaging in the science and tech that she loved during school hours. This moment spurred Kim to action, realizing that while a nearby summer STEM camp existed, the most vulnerable students in their high-poverty county simply couldn’t access it due to financial and transportation barriers. This firsthand insight is precisely why school counselors are uniquely positioned to identify students’ unique challenges and champion solutions.

When it comes to role models for women in technology, few have had more impact than Stephanie “Steve” Shirley. Not only was she one of the first to prove that women could thrive in computing, she was also decades ahead of her time in championing remote and flexible work. Shirley passed away on August 9, 2025, at age 91, but her story reminds us why NCWIT’s mission, to broaden participation in computing and unlock innovation through diversity, matters so deeply. Born Vera Buchthal in Dortmund, Germany, in 1933, she fled Nazi persecution at age 5 and landed in England, where she was raised by foster parents. Gifted at mathematics, she began her career as a mathematical clerk before discovering the emerging field of software programming. But even as her skills grew, opportunities for women remained limited, so she forged her own path.

Pursuing an academic postdoc or a job in industry after your PhD depends on your interests and career goals. AWIS member Dr. Isabel Lam describes both options to help with your decision.

In transitioning to an international scientific career in New Zealand, Erin Bomati, PhD, had to overcome challenges, including how to navigate a smaller, more interconnected scientific ecosystem. She shares her experience with AWIS member Georgina To’a Salazar, PhD.

This week on SWE Diverse, Melanie Lang - co-founder and CEO of FormAlloy - shares what happens when you leave a stable career in aerospace and defense to chase an uncertain dream. In conversation with FY26 SWE President Inaas Darrat, she opens up about the mistakes she made, the rule she wishes women engineers would break more often, and how a pink feathered suit jacket taught her the power of authenticity. Catch Melanie live on the WE25 stage in New Orleans, inspiring the global engineering community at the world’s largest gathering of women and allies.

The discovery of the antibiotic penicillin by Alexander Fleming is a notable example of a serendipitous scientific discovery. In their AWIS Magazine article, Hannah Fricke, PhD, and Tamara Mestvirishvili explore how such discoveries can lead to transformative breakthroughs.

As a museum educator at the American Museum of Natural History and an independently published children’s book author, Christina Kamerow is passionate about making science meaningful for young minds. Whether she’s comparing millipedes and centipedes in the classroom, guiding a pretend archeological dig, or writing stories that spark empathy for the natural world, Christina uses creativity, connection, and curiosity to empower the next generation of scientists.

Rosalind Franklin, an English chemist and X-ray crystallographer, helped discover the molecular structure of DNA at King’s College. Using X-ray diffraction, she photographed the helical structure of DNA, known as “Photograph 51,” and discovered the density and helical form of DNA. The unpublished photo was secretly disclosed to scientists Watson and Crick, who used the photo along with data to present their final DNA model in 1953, and sadly took most of the credit. She left King’s College soon after, devoting her time to studying viruses and their structure. We can only imagine what more her cutting-edge work would have yielded had she not died at age 37.