The story of Christina Koch’s journey from childhood dreams of being an astronaut to floating outside the International Space Station sounds like a classic tale of the modern age. And soon, she will add lunar voyager to her long list of achievements. From her early years in western Michigan to her upbringing as a young adult and college student in North Carolina, and then a career in research and engineering, Koch built a solid foundation of achievements to qualify her for the role of mission specialist on the first human mission to reach the Moon since 1972. Koch and two of her Artemis II crewmates, Victor Glover and Jeremy Hansen, will also set individual milestones as they become the first woman, Black man, and Canadian, respectively, to reach such a distance from Earth and peer back at it from beyond the Moon. This new generation of space explorers, led by Navy Capt. Reid Wiseman, will offer new perspectives on human spaceflight’s ability to reframe the existence of Earth hanging in the darkness of space.

In this episode of Diverse, Eva Erickson, Ph.D. candidate in engineering at Brown University and the first openly autistic contestant on Season 48 of Survivor, shares how the grit, resilience, and analytical thinking she built in STEM showed up in one of the most competitive environments out there. From breaking barriers in engineering to competing on a global stage, Eva’s story is a powerful reminder that there’s no one path to success.

A professional French horn player and six scientists boarded a ship headed to Antarctica for one month. What sounds like the start of an odd joke actually describes a group of women who set sail for the icy continent on the R/V Sikuliaq last winter. The researchers' main goal for the expedition was to study sea ice and the organisms that call it home, but their mission carried deeper significance: proving that women do belong in the polar sciences. The National Science Foundation funded a grant for the scientists, from universities across the country, to research and understand different aspects of sea ice on the eastern side of the West Antarctica Peninsula. The six women were originally set to join the foundation's chief scientist training program, where early-career scientists spend weeks on a research vessel collecting data and conducting experiments for their studies. This training was slated for summer 2024 but was abruptly canceled just 36 hours before the team was supposed to depart due to mechanical problems with the ship.

In a world where AI is everywhere, shaping how we learn, create, and make decisions, how are we preparing students to understand it? This National AI Literacy Day, Girls Who Code is helping students go beyond the output. Their Clubs curriculum featuring AI and machine learning introduces 10 foundational lessons designed to help upper elementary students understand how AI works and explore its real-world impact. Designed by educators for educators, the unit includes everything you need to teach with confidence. You can download their free AI Literacy Unit to learn foundational lessons on AI and machine learning concepts including feature extraction, pattern recognition, and training data. 10 plugged and unplugged lessons build learners’ understanding of how AI works and the real-world impact and considerations of AI.

Raise your voice for women in STEM. From March 30 through April 12, congressional representatives will be in their home district offices. Sydney Woods, a member of the AWIS Advocacy Committee, offers advice on how contact and meet with your representatives to advocate for women in STEM.

Do professional platforms like you better as a man? AWIS member Marissa Russo investigates whether you need to choose between using language that gets visibility or language that authentically reflects yourself and your work on LinkedIn.

Calling all undergraduate & graduate students!
Showcase your research at the SWE Collegiate Poster & Rapid Fire Competitions at WE26 in Boston! Why participate? Present your original research or engineering-related work, Win cash prizes! Top 10 finalists in each category receive funding to attend WE26 (Nov. 05-07, 2026)

The 2026 Lab Manager Leadership Summit, April 20-22, in Phoenix, Arizona, is a premier in-person conference designed for laboratory directors, managers, and emerging leaders across research, clinical, academic, and industry settings. Attendees will experience expert-led keynote sessions, interactive workshops, peer networking, and exclusive lab tour opportunities - plus actionable tools they can immediately implement in their own organizations.

In recognition of International Women’s Day, SWE’s virtual networking sessions bring together women in engineering and technology from around the world to connect, share, and grow - embracing the spirit of GiveToGain. Hosted by SWE Global Ambassadors, these interactive sessions are designed as fast-paced virtual speed-networking experiences, offering participants the opportunity to exchange insights, offer support, and gain new perspectives while connecting with dozens of peers and leaders in just one hour. Sessions reflect SWE’s global community and may be hosted in English, Mandarin, Portuguese, or Spanish.

Join the NCWITworkforce Alliance for their next Quarterly Meeting with Dr. Brad McLain — NCWIT's very own, and an expert leader on identity, inclusive culture construction, and change leadership within organizations. This webinar will provide a grounded look at the current cultural and technology climate and its implications for leadership.