WIA Foundation
The Women in Aerospace Foundation, Inc. is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. All contributions to the organization are deductible to the full extent allowed by law.
The WIA Foundation Scholarship,
The WIA Foundation Scholarship in memory of Molly K. Macauley,
The WIA Foundation – AIAA Digital Avionics Scholarship, and
The WIA Foundation – Northrop Grumman Scholarship
for the 2019-2020 school year.
Applications Due June 18, 2019
Please Click Here to Apply!
The scholarship recipients will be honored at the WIA Awards Dinner & Ceremony on October 17, 2019.
Sections:
- WIA Foundation Background
- WIA Foundation Financial Goals
- WIA Foundation Scholarship Information
- 2018-2019 Scholarship Recipients
- WIA Foundation Scholarship Recipients
- Giving to the WIA Foundation
- Gift Benefits of Giving to the WIA Foundation
- WIA Foundation Donor Roll Call
- WIA Foundation Leadership
WIA Foundation Background
Founded in 2009, the Women in Aerospace (WIA) Foundation, Inc., is a nonprofit, tax-exempt educational organization created with three missions:
- Increase public awareness of the importance and benefits of the aerospace field.
- Increase public appreciation for aerospace science and technology.
- Inspire female students to develop the skill sets required to innovate and assume leadership roles in the development of technology in the aerospace field.
The Foundation partly accomplishes its purpose by providing scholarships to women who study engineering, math or science at the undergraduate level, and thereby (i) encourage women to enter careers in the aerospace field, (ii) expand women's opportunities for leadership in aerospace, and (iii) increase women's visibility in the aerospace community.
To that end, the WIA Foundation will award a $2,000 scholarship per year to a woman who is a rising senior in college studying engineering, math or science, thus encouraging women to enter careers in the aerospace field.
To contribute to the WIA Foundation or for further information, please contact the WIA Foundation at info@womeninaerospacefoundation.org or 202-547-0229.
WIA Foundation Financial Goals
The current financial goals of the WIA Foundation are twofold:
- To establish an initial $50,000 endowment to perpetually fund the scholarship program
- To establish relationships with individuals and corporations to fund “named” scholarships or educational programs
To contribute to the WIA Foundation or for further information, please donate here or contact the WIA Foundation at info@womeninaerospacefoundation.org or 202-547-0229.
WIA Foundation Scholarship Information
The WIA Foundation is pleased to provide scholarships to women interested in a career in the aerospace field to pursue higher education degrees in engineering, math or science. One or more awards will be given each year to a rising senior in college, to be applied during the upcoming academic year.
To be eligible for the WIA Foundation Scholarship, an applicant must be interested in pursuing a career in the aerospace field and be a rising junior or senior working towards a bachelor’s degree in engineering, math or science. An applicant must have completed at least two and a half academic years of full-time college work at the time of application and must be currently enrolled in an accredited college or university in the United States or its territories, and plan to be enrolled in the subsequent academic year. Each applicant must have a college grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Applicants must be female of any nationality. Applications will be available on or about about mid-November to mid-December for the subsequent academic year.
| The scholarship timeline is as follows: | |
| Mid December: | Announcement and call for scholarship applicants |
| June 18, 2019: | Application Deadline |
| Late July: | Scholarship recipient announcement |
| October 17, 2019: | Scholarship recipients honored at WIA Awards Dinner & Ceremony in Washington, DC. |
To contribute to the WIA Foundation or for further information, please donate here or contact the WIA Foundation at info@womeninaerospacefoundation.org or 202-547-0229.
WIA Announces Scholarship Recipients for 2018-2019 School Year
Washington, DC – The Women in Aerospace (WIA) Foundation, Inc. is delighted to announce Madeline Koldos, Katherine Melbourne, Julia Mihaylov, and Esther Putman as the recipients of WIA Foundation Scholarships. Each will receive a $2,000 scholarship to be applied to the 2018-2019 academic year.
Madeline Koldos
Madeline Koldos studies Mechanical Engineering at University of Southern California and interns at Blue Origin. During the school year, she works at the California Science Center performing presentations and experiments in front of the various exhibits to enrich the learning experience of the guests. These experiments include content of engineering, astronomy, chemistry, fluid mechanics, and physics. Madeline wants to focus her future work on inspiring younger generations’ interest in space exploration and technology, as well as creating opportunities for people to find their own entrepreneurship.
Katherine Melbourne
Katherine Melbourne studies astrophysics at Yale University. She was an intern at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and current Co-President of Yale Women in Physics. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in astrophysics and ultimately make “a career out of advocating for STEM through public policy.” She has previously been an undergraduate fellow at the Yale Center for Teaching and Learning, a Tetelman Fellow for International Research in Science at the University of Chile and the co-founder and co-host of a podcast dedicated to empowering women in search of their first jobs titled “Get This Girl a Job.”
Julia Mihaylov
Julia Mihaylov is a student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, studying Aerospace Engineering. She is the Editor in Chief of Horizons and an intern at the Aerospace Corporation who dreams of leading “a prominent space mission to success, further adding to the new discoveries for mankind.” Julia is a first generation Bulgarian-American and the first in her family to attend college in the United States. She has an impressive academic record and has participated in projects that range from an electric land speed vehicle, to experimenting with computational fluid dynamics, to helping create a new astrodynamics tool expected to be implemented within NASA.
Esther Putman
Esther Putman studies biology and neuroscience at the University of Kentucky. She is a Brooke Owens fellow who traces her interest in space to the fourth grade, when a “traveling planetarium came to [her] school and [she] had a chance to learn about the mythology behind constellations.” Esther has worked in NASA’s Space Life Sciences Training Program, and organizations such as Higher Orbits and Neuroscience in the Classroom. She has served as a Political Action and Educational Outreach officer for the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research (ASGSR) Student Board and a researcher at Sander’s Brown Center on Aging.
The WIA Foundation scholarships are funded by generous donations of individuals and corporations around the aerospace community. The WIA Foundation Board, WIA Board, and others in the aerospace community continue to contribute ongoing financial support. This investment is creating an endowment fund to support the success of the Foundation’s programs and ensure the scholarship program continues in perpetuity.
The scholarships and recognition were presented at the 33rd Annual WIA Awards Dinner & Ceremony on Thursday, November 1, 2018 at the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City Hotel in Arlington, Virginia.
WIA Foundation Scholarship Recipients
2018 Winners:
WIA Foundation Scholarship Winners (left to right): Esther Putman, Julia Mihaylov, WIA Foundation President, Dr. Rebecca Spyke Keiser, Madeline Koldos, and Katherine Melbourne
Click here for more information on the 2018 winners.
2017 Winners:
WIA Foundation Scholarship Awards presenter, Dr. Rebecca Spyke Keiser (right), with this year’s winners (left to right): Karen Rucker, McKenna Davis, and Julia Di
Click here for more information on the 2017 winners.
2016 Winners:
WIA Foundation Scholarship recipients, Kelly Henckel (left), Khanh Pham (center right) and Elizabeth Worsham (right) are congratulated by WIA Foundation President Dianne Sosa (center left).
2015 Winners:
WIA Foundation Scholarship recipients, Rose Weinstein (left) and Amanda Martin (right) are congratulated by WIA Foundation President Dianne Sosa (center). The third 2015 scholarship recipient was Maggie Thompson (not pictured).
Click here for more information on the 2015 winners.
2014 Winners:
2014 WIA Foundation Scholarship recipients Lauren Trollinger (left) and Emily Zimovan (right) are congratulated by Immediate WIA Foundation Past President Annalisa Weigel (center) at the WIA Annual Awards Ceremony in Arlington, VA held on October 29, 2014. The third 2014 scholarship winner was Jessica Felde (not pictured).
Click here for more information on the 2014 winners.
2013 Winners:
2013 WIA Foundation Scholarship recipients Erin Kirchmeier (left) and Samantha Rowlins (right) at the WIA Annual Awards Ceremony in Arlington, VA held on October 29, 2013.
Click here for more information on the 2013 winners.
2012 Recipient: Kirstyn Johson
2012 WIA Foundation Scholarship recipient Kirstyn Johnson (left) is congratulated by WIA Foundation Immediate Past President Debra Facktor Lepore (right) at the WIA Annual Awards Ceremony in Arlington, VA on November 1, 2012.
Click here for more information on Kirstyn Johnson.
2011 Recipient: Salvador A. Valdes
2011 WIA Foundation Scholarship recipient Salvador Valdes (right) is congratulated by NOAA Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, (left) and Leadership Award recipient Col. Laura J. Richardson (center) at the WIA Annual Awards Ceremony in Arlington, VA on November 1, 2011.
Click here for more information on Sal Valdes.
2010 Inaugural Recipient: Whitney Lohmeyer
WIA Foundation Scholarship recipient Whitney Lohmeyer (center) is congratulated by NASA Administrator Charles J. Bolden Jr., (left) and Deputy Administrator Lori Garver (right) at the WIA Annual Awards Ceremony in Arlington, VA on October 26, 2010.
— Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA
To contribute to the WIA Foundation or for further information, please donate here or contact the WIA Foundation at info@womeninaerospacefoundation.org or 202-547-0229.
Giving to the WIA Foundation
The WIA Foundation invites you to join an extraordinary group of people and organizations dedicated to the advancement of women in the aerospace profession. Gifts of any amount will make a big difference in the lives of young women pursuing careers in aerospace and will positively impact the future of our industry.
Annual gifts to the WIA Foundation make our scholarship program happen. We currently have two giving options available, and invite you to participate in one or both options:
The WIA Foundation Endowment Fund: The Endowment Fund supports the success of the Foundation’s programs. By utilizing the interest earned from the Fund, the Foundation maintains a stable, long-term source of income. Your gift to the Endowment Fund allows the Foundation to provide an annual scholarship and enable gradual expansion for additional scholarships and higher dollar values. The Endowment ensures the program continues in perpetuity.
Named Gifts: A special perpetual honor, gifts of $30,000 or more may be named for an individual, family or corporation. This is an outstanding opportunity for recognition and tribute. A named gift will ensure recognition of a special person or organization and will also ensure a scholarship or specific educational program meets the mutual interests of the donor, the Foundation, and our community.
Please join us in encouraging young women to pursue careers in aerospace by studying engineering, math and science at the college level by making your gift to the WIA Foundation today.
To contribute to the WIA Foundation or for further information, please donate here or contact the WIA Foundation at info@womeninaerospacefoundation.org or 202-547-0229.
If you choose to pay by check, please make your check payable to: “WIA Foundation” and mail your donation to:
WIA Foundation
204 E Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
Benefits of Giving to the WIA Foundation
In appreciation for your gift, the WIA Foundation will provide recognition within the aerospace community for all donors. Specifically, you will receive:
- Inclusion on the Donor Honor Roll page on the WIA Foundation website
- Recognition in the WIA Annual Awards Dinner Program
To contribute to the WIA Foundation or for further information, please donate here or contact the WIA Foundation at info@womeninaerospacefoundation.org or 202-547-0229.
WIA Foundation Donor Roll Call
The following organizations and individuals have graciously provided support to the WIA Foundation. In particular the WIA Foundation recognizes the commitment of Women in Aerospace board members and officers – past, present, and future – for their personal contributions in making the Foundation a reality.
Organizations:
- Northrop Grumman Corporation
- BAE Systems
- The Boeing Company
- Booz Allen Hamilton
- CompTIA
- Digital Avionics Technical Committee (AIAA)
- EADs North America
- Scitor
Individuals:
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SpaceTweeps on behalf of Stephanie Schierholz (@MTClemente, @therealDJFlux, @datachick, @ageekmom, @starlingLX, @jotulloch, @cygnusx112, @And_Tonic, @marybethhunt, @jschoeneberg, @BigE54, @AllanManangan, @ouemt)
To contribute to the WIA Foundation or for further information, please donate here or contact the WIA Foundation at info@womeninaerospacefoundation.org or 202-547-0229.
WIA Foundation Leadership
President of WIA Foundation:
- Dr. Rebecca Spyke Keiser, Head, Office of International Science and Engineering, National Space Foundation
To contribute to the WIA Foundation or for further information, please donate here or contact the WIA Foundation at info@womeninaerospacefoundation.org or 202-547-0229.