Brooke Owens Fellowship

The Brooke Owens Fellowship[1][2][3] is a non-profit program in the United States that provides paid internships and executive mentorship for undergraduate women seeking a career in aviation or space exploration.[4] The fellowship was created to honor the memory of Brooke Owens, a pilot and space policy expert who died of cancer at the age of 35.[5]

Brooke Owens Fellowship
Awarded forExceptional undergraduate women and gender minority students in aerospace
CountryUnited States
First awarded2017
Last awarded2024
Websitebrookeowensfellowship.org

Motivation and overview

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The program looks to improve diversity within the aerospace industry.[6] The program offers students paid summer internships at companies (including SpaceX, Avascent, Commercial Spaceflight Federation, Orbital ATK, Virgin Orbit, and Blue Origin), travel stipends and assigned mentors.[7] It was created by Lori Garver, a former NASA deputy administrator, along with aerospace executives William Pomerantz (Virgin Orbit) and Cassie Kloberdanz Lee (Vulcan Inc.).[8]

Fellows received two experienced aerospace mentors, one at their host industry, and another in an associated sector.[9] Mentors include Lori Garver, Diana Trujillo, Charles Bolden, Pamela Melroy, Dava Newman, Danielle Wood, Emily Calandrelli, Will Pomerantz and Cassie Lee.[10] The fellows are connected to a Fellowship class and an alumni network.[9] The program is run with Future Space Leaders, and emphasises creativity.[11] The annual Brooke Owens Fellowship conference happens during the Future Space Conference in Washington, D.C.[11] Whilst the program is open to international students, some institutions can only host US citizens or green card holders.[11][12]

The program's success has resulted in the creation of several spin-off fellowships, including the Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship, Patti Grace Smith Fellowship, Zed Factor Fellowship, and Zenith Canada Pathways Fellowship.[13]

Alumni

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As of 2024, the Brooke Owens Fellowship has 343 alumnae across eight cohorts.[14] Fellows span fields from engineering and science to policy, journalism, and entrepreneurship.

Inaugural Class of 2017

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[15][16]

References

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  1. ^ "Blue Origin's foundation, Club for the Future, selects 19 space-based charities to each receive a $1 million grant". Blue Origin. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  2. ^ "One Million Reasons to Get Excited". Patti Grace Smith Fellowship. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  3. ^ "Brooke Owens & Patti Grace Smith Fellowships Selected to Jointly Receive $1 Million From Blue Origin's Club for the Future". Brooke Owens Fellowship. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  4. ^ Werner, Debra (22 November 2016). "New fellowship will honor youthful trailblazer | Aerospace America". Aerospace America. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  5. ^ Fernholz, Tim (22 October 2016). "A new space industry fellowship for women aims to address the field's gender inequality". Quartz. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  6. ^ "After Hidden Figures, new program seeks to flood aerospace with women". Ars Technica. 8 March 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  7. ^ "Our Program". Brooke Owens Fellowship Program. Retrieved 2018-04-04.
  8. ^ "36 aerospace women win Brooke Owens Fellowships". GeekWire. 8 March 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  9. ^ a b "2017 Fellowship Application" (PDF). Brooke Owens Fellowship. Retrieved 2018-04-04.
  10. ^ "Our Team". Brooke Owens Fellowship Program. Retrieved 2018-04-04.
  11. ^ a b c "See how these students got ahead with on-site experience | Aerospace America". Aerospace America. 2017-11-20. Retrieved 2018-04-04.
  12. ^ "Internship and Mentoring Opportunities for Women: Brooke Owens Fellowship | Department of Political Science | University of Washington". www.polisci.washington.edu. Retrieved 2018-04-04.
  13. ^ "Patti Grace Smith Fellowship". Patti Grace Smith Fellowship Program. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
  14. ^ "Brooke Owens Fellowship Class of 2023". SpaceRef. 2023-01-30. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  15. ^ "36 Undergraduate Women Selected As Brooke Owens Fellows, Earning Senior Mentoship and Paid Positions At Leading Aerospace Firms". Brooke Owens Fellowship. 2017-03-08. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  16. ^ "36 aerospace women win Brooke Owens Fellowships – including one at GeekWire". GeekWire. 2017-03-08. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
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