The Apollo 11 Moon Landing Anniversary Is a Reminder of the Importance of Women in STEM

Professor Aomawa Shields is honored to be one of the 12 women highlighted in Teen Vogue’s article about working to build an inclusive and welcoming environment for women to thrive in STEM fields.

“When I returned to astronomy after leaving the field for over a decade to pursue acting as a career, I thought I had to downplay and hide my background in the arts. A mentor told me to view my theater background as my superpower. She was right. It totally is! It helps me to communicate the results of my research in ways that are unique and engaging to a broad range of audiences.

It took me a long time to let myself be who I am — which is someone who absolutely loves makeup and fashion — and do science. I realized that if I bought into my own limiting belief that I couldn’t be myself and do what I loved, I was the one who was going to suffer and miss out on the chance to fulfill my wildest dreams of studying the universe and communicating the wonders of the universe to the world. I didn’t want to miss that chance. …No human being gets to tell me what I’m supposed to do (or not supposed to do) with my life. I am what a scientist looks like. And so are you.”

Original article: Apollo 11 Moon Landing 50th Anniversary