2023 Diversity Champion Award

I've always had a passion to break down barriers and push toward equity and inclusion. When it comes to disability, my passion was sparked when I took a theater class called Shakespeare and Autism. We worked with students on the autism spectrum who were able to step outside their comfort zones through theater and imaginative play. I loved the way we were able to reach people through inclusive education and design. I felt this was missing from the STEM community.

I hope to see a transformation of the public’s understanding and the industry’s understanding of who gets to go to space. First, I’d like to see numerous disabled astronauts flying and working in space and see how that impacts the public perception of disability. Second, I’d like to see a reinvention of the definition of an astronaut. And third, I’d love to see more individuals with disabilities holding leadership positions in STEM to shape policy and open doors for future generations. With 15% of the world’s population having a disability, we cannot afford to continue excluding this talent.

I’ve had the privilege of co-founding the program with George Whitesides, former CEO of Virgin Galactic. We conduct zero gravity flights where Disability Ambassadors from all over the world are selected to fly with us and conduct research about accessibility in space and have done five zero gravity missions to date. Our inaugural flight in 2021 was a highlight for me, just watching the hard work of countless volunteers come to fruition and turn an idea into a reality. I also love that AstroAccess connects people, bringing together leaders from the disability community and the aerospace industry so that we can advocate for systemic, long-term change in the industry. Right now, AstroAccess is pushing for accessible design decisions to be made in the next generation of space vehicles and space stations.