We in Space Portland State University

03/02/2024

Slide 1–> Savannah Krupa (She/Her/Hers)
Major: Mechanical Engineering
“I felt comforted and excited about a space (pun intended) for gender-minority students such as myself to come together and talk and learn about space. There aren’t enough opportunities in our classes to meet everyone! So, I wanted to be a part of making that space :P for others!”
Fun Fact: I love New Girl, black ops 2 and ceramics :).

Slide 2–> Savvy (She/Her/Hers)
Major: Electrical Engineering
“I am the only woman in most of my classes and so I really wanted to help create a community for gender minorities in STEM.” —>Fun Fact: Last summer, I worked on a satellite!

Slide 3–> Elsabeth Ghebregherghis (She/Her)
Major: Mechanical Engineering
“I have always been interested in space and this allows me to explore my interests in an inclusive environment” —>Fun Fact: I believe oreos are the worst cookies👀

Slide 4–>Rowan Hamilton (They/Them)
Major: Mechanical Engineering
“I was enthusiastic to be a part of We in Space because it is a club that focuses on underrepresented genders in space. These are two of my favorite cross sections - gender expansions and the universe beyond our planet.” Fun Fact: I’m an Aquarius with an Aquarius moon and a Scorpio rising. ♒️♒️♍️

Slide 5–>Sam Betchel (She/Her)
Major: Mechanical Engineering
“Love space and a gender minority community!” -Fun Fact: I am an artist and I like to laser etch my art. One of my favorite songs recently is by REO SpeedWagon, Keep on Loving You.

Slide 6–> Laura Skinner (She/Her)
Major: Mechanical Engineering
“I originally got into engineering through an after school STEM program. I know how important it is to have safe spaces and spaces you feel represented in, and I want to provide that for my peers and a new generation of engineers!” Fun Fact: I love to knit! I find it relaxing and love the community here in Portland. If you see me wearing a sweater, there is a 99.99% chance that I knit it! Slide 7–> August Bueche (She/They) Pic coming soon!! Major: ME “I was drawn to WIS because of its mission to create space for gender minorities in engineering.”
Fun Fact: I am a cat loving Libra!🐈

03/02/2024

Slide 1–> Savannah Krupa (She/Her/Hers)
Major: Mechanical Engineering
“I felt comforted and excited about a space (pun intended) for gender-minority students such as myself to come together and talk and learn about space. There aren’t enough opportunities in our classes to meet everyone! So, I wanted to be a part of making that space :P for others!”
Fun Fact: I love New Girl, black ops 2 and ceramics :).

Slide 2–> Savvy (She/Her/Hers)
Major: Electrical Engineering
“I am the only woman in most of my classes and so I really wanted to help create a community for gender minorities in STEM.” —>Fun Fact: Last summer, I worked on a satellite!

Slide 3–> Elsabeth Ghebregherghis (She/Her)
Major: Mechanical Engineering
“I have always been interested in space and this allows me to explore my interests in an inclusive environment” —>Fun Fact: I believe oreos are the worst cookies👀

Slide 4–>Rowan Hamilton (They/Them)
Major: Mechanical Engineering
“I was enthusiastic to be a part of We in Space because it is a club that focuses on underrepresented genders in space. These are two of my favorite cross sections - gender expansions and the universe beyond our planet.” Fun Fact: I’m an Aquarius with an Aquarius moon and a Scorpio rising. ♒️♒️♍️

Slide 5–>Sam Betchel (She/Her)
Major: Mechanical Engineering
“Love space and a gender minority community!” -Fun Fact: I am an artist and I like to laser etch my art. One of my favorite songs recently is by REO SpeedWagon, Keep on Loving You.

Slide 6–> Laura Skinner (She/Her)
Major: Mechanical Engineering
“I originally got into engineering through an after school STEM program. I know how important it is to have safe spaces and spaces you feel represented in, and I want to provide that for my peers and a new generation of engineers!” Fun Fact: I love to knit! I find it relaxing and love the community here in Portland. If you see me wearing a sweater, there is a 99.99% chance that I knit it! Slide 7–> August Bueche (She/They) Pic coming soon!! Major: ME “I was drawn to WIS because of its mission to create space for gender minorities in engineering.”
Fun Fact: I am a cat loving Libra!🐈

03/30/2022

We in Space is having an info session on Friday, April 8th, from 11 am to 12 pm in both KMC 533 (for current PSU students) and on zoom (hybrid event). Food will be provided if attending in person, and the zoom link can be received by registering through the QR code or the link in our bio!

We in Space is a student group at PSU where people from all majors and backgrounds can come together in our love for space! We wish to make a more inclusive environment for women, gender minorities, and allies interested in aerospace, while promoting inclusivity and accessibility for all underrepresented groups within the industry. We pride ourselves on being a fun and collaborative environment. We do space-themed STEM outreach for all ages as well as networking, professional development, and panels on inclusivity and opportunities within the industry. More information can be found at https://www.wispacepdx.org/
Click the link in our bio!

11/24/2021

We and the PSU chapter of AIAA are hosting a Disability Inclusion in the Space Industry panel event Friday, December 3rd, from 12:30 to 2 pm, featuring two Ambassadors. The zoom ID is 825 2204 6679. All are welcome to attend

Dr. Sheri Wells-Jensen is an associate professor in the Department of English at Bowling Green State University, in Bowling Green Ohio. She is on the leadership team of Mission: AstroAccess (MAA) and flew as an ambassador aboard Flight One in fall 2021.
She is on the boards of Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence International, The Society for Social and Conceptual Studies in Astrobiology and SciAccess.
Her research interests are in astrobiology, disability studies and linguistics.
She has spoken at NASA, on NPR's Science Friday, on the BBC World of Words and at dozens of educational venues about STEM inclusion.

Mary Cooper is a student at Stanford University pursuing a degree in Aerospace Engineering & Computer Science. She is a champion athlete and a below-the-knee amputee. Her interest in aerospace stems from her father’s career as a Helicopter Rescue Pilot in the United States Coast guard.
At Stanford, Mary is a member of Pi Beta Phi, an official Stanford tour guide, and a member of the D1 reigning National Champion Rowing team. She is also a 2020 Brooke Owens Fellow, 2020 Lime Connect Fellow, and most recently a 2021 Matthew Isakowtiz Fellow. She is currently a proud owner of several high-performance, light-weight carbon fiber legs and has developed quite a unique life perspective, a curiosity for engineering, and phenomenal problem-solving skills from her experience with disability.

11/17/2021

Join our group! We're looking for students, faculty/staff, and industry advisors that are interested in promoting gender diversity and general DEI within the space industry and connecting over a shared love of space. Come find your place in space!

11/14/2021

It's been a while since we've posted, but we've been busy! Since our Aero Career Day back in December we've partnered with groups such as Girl Scouts and Girls Inc. for aerospace-themed STEM outreach activities. Our new and improved website highlights our internal events and outreach activities. Check it out via https://www.wispacepdx.org or the link in our bio, and reach out if you're interested in partnering with us or joining!

And keep an eye out for events coming soon 👀

01/10/2021

Meet our High School Ambassador, Kara Gaiser! Kara is a High School junior at OES. Interested in joining our team? Click the link in our bio to fill out the interest form or send us a message! Find your place in space.

01/09/2021

We are so excited to get our patches from Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington ! We loved getting to speak about Aerospace back in November! ☺️

12/13/2020

Thank you to everyone that attended and has watched our Aerospace Career Day Panels! Panel 1: Engineering, Strategy, and Humans to Mars can be watched at the following link on the Portland State Aerospace Society YouTube. And a huge thank you to our panelists Rob Manning, Shawna Pandya MD, Dr. James Rice and, Erika Wagner PhD for joining us!
https://youtu.be/LNAJMSNef4s

PSU WIA Aerospace Career Day Panel 1 with Rob Manning, Shawna Pandya, Dr. Jim Rice, and Dr. Erika Wagner (December 11, 2020, 3:30 to 4:30 PDT)Panel 2: https:...

11/05/2020

Our Highschool Ambassador, Kara, recently wrote our first blog post titled "WIA, and our Fascination with Aerospace." Check it out here https://womeninaeropsu.wixsite.com/wiapsu/post/wia-and-our-fascination-with-aerospace

09/28/2020

WIA's next movie night is THIS SATURDAY at 7 pm on Amazon Prime Watch Party. Join us in watching Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (the one with the whales). Scan the QR code or check the link in our bio to register!

09/16/2020

Monday, September 21st from 3-4 pm WIA will be talking with Nicole Chase about her unconventional journey into the space industry and some tips/tricks she picked up along the way! Scan the QR code or check out the link in our bio to register!