Women in Aeronautics and Astronautics (WAA, part of WoAA) at the University of Michigan was founded in 2016, and is dedicated to fostering a sense of community where everyone interested in Aerospace can join, improving diversity within the department of aerospace engineering, and helping members build both personal and professional connections in the industry.
You should join WAA if you are interested in:
WAA also hosts an annual Aerospace conference which features amazing talks, wonderful panels, networking, and more! More information can be found on the 2023 Conference page.
Meet the Board for the 2023 calendar year!
Zoe is a junior studying Aerospace Engineering with a minor in German. She is very excited to foster diversity and support underrepresented groups in aerospace through WAA’s annual Women in Aerospace Conference. Outside of class she skates with Michigan’s intercollegiate figure skating team, skateboards, skis, reads, and spends time with family and friends.
Ashley Carman is a sophomore in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Physics. Ashley’s favorite part of WAA is the community, and it’s ability to bring all sorts of people together to promote women in STEM, specifically Aeronautics. She is passionate about giving as many women as possible as many professional opportunities as possible! She is also Chief Engineer of the M-SAAVE WAM project team, and manager of the Aero MBSE Lab. She’s a part of the UMS Choral Union, and loves to play guitar and listen to records in her free time.
Sophia is junior studying aerospace engineering and computer science. She is also involved in Kappa Delta sorority, Hellenic Student Association and MASA. She is passionate about mentoring girls in STEM through my involvement in working with the Girl Scouts, tutoring students, and encouraging girls at Michigan to support each other's goals. "In my free time, I enjoy going on walks around Ann Arbor and watching my favorite shows."
Becky is a Junior in Aerospace Engineering and minoring in CLASP. Her favorite part of WAA is meeting all of the other amazing women in aero (and beyond) who all want to see each other succeed! In addition to WAA, she is also involved in the MBOP project team, SGT, and First-Gen Engineers. Outside of school, she loves reading, listening to music, and cooking.
Maria is a junior studying Aerospace Engineering with minors in Physics and International Engineering. Her favorite part of WAA is the community aspect and the way it has allowed her to connect with students outside of class, from freshmen to master's students! As WAA conference co-chair, Maria is excited to create a space to further those connections and bring diverse perspectives in aerospace together. In addition to WAA, Maria is involved with the M-SAAVE WAM project team; in her free time she enjoys walking through the Arb, reading sci-fi, and making mixtapes.
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Norah is a freshman studying Engineering with a minor in Spanish. Their favorite part of WAA is the community of women in STEM they have found to support them. As a WAA conference co-chair, Norah is most excited about building up and inspiring other women to excel in aerospace and STEM in general. In addition to WAA, Norah is a part of Kesem and teaches at Goldfish Ann Arbor.
Zoey is a junior majoring in Aerospace Engineering and minoring in Computer Science. She's always been passionate about encouraging more young women and minorities to get into STEM, and has done a lot of programs encouraging DEI in engineering. In her free time she likes to read, play space-related video games like Kerbal Space Program, and play on intramural sports teams. Her favorite part of WAA is the sense of community.
Natalie Hazapis is a junior from Cleveland, OH. Her favorite part of WAA is getting to meet and hang out with other awesome women in the department. Outside of WAA, she serves as Initiates Chair for SGT. Natalie's hobbies include dance - she is a member of Cadence Dance Company here - as well as watching movies, cooking, and playing Euchre. A fun fact about Natalie is that she owns 25 pairs of Christmas socks, one for every day of December!
Adina is a sophomore studying aerospace engineering with an interest in propulsion and test operations. They are super excited to welcome new members to waa and introduce them to a group of amazing, like minded people. Outside of school Adina enjoys rock climbing, long walks in the arb and finding coffee spots on campus. They also look forward to interning at Relativity Space this summer!
Beyonce is a freshman from San Antonio, TX majoring in Aerospace engineering. She manages this website, social media, publicity, and advertisement. Outside of school, Beyonce enjoys spending time with friends, and playing tennis. Her favorite part of WAA is how welcoming and supportive the community is.
Please email waa-officers@umich.edu if you have any questions about our upcoming events.
For general questions regarding Women in Aeronautics and Astronautics at the University of Michigan, and the types of events we hold, please feel free to contact us at "waa-officers@umich.edu".
For specific questions or to speak/host a workshop at the conference, please feel free to contact our Conference Co-Chairs, Maria Reitz and Norah Murphy, at "waaconference@umich.edu".