Emily Calandrelli’s Keynote Address at Illinois State University’s 2023 Science and Technology Week
Emily Calandrelli, also known as the “space gal,” delivered the keynote address for Illinois State University’s 2023 Science and Technology Week. She spoke about the importance of diversity in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and how looking at challenges from different perspectives can lead to innovation.
Calandrelli emphasized that diversity is key to inspiring more kids to pursue STEM education and careers. She believes that representation is essential for children to see themselves in the people doing those things. She added that it is essential to make them feel more welcome in STEM as people want to go where they are celebrated and not where they are tolerated.
Calandrelli gave several real-world examples where the lack of diversity in STEM teams has caused inefficiencies. For instance, she revealed that office temperatures around the world are generally cold because they are based on the average man’s metabolism. Women’s restrooms often have long lines because the designing engineers and architects were men who allocated the same number of toilets for men’s and women’s spaces. In addition, she highlighted that clinical drug trials are often done on men only, which means that recent studies show that women are twice as likely to experience adverse drug effects.
However, there has been a shift over the years as there is now legislation that requires car crash safety tests to use female car test dummies. Calandrelli noted that women have different muscle mass distribution, bone density, and vertebrae spacing than men do. As a result, women are not as protected as men during car crashes. She believes that it is essential to look at challenges from a different perspective and with diversity to come up with innovative solutions.
Calandrelli also spoke about her passion for space and the space industry, which is undergoing a renaissance. Despite most of the news about billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, and Elon Musk, she hopes that this era will see barriers broken for women and people of color who aim to go to space. Currently, of the 600 or so people who have gone to space, they are mostly men, white, American, scientists, engineers, and pilots. However, she noted that space tourism companies are opening up things to more people, including the first Mexican-born woman, the second Indian-born woman, the first Egyptian into space, the oldest, youngest, and William Shatner.
Calandrelli encouraged her audience not to be concerned about failure or if things come later in life than they planned. She shared that she didn’t find science until high school but still ended up at MIT. She concluded that life’s challenges can be daunting and scary, but people can find the power of their own voice and working together, which makes it easier to solve problems.
In conclusion, Emily Calandrelli’s keynote address was both inspiring and enlightening, emphasizing the importance of diversity in STEM and how looking at challenges from different angles can lead to innovative solutions. She encouraged children to pursue STEM education and careers and shared that there are many opportunities for people of all backgrounds in the space industry. The future is bright, and it is essential to embrace diversity and work together to solve the world’s challenges.
