Advancing Their Education, Serving Their Communities: AAUW 2016–17 Fellows and Grantees

“If you educate a man, you simply educate an individual, but if you educate a woman, you educate a whole nation.”

— James Emmanuel Kwegyir-Aggrey

What happens when you educate more than 12,000 women from around the world?

AAUW’s fellowships and grants have provided more than $100 million to more than 12,000 women and projects from 140 countries since 1888.

For the 2016–17 academic year alone, more than 230 women and community projects serving women and girls will receive $3.7 million.

The awards will help AAUW’s fellows and grantees achieve their educational and professional goals, allowing women to break through barriers in fields where they are traditionally underrepresented. In fact, 43 percent of AAUW fellowships and grants support women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. They provide women from all fields with the funding, confidence, and exposure that goes along with receiving a prestigious award — which is key to being competitive in the job market and tackling the growing burden of student debt.

But the impact will extend far beyond the hard-won accomplishments of our fellows and grantees. Their work will reverberate around the globe. AAUW alumnae have demonstrated their commitment to helping women and girls in their communities. Fellows and grantees often dedicate their work to fields that empower, but they also personally serve others through mentorship and community service. AAUW alumnae have played pivotal roles in overcoming historical challenges in health care, astronomy, economics, and many other fields.

Who are these trailblazing fellows and grantees? Here’s what just a few members of our 2016–17 class are doing to make advancements in their fields — and tackle the barriers facing other women and girls in their communities.

2016-17 American Fellow Deeonna Farr

Improving Cancer Screening in Black Communities

American Fellow Deeonna Farr’s intersectional research seeks to understand what factors affect inequities in cancer research participation and screening for breast cancer and colorectal cancer in black communities. Her dissertation at the University of South Carolina examines how mammography facilities, mammography providers, and patient characteristics influence black women’s breast cancer screening experiences.

2016-17 Career Development Grantee Ishah Dominguez

Combining Medicine with Compassion

Career Development Grantee Ishah Dominguez is pursuing a second bachelor’s degree in diagnostic multispecialty sonography at Nebraska Methodist College. She currently works as a Spanish medical interpreter for a children’s hospital. Her love for medicine and compassion for others has led her to work that helps her community. Her new career will allow her to extend meaningful care to more people. Her combined experience in pharmaceuticals and patient advocacy will allow her to play a vital role in facilitating patient diagnoses and saving lives.

2016-2017 International Fellow Shakila Haidari

Supporting Afghanistan’s Women Entrepreneurs

International Fellow Shakila Haidari is pursuing her master’s degree in business analytics at American University’s Kogod School of Business in Washington, D.C. Before she began her studies in the United States, Haidari led Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Women initiative to provide business training for Afghan women entrepreneurs. Her goal is to improve the lives of fellow Afghan women through education and entrepreneurship.

2016-17 Selected Professions Fellow Auntaria Johnson

Inspiring Underserved Girls to Be Scientists

Selected Professions Fellow Auntaria Johnson is pursuing a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in entrepreneurial management at Florida Atlantic University. She is the president and CEO of a nonprofit that focuses on inspiring underserved girls to reach their full potential and become leaders in STEM fields — careers that often seem out of reach. She aspires to own and operate a STEM learning academy.

This new group of fellows and grantees are standing on the shoulders of past recipients who broke through barriers in their fields and helped those who came behind them.

Find out more about the amazing work this year’s fellows and grantees — and our alumnae — are doing by visiting the fellowships and grants directory and reading our blog.

Seeking funding for academic or community work? Learn more about our programs and applications.

By: Shana Sabbath   |   Issue: Education & Training   |   Tags: Fellowships and Grants, Higher Education, News, Scholarships and Awards, STEM   |   July 01, 2016

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