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The Women in Aerospace Awards Dinner & Ceremony is an annual event dedicated to celebrating women’s professional excellence in aerospace. The Awards Ceremony is WIA’s premiere event of the year, honoring women and their allies whose outstanding contributions to the aerospace community are legendary. Participation in the event demonstrates your commitment to WIA’s mission: to expand women’s opportunities for leadership, diversity, equity, and inclusion and increase their visibility in the aerospace community.

The 2023 dinner and ceremony will be held on Wednesday, December 13, 2023 at the Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City, 1250 South Hayes Street, Arlington VA.

Register to Attend the Awards Dinner

WIA encourages interested parties to purchase tables and individual seating early to be sure space is available. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Register Here!

The 2023 Award Recipients are:

Outstanding Achievement Award

Melanie Stricklan, Colorado Springs, CO, is recognized for outstanding contributions towards protecting space for future generations and blazing an inclusive path to drive innovation forward. Ms. Stricklan is a Co-Founder of Slingshot Aerospace.

Aerospace Awareness Award

Dr. Nelli Mosavi, Washington, DC, is recognized for excellence and innovation in outreach and raising public understanding of aerospace programs and her commitment to advancement of women in aerospace. Dr. Mosavi currently serves as a Project Manager at The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.

Initiative, Inspiration, Impact Award

Lt. Monica Zaricor, Patuxent River, Maryland, is recognized for outstanding contributions in execution of the Integrated Functional Capability (IFC)-4 test program. Lt. Zaricor currently serves as the MQ-4C Triton Signals Intelligence SIGINTMinotaur Integration Project Officer at the U.S. Department of the Navy, VX20 Naval Test Wing Atlantic.

Leadership Award

Alexis Wang, Boulder, CO, is recognized for her tremendous impact on the manufacturing and engineering field and as a mentor to women in her organization, community and the aerospace industry. Ms. Wang currently serves as the Senior Director for Manufacturing and Test Operations at Ball Aerospace.

Allyship Award

Mary Stevenson, Chantilly, VA, is recognized for her outstanding leadership and support of women and collaborative dedication to inclusion in the aerospace community. Ms. Stevenson currently serves as the Director of Enterprise Defense Programs at Stellar Solutions, Inc.

Aerospace Educator Award

Dr. Christina Bloebaum, Kent, OH, is recognized for her excellent leadership and sustained dedication to aerospace education and for her tenacious advocacy for girls and young women in aerospace. Dr. Bloebaum currently serves as the Dean and Professor at Kent State University, College of Aerospace and Engineering.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Dr. Marla Pérez-Davis, Kent, OH, is recognized for her dedication and advancement of the aerospace industry, and her championship for future generations of diverse aerospace leaders. Dr. Pérez-Davis currently serves as the Director of the Center for Advanced Air Mobility & Professor for the College of Aeronautics and Engineering at Kent State University.

Read About 2023’s Awardee’s

Register to Attend the Awards Dinner

Nominations are open now!