• Brooke Owens Fellow, Class of 2022

• Wellesley College, Peace and Justice Studies and Astronomy, ‘22

• Host Institution: AIA

• Executive Mentor: Rebecca Spyke Keiser

• Brookie Mentor: Lindsey Wiser

Grace Wilson Jackson is a senior at Wellesley College graduating in May with a double major in Peace and Justice Studies and Astronomy.

Grace did not enter Wellesley with dreams of galaxies far far away, however, she joined an astronomy class on a whim her first semester. Inspired by an inherent curiosity about the universe, and a love of Star Wars, she found an unexpected home in the observatory: committing herself to both her academic pursuits and community events as a volunteer for public nights, secretary of the A.S.T.R.O. club, and unofficial photographer of the Whitin Observatory. She also found many inaccuracies in her favorite movies. Her junior year, she added a Peace and Justice major where she developed a concentration of science and policy: studying the impacts of technology on society through interdisciplinary lenses including gender studies, political science, philosophy, environmental science, and engineering. Space policy is a wonderful combination of these two interests, including infinite possibilities for discovery and problem solving. Grace hopes to become a bridge between the priorities of the STEM stakeholders and the policy framework lawmakers use to create regulations through her dual understanding of the scientific method and political process.

On nights not filled at the observatory, Grace can be found working behind the scenes in the theatre department: stage managing to support productions across genre and language. In reality, perhaps Grace just likes working in the dark. During daylight hours, she finds joy reading romance novels, doing yoga, and watching Chelsea Football Club.

She is thrilled to bring her organization, passion, and drive to the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) this summer as part of their Space Systems Team.