At Thursday night's Women in Space Science Award celebration at the Adler Planetarium keynote speaker and Lifetime Achievement award recipient Dr. Vera Rubin (an astronomer noted for her research in dark matter) shared this anecdote: "When my son was five years old, someone asked him if he was going to become an astronomer. He replied, 'Eek! I'm not a lady!'" The story set the tone for the evening, which—true to its name—celebrated the achievements of female scientists.
Organized by the planetarium's Women's Board, the celebration kicked off Thursday afternoon with a field trip for some 230 local junior high school girls. Throughout the day, the students explored the musuem, participated in hands-on workshops that explored topics such as "how to build a microscope," and listened to a lecture from Dr. Heidi Hammel, who received a Women in Space Science award during the event's evening component. "It was an electrifying afternoon," said co-chair Linda Celesia last night. "We really wanted to show these young girls that careers in math and science are possible, desirable, and not for science nerds."
The dinner and award show drew approximately 210 guests, among them individual museum supporters and reps from corporate sponsors such as S&C Electric Company, ComEd, Motorola, and United Airlines. Planners took advantage of the assembled crowd to promote upcoming programs at the museum: During the speaking portion of the evening, co-chairs announced details and dates of upcoming exhibitions, and gift bags contained save-the-date cards for next fall's Celestial Ball, the Adler's largest annual fund-raiser.