When Kayla Taylor was in first grade, she spent much of her time carefully noting all the “space facts” she could find, completely filling a notebook, including in the margins. Over the years, and much to the delight of her many supportive mentors, she went well beyond her early book of extraterrestrial facts, deepening her knowledge and sharpening her skills until graduating from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a bachelor’s degree in Astronomy and Astrophysics and a master’s in Aviation.

Now a Ph.D. student in Embry-Riddle’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Taylor recently received the 2026 Zonta Women in STEM Award, which recognizes the accomplishments of young women in science, technology, engineering and math, based on their “groundbreaking research, pioneering discoveries and-or exemplary contributions to advancing knowledge and innovation.”  

The mission of the organization that selected Taylor, Zonta International, is to “build a better world for women and girls.” Taylor was one of 16 awardees worldwide.

Such a distinction is especially meaningful for Taylor, whose investigations span technical and social research. Her work has examined gender discrimination in science, improving safety reporting in aviation and using drones to study and monitor harmful blue-green algae.

Taylor said her research into the bias women face in science and engineering fields, as well as her own personal experiences, have revealed to her a number of factors that discourage women from pursuing STEM careers. She cited a lack of visibility of women’s roles in science caused by women in STEM fields appearing only infrequently in television and media, as well as women being portrayed according to damaging stereotypes. She also noted the persistence of academic or professional environments that are unwelcoming to women. Taylor said women themselves may hold on to old beliefs that they are not as competent as men in math and science. Also, Taylor has documented that women are often materially undervalued in the STEM fields — receiving less pay than their male counterparts — and are therefore less likely to go into STEM.

Identifying and working to eliminate such deterrents not only can help women, it also can boost the STEM fields by expanding diverse perspectives, ideas and approaches in research and industry, Taylor said.

“Recognizing the barriers that still exist for women in STEM is a significant step toward both social mobility for women and enriching STEM with women’s contributions and unique experiences that can facilitate innovation,” she said.

Taylor conducted much of her research into women’s experiences in the STEM fields for a paper that was published in 2023 in Acta Astronautica with Dr. Ashley Lear, professor in the Department of Humanities and Communication. The paper examined metaphors from a poem by Adrienne Rich called “Planetarium” in juxtaposition with the experiences of five women who worked in the field of astronomy “to give a voice to their pursuits and achievements,” Lear said.

Taylor said she feels that describing and contextualizing historical discrimination against women in STEM can help to define “how we can expand opportunities for current and future women.”

Lear said Taylor’s greatest accomplishments will come from “her ability to see across academic disciplines to the bigger issues at stake in topics that interest her.”

Taylor’s tendency to look at the big picture, often in an interdisciplinary way, is apparent in the Ph.D. work she is doing with Dr. Omar Ochoa, associate professor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department, on the application of AI and machine learning in aviation and aerospace. An important component of that research looks at the issue of ethics in how the AI is used.

Expressing her excitement at being honored by Zonta International, Taylor said, “The external recognition is an enormous reminder that what I am doing has ripple effects outside of my Embry-Riddle community.”