M.S. in Aviation Grad Highlights the Work of Women in Astronomy

Today, the kid who gazed at the stars whenever she could has leveraged her passion for space into two degrees from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a collaboration with Dr. Ashley Lear from the school’s College of Arts & Sciences on a recently published paper that highlights the often overlooked work of women in astronomy.

“I was thrilled to see our work come to fruition,” said Kayla (‘21, ‘23), who is a graduate teaching assistant in the School of Graduate Studies at the College of Aviation. “Recognizing the struggles that women in astronomy have overcome to receive proper recognition is critical if leaders in science want to promote an environment of inclusivity and diversity.”

M.S. in Aviation grad Kayla Taylor shows the space-themed top of her graduation mortarboard. (Photo: Alyssa Shrock)

An astronomer in the making

As a child growing up in Sarasota, Florida, Kayla’s love of all things space was fueled by her own curiosity and imagination along with Mary Pope Osbourne’s “Magic Tree House” series of adventure books for young people.

“I remember keeping a journal when I was in first grade with fun facts that I had learned about space during class or while I read her books,” Kayla said. “I also grew up going to summer camp in the mountains of North Carolina, where there is almost no light pollution. Seeing the stars without impediments helped reinforce my interest in space.”

That interest got another boost when her fifth-grade graduation trip to Kennedy Space Center just happened to coincide with the launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour in May 2011, and she also worked as a high school intern at two different planetariums.

Why choose Embry-Riddle for astronomy and astrophysics?

Kayla picked Embry-Riddle as the place to pursue her B.S. in Astronomy and Astrophysics, and she graduated summa cum laude in May 2021.

“I was impressed by the small class sizes and the unique curriculum that Embry-Riddle's program offered, especially the Observational Astronomy course that allowed me to conduct research-grade observations on the 1-meter telescope on top of the College of Arts and Sciences building,” she said.

Faculty connections at Embry-Riddle open the door

Her decision to stay at Embry-Riddle to earn her M.S. in Aviation was due in part to her experience at the school but also because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited Kayla’s opportunities for internships or research experiences during her junior year.“Staying at Embry-Riddle for graduate school helped me finish research and reinforce connections I had already made with my undergraduate faculty,” she said.

Those faculty relationships were the genesis of the paper Kayla authored with Dr. Lear, which is titled “A woman ‘in the snow among the clocks and instruments’”: How Adrienne Rich reimagined the lives of women astronomers.”

“Our analysis expands upon the experiences of five female astronomers, one of whom is Jocelyn Bell Burnell,” said Kayla, who met with Burnell twice during the astronomer’s visit to the Daytona Beach Campus in early 2020.

“Hearing Burnell's experiences first-hand completely changed my outlook on what it meant to be a woman in science,” Kayla said. “As a female graduate student, Burnell was snubbed for a Nobel Prize for her graduate research, and hearing this story made me realize that I had to tell more people about how women in science have been treated improperly and inappropriately for so long.”

“In short, meeting Burnell was what sparked the idea for this research with Rich's poetry.”

A personal paper

M.S. in Aviation grad Kayla Taylor takes a break from her research with a walk on the beach. (Photo: Alyssa Shrock)

Turning that idea into a finished and published paper, however, took dedication, time and effort.

“We began conducting a literature review in summer 2021, presented at an online conference in April 2022, presented at the International Astronautical Congress in September 2022 and submitted for publication in October 2022,” Kayla said. “We revised it in February and were notified of acceptance in March."

Beyond the practical experience and networking opportunities she got from working on the paper, one the biggest benefits was Kayla’s personal takeaway.

“Using Rich's metaphors to evaluate my own experiences helped me understand that I had unknowingly tolerated gender bias in various times throughout my life,” she said. “If Dr. Lear and I had not conducted and published our research in a way that raised awareness of sexism in astronomy, it is very possible that I would have gone on with my life and not been aware of instances of casual sexism that I experienced, and continue to experience, quite often.”

Ready for her next exploration

Although her list of accomplishments is long and distinguished, Kayla is far from finished. She is now working with Dr. Sara Langston on a policy paper to address the growing conflict between commercial satellite operators and astronomers over “dark” and “quiet” skies.

After working pretty much non-stop since 2017, Kayla is planning to take some time off this year to spend with her family. Then she’ll dive into her Ph.D. applications with an eye toward starting a doctoral program in fall 2024 as a prelude to her next destination.

“I aspire to work in a higher education setting that will allow me to work with subject matter experts outside of the physical sciences to make myself a more well-rounded researcher and individual,” she said. “The connections I've made as an undergrad in the College of Arts & Sciences and then transitioning into grad school in the College of Aviation have helped make me a skilled interdisciplinary researcher.”

What advantages does an Embry-Riddle education offer?

With two respected Embry-Riddle degrees in hand, Kayla had this to say to anyone considering the university as a place to pursue their own passions.

“I want to emphasize the quality of the general education courses that Embry-Riddle offers,” she said. “I have become a better researcher because of the skills that were imparted to me during my gen eds, particularly my humanities and communication courses, at Embry-Riddle.”

She added: “Students looking to pursue a degree at Embry-Riddle will find there is a great support system to ensure they succeed and feel they are ready to enter the workforce or graduate school after graduation.”