Three aerospace grad students earn Amelia Earhart Fellowships
Three aerospace graduate students have earned
The program, open to students worldwide, annually recognizes 30 women pursuing doctoral degrees in aerospace engineering and space sciences. The fellowship seeks to expand the number of women in the aerospace industry to reach gender equity.Ìý
The 2026 honorees from Smead Aerospace are PhD students Kristen Amarell, Nicole Rote, and Amrita Singh.
Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are tied for the most honorees in 2026, with three each.
Zonta International is a global organization of professionals empowering women through service and advocacy. The Fellowship was established in 1938 in honor of famed pilot and Zonta member, Amelia Earhart.
Find out more about our 2026 honorees:
Kristen Amarell
4th Year PhD Student
Advisors: Daniel Scheeres and Jay McMahon
Labs: and the Orbital Research Cluster for Celestial Applications (ORCCA)
My research focuses on developing autonomous spacecraft guidance algorithms that will enable future lunar, planetary, and deep-space missions to operate safely in the presence of uncertainty. I combine optimal control, reachability theory, and spaceflight dynamics to develop a mission-informed guidance framework that improves the probability of mission success and enhances crew safety.Ìý
Receiving an award associated with one of aviation's most influential pioneers is deeply humbling. I'm grateful for the mentors, colleagues, friends, and family who have supported me along the way, and honored to join a community of fellows whose work is shaping the future of flight and space exploration. With the support of this fellowship, I hope to keep advancing spaceflight autonomy while helping build a more balanced and inclusive aerospace field.
Nicole Rote
3rd year PhD student
Advisor: Torin Clark
Lab: Bioastronautics Lab
My research focuses on modeling and predicting human states in aerospace environments to improve human performance and resilience. My current work aims to unobtrusively predict pilot and astronaut spatial disorientation using machine learning models trained on physiological signals (e.g., heart rate and respiration rate), enabling life-saving countermeasures to be deployed.Ìý
I'm incredibly grateful to receive the Amelia Earhart Fellowship. It means a lot to have my work recognized by an organization with such a long history of supporting women in aerospace. Aerospace engineering has historically presented many challenges for women, and I hope to carry forward Zonta’s commitment to supporting and advancing women in the field throughout my own career.
Amrita Singh
5thÌýyear PhD Candidate
Advisor:James Nabity
Lab:Bioastronautics Lab
Within my research, I assess the robustness and reliability of specific technologies within a dusty environment through physicochemical simulations, experimental evaluation, and theoretical frameworks. IÌýbelieve my work will provide critical information on how the lunar surface and dust environment affects physicochemical systems, enable the development of a framework for robust technology selection, inform dust mitigation protocols, and generate requirements for lunar missions.
It is a true privilege to join the cohort of Amelia Earhart Fellows, and I look forward to continuing to support other women in aerospace engineering and space sciences. I am excited to use this opportunity to continue my mentorship activities and help everyone feel welcome in aerospace engineering.
