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Airman foster's STEM at women's science symposium

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Taylor Shelton
  • 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  The 92nd Mission Support Group commander was one of 34 guests selected to speak during the Air Force Technical Applications Center’s Women in Science and Engineering Symposium at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida.

Col. Yvonne Spencer was asked to speak at the symposium after the symposium’s lead read an article about her being the first African-American and first female to lead the 819th RED HORSE Squadron at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, from 2015-2016. RED HORSE squadrons provide the Air Force with a highly mobile civil engineering response force to support contingency and special operations worldwide.

AFTAC’s WiSE Symposium is in its third year and has grown from 14 speakers and panelists to 34. The event encourages diversity in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math, by providing inspirational presenters and engaging discussions for both women and men in and outside the federal government.

“Symposiums such as this are absolutely critical to our Air Force’s ability to recruit and retain brilliant minds for our engineering and technology fields,” said Spencer. “In order to maintain our leading edge in technology, we must ensure we have a large and diverse pool of applicants, which include minorities.”

This year’s theme, “Breaking the Norm,” was created to guide the symposium’s numerous discussions and breakout sessions of how professionals can work to dispel myths that women are not ‘normally’ found in STEM fields, Spencer said.

“We need to inspire diversity of thought through STEM outreach,” said Maj. Mandi Fuller, a space program manager with AFTAC and program coordinator for the three-day event. “As an organization, we also need to gain an international perspective and leverage global strengths in STEM fields and replicate them. By doing so, it will give us the ability to establish mentoring and networking opportunities to future support career growth in these highly technical and demanding career fields.”

Airmen need to get the message across of the importance of having the best pool of applicants for STEM fields. One of the things we struggle with as an Air Force, is getting people interested in the engineering sciences and the different types of technology, said Spencer.

“The biggest take away was the importance of diversity and inclusion,” said Spencer. “Diversity is really the crux of what makes our military great. We bring in individuals that have a different perspective and mindset and bring something new to the fight; this is why we are able to be the world’s greatest Air Force, because we allow diversity and we nurture it.”