In the news: Collins to headline Zonta Club symposium in Cape Canaveral

Retired U.S. Air Force Col. – and retired shuttle astronaut – Eileen Collins is the headline speaker at the Zonta Club of Melbourne’s 2nd Annual Reaching New Heights: Women in Space symposium on Jan. 10, 2026, at the Sands Space Center Museum, Cape Canaveral. The event runs from 1-4 p.m. The event is open to anyone interested in exploring aerospace engineering and space sciences. This event is for all ages, especially women and girls interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM.)

Collins was the first woman to pilot the space shuttle and the first female to command a space shuttle mission.
Other speakers include:

  • McKayla Meier – 2025 Amelia Earhart Fellow
  • Kelly Collins – First Officer Jet Blue
  • Priscilla Yecora – Public Relations & Community Specialist – Sheltair
  • Jo Kiel – Business Development Manager – Embraer
  • McKenna Taylor – 2024-2025 ASF Astronaut Scholar
  • Trupti Mahendrakar, Ph.D. – 2023 Amelia Earhart Fellow, Spacecraft Navigation Engineer (contractor) NASA Johnson Space Center.

Each year, Zonta Clubs worldwide celebrate the life and legacy of Zontian and famed aviator pilot Amelia Earhart. Amelia Earhart was a member of Zonta, joining the Boston, Massachusetts club in 1928 and later transferring to the New York City club. Soon after her tragic disappearance in 1937, Zonta established the Amelia Earhart Fellowships awarding the first in 1928. Despite extensive searches, no trace of her plane was ever found. Her life and career continue to inspire women around the world to pursue their dreams and make their mark in the world still mainly dominated by men. Amelia remains an icon of aviation and a symbol of courage, determination, and a life worth living to the fullest.

The Amelia Earhart Fellowships have grown to $10,000 fellowships annually awarded to 30 women pursuing Ph.D./doctoral degrees in aerospace engineering and space sciences. Since the program’s inception in 1938, Zonta has awarded 1,794 Amelia Earhart Fellowships, totaling more than $12.2 million to 1.365 women from 80 countries.

Fellows have gone on to become astronauts, aerospace engineers, astronomers, professors, geologists and even Secretary of the U.S. Air Force.

Read the full article here.