Antarctica as a Backdrop for Women in Science

The inaugural voyage of the Homeward Bound initiative,

comprising 76 women with critical science backgrounds, returned safely from a 21-day trip to Antarctica.

The goal of Homeward Bound is to elevate the voices of women in science and to encourage them to play a large role in influencing scientific policy. The organizers hope to reach 1,000 women over 10 years.

One of the goals of Homeward Bound is to discuss sustainability and global issues related to climate change, making Antarctica a fitting backdrop because of its importance in the study of global warming.

International Women’s Day acknowledges the achievements of women around the world.

This year, women are uniting and holding a strike to call attention to the significant contributions women make in society. In solidarity, we are recognizing five WINGS fellows whose incredible discoveries significantly advanced their respective fields of science.

Without these trailblazers, our understanding of the world and the universe surely would be hindered. They are truly Women of Discovery. To learn more about the rest of our Fellows and the incredible work they do, visit our Fellows page.

WINGS Fellow Rosaly Lopes returned safely from her expedition to study Mount Erebus,

home to one of the planet’s only lava lakes – a unique geological phenomenon found more commonly on Jupiter’s moon Io than Earth. Lopes has studied Io extensively with her work at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Lopes spent one month on Mount Erebus, which is located on Antarctica, and is the southernmost active volcano on Earth.