Women of NASA’s 2017 Astronaut Class

On June 7, 2017, NASA selected a new class of astronaut candidates for future missions at the International Space Station (ISS), launch from Earth on commercial spacecraft, and flying in deep space missions on new Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rockets. On August 2017, all candidate will start two years of training. After training, they will be assigned duties in NASA’s Astronaut Office while waiting for their flight missions. NASA choose twelve qualified candidates out of more than 18,300 applicants and five are women.

These women are making history in science and space exploration.  NASA’s first class of female astronaut candidates were selected in January 1978 and completed their training program in 1979.  This class included the first American, female astronaut to fly in space, Sally Ride.  Ride launched on June 18, 1983 on the space shuttle Challenger.  She was a mission specialist on the STS-7 mission where she helped the crew set up communications satellites, conduct experiments, and utilized the first Shuttle Pallet Satellite. As of May 2015, a total of 49 women have flown with NASA and eight had yet to fly.

2017 Astronaut Candidate Profiles:

Image Source: NASA

Kayla Barron was born in Pocatello, ID, but considers Richland, WA her hometown.  Barron graduated from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD with a Bachelor’s in Systems Engineering and became a commission officer.  She immediately went on to earn her Master’s in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England, and graduated as a Gates Cambridge Scholar.  Her graduate research focused on modeling the fuel cycle for a next-generation thorium fueled nuclear reactor concept. After graduate school, she trained to become a submarine warfare officer for the US Navy before being assigned to the USS Maine.  In addition to her education and experience, Barron has been recognized for her service receiving both medals and commendations.

Image Source: NASA

Zena Cardman was originally born in Urbana, IL but considers Williamsburg, VA her home. She graduated from University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill with a Bachelors in Biology, minors in Creative Writing and Marine Science, and a Master’s in Marine Sciences.  Before applying to become an astronaut, Cardman was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow at Penn State. In addition to education and experience, Cardman has won several awards and has previous NASA experience when she worked with them on their analog missions including the Pavilion Lake Research Project and BASALT.

Image Source: NASA

Jessica Watkins was born in Gaithersburg, MD, but considers Lafayette, CO her hometown.  She earned her Bachelor’s in Geological and Environmental Sciences from Stanford University and earn a Doctorate in Geology from the University of California.  For her doctorate research, she studied the emplacement mechanisms of large landslides on Mars through orbital data and field work. After she graduated from her doctorate program, she worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Division of Geological and Planetary Science at the California Institute of Technology where she collaborated on Curiosity, the Mars rover.  She participated in daily planning of activities and studied Mars geology.   In addition to her experience, Watkins has received many awards in academics and sports awards.

Image Source: NASA

Loral O’Hara was born in Houston, TX and grew up in Sugar Land, TX.  She graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering and earned a Master’s of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue University.  Before applying to become an astronaut candidate, O’Hara was a Research Engineer at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Woods Hole, MA. In addition, O’Hara has past experience with NASA as a student. She participated in their KC-135 Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program, the NASA Academy at Goddard Space Flight Center and as an intern in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In her spare time, she is also a private pilot and certified EMT and wilderness first responder.

Image source: NASA

Jasmin Moghbeli was born in Bad Nauheim, Germany and raised in Baldwin, New York.  Moghbeli graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a Bachelor’s in Aerospace Engineering with Information Technology. She went on to receive a Master’s in Aerospace Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.  Moghbeli is a decorated Major in the U.S. Marine Corps and a U.S. Navy Test Pilot.  Before applying to become an astronaut, she tested H-1 helicopters and served as a quality assurance and avionics officer for Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 in Yuma, Arizona.

NASA’s Current Astronaut List:

On the International Space Station: Dr. Peggy A. Whitson as of November 17, 2016 on Expedition 50/51

Active Astronauts (eligible for flight): Dr. Serena M. Auñón-Chancellor, Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Christina M. Hammock Koch, Anne C. McClain, Jessica U. Meir, Karen L. Nyberg, Kathleen Rubins, Shannon Walker, Stephanie D. Wilson, and Sunita (‘Suni’) L. Williams

Management Astronauts: Yvonne D. Cagle (NASA – Ames Research Center, CA); Janet L. Kavandi (NASA – Glen Research Center, Ohio); Kathryn P. Hire (NASA – Goddard Space Flight Center, MD); Dr. Ellen Ochoa (Director of NASA – Johnson Space Center, TX); Dr. Nancy J. Currie-Gregg (NASA – Langley Research Center, VA)

Works Cited

Dunbar, Brian. “Sally Ride and Valentina Tereshkova: Changing the Course of Human Space Exploration.” NASA. NASA, 11 Mar. 2015. Web. 12 June 2017.

<https://www.nasa.gov/topics/history/features/ride_anniversary.html&gt;.

Garber, Steve. “Women in Space.” NASA. NASA, May 2015. Web. 12 June 2017. <https://history.nasa.gov/women.html&gt;.

Garcia, Mark. “Astronaut Candidate Jasmin Moghbeli.” NASA. NASA, 05 June 2017. Web. 12 June 2017. <https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/jasmin-moghbeli/biography&gt;.

Garcia, Mark. “Astronaut Candidate Jessica Watkins.” NASA. NASA, 06 June 2017. Web. 12 June 2017. <https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/jessica-watkins/biography&gt;.

Garcia, Mark. “Astronaut Candidate Loral O’Hara.” NASA. NASA, 06 June 2017. Web. 12 June 2017. <https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/loral-o-hara/biography&gt;.

Garcia, Mark. “Astronaut Candidate Zena Cardman.” NASA. NASA, 05 June 2017. Web. 12 June 2017. <https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/zena-cardman/biography&gt;.

Roberts, Jason. “Peggy A. Whitson.” NASA. NASA, 09 Nov. 2015. Web. 12 June 2017. <https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/peggy-a-whitson&gt;.

Wall, Mike. “What’s Next for NASA’s New Astronaut Class?” Space.com. Purch, 8 June 2017. Web. 12 June 2017. <https://www.space.com/37129-nasa-2017-astronaut-candidates-future.html&gt;.

Whiting, Melanie. “NASA Active Astronauts.” NASA. NASA, 03 Jan. 2016. Web. 12 June 2017. <https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/active&gt;.

Whiting, Melanie. “NASA Management Astronauts.” NASA. NASA, 08 Jan. 2016. Web. 12 June 2017. <https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/management&gt;.

Ziv, Stav. “Meet NASA’s Astronaut Class of 2017.” Newsweek. Newsweek Media Group, 07 June 2017. Web. 12 June 2017. <http://www.newsweek.com/nasa-hired-its-first-new-class-astronauts-years-help-get-mars-622695&gt;.

Ariana Grande and the Manchester Bombing

Image Source: VOA News

On Monday, May 22, 2017 around 10:30pm, a bombing occurred in Manchester, England at the end of a concert by pop singer, Ariana Grande. 22 people, including children, died in the attack and 59 were injured.  Her fans, transcending several generations, attended her concert to simply enjoy her performance. It is reported that Grande’s concert was specifically targeted by terrorists because of her image, songs, and what she represents to her fans.

Grande first gained notoriety portraying Cat Valentine in the Nickelodeon TV series, Victorious (2011-2012) and its spinoff, Sam and Cat (2013-2014), as Cat Valentine.  Grande’s singing career also took off around this time with the release of the Victorious soundtrack in and her release of the single, “Put Your Hearts Up.” Since, she has evolved into the pop singer we know today with several chart making albums and hit songs.

Image Source: Gazette Review

Ariana Grande is a role model for many, especially young girls. Grande has been able to strike a balance that so many young stars struggle with – the ability to keep the young fan base while evolving her act with more mature elements.  While many of her songs have distinctly adult themes, she has been able to them inclusive, relatable, and meaningful to her fans no matter the age. Her most recent album, Dangerous Woman (2016), exemplifies this.

Dangerous Woman has resonated with many women through its balance of infatuation and messages of strength and empowerment.  Grande, herself is openly a feminist and been outspoken about equality and celebrating differences. She works hard to project this image: a modern woman who is strong, in charge, and will not let any misogyny hold her down. She is the epitome of female freedom and that will not be easily erased.

Image Source: NY Magazine

Since the bombing, a stronger fan community, perhaps even family, has formed.  They have rallied around her and her idea, even certain songs have taken on new dimensions. In addition, her significant following on social media is continuing to grow. Currently, she has 46.5 million followers on Twitter and 107 million on Instagram as of May 30, 2017.

While it will take time for Grande, her fans, and others to come to terms with what took place and grieve, it is important to remember that she is not at fault for the bombing. The terrorists who targeted her were targeting what they consider a threat: the very idea of modern feminism.  They have a very different and negative view of woman and their place on society.  Their attack on her venue is an attack on all women and girls.  We need to take their attack and turn it into an opportunity speak out.  This event should be used as a reminder of how far we have come and still have to go for equality for all.  This should empower us all.

To help:

• Donate to the British Red Cross’ Manchester Emergency Fund
• Donate to the Manchester Evening News Just Giving Campaign.
• Volunteer and donate to women’s rights, equality, and related nonprofits

You can find Ariana Grande on Twitter @ArianaGrande, Instagram, and her personal website.

Note: Ariana Grande will be returning to Manchester to hold a benefit concert for the victims of this last attack.  She will be including other famous headliners.

Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany

This last week Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany stood out as an active figure in international news.  Highlights of Merkel’s activities include her visits to Saudi Arabia and Russia, German elections that could have challenged her party’s power, and her views on recent changes in global politics.  Her position as Chancellor is very significant.  Presently, she is arguable one of the most powerful and influential leaders in Europe.

Image Source: Kapital 971/AP

Personal Life

Merkel was born Angela Kasner in Hamburg, West Germany on July 17, 1954. She grew up in Soviet-controlled East Germany in a rural area outside of Berlin.  Her family moved there after she was born. She studied physics, focusing on quantum chemistry, at the University of Leipzip and earned her doctorate in 1978.  Merkel was employed chemist at the Central Institute for Physical Chemistry, Academy of Sciences from 1978 -1990.

She married her first husband, Ulrich Merkel, a fellow physics, student in 1977, but divorced in 1982. Later, Merkel married Joachim Sauer, a professor of theoretical chemistry at Humboldt University in Berlin. They have no children, but Sauer has two adult sons from a previous marriage.

Political Life

After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Merkel became involved in politics.  She joined the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Party and was soon appointed as the Minister for Women and Youth under Helmut Kohl’s administration.  She later served as Minister for the Environment and Nuclear Safety. After Kohl’s defeat in 1998, Merkel became the secretary general of the CDU.  In 2000, she was named party leader, but lost candidacy for chancellor to Edmund Stoiber in 2002.

In 2005, Merkel narrowly defeated the Chancellor Gerhard Schroder.  She named the first female Chancellor after the CDU agreed to create a coalition with the Social Democrats (SPD).  She is the first woman to leader Germany since it became a modern nation-state in 1871. She is also the first former citizen of the German Democratic Republic to lead a reunited Germany.  She is seeking her fourth term as Chancellor.

Interesting Facts

• Merkel made headlines in October of 2013 when she accused the United States of spying on an ally. Reports found the National Security Agency had been spying on Merkel since 2002.
• In 2015, she was named Person of the Year due to her background, ability to lead from behind, and how she has handled major events affecting Europe including the debt crisis, the Russian attack on Ukraine, and the immigration crisis.
• Her husband, Joachim Sauer, is a private individual and is not known to spend a lot of time with Merkel during public political events. They both work to live an everyday life no different from an average German.

Angela Merkel on Social Media: Twitter @AngelaMerkeICDU, Facebook, Instagram, 

Works Cited

Alter, Charlotte. “TIME Person of the Year: Angela Merkel Interesting Facts.” Time. Time, 09 Dec. 2015. Web. 08 May 2017.

“Angela Merkel.” Biography.com. Ed. Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 16 July 2015. Web. 08 May 2017.

Gibbs, Nancy. “Why Angela Merkel Is TIME’s Person of the Year 2015.” Time. Time, 2015. Web. 08 May 2017.

Orth, Maureen. “How Angela Merkel Has Led Germany to New Prominence.” The Hive. Vanity Fair, 30 Jan. 2015. Web. 08 May 2017.

Vasagar, Jeevan. “Angela Merkel, the Girl Who Never Wanted to Stand Out, to Win Big Again.” The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 01 Sept. 2013. Web. 08 May 2017.

Lorella Praeli, Immigration Activist

Lorella Praeli while working as an advisor on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign. (Source: Remezcla)

On Friday, April 28, 2017, the Huffington Post announced that Lorella Praeli, a prominent immigrants right activist, will join the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) as Director of Immigration Policy and Campaigns.  She starts on Monday, May 1, 2017. After working in politics, Praeli returns to activism to defend and advance the rights of US immigrants.  She will work on policy and advocacy on national, state, and local levels.  Much of the actions planned by the ACLU is in response to the Trump administration’s actions and policies against immigrants including anti- immigrant executive orders like one that attempted to block entry citizens of certain Muslim-majority countries. Praeli offers an important perspective to this cause, because she identifies herself as a DREAMer, a term coined from the DREAM Act.

Praeli was born in Ica, Peru. At the age of two, she lost her right leg after she was pinned by a car in an accident. Her father sought the best treatment for her and pled his case to doctors at Shriners Hospital in Orlando, FL.  At first, they rejected his case, but when he took her to meet them they could not send her way.  At four years old, Praeli started treatment at Shriners, which began a series of difficult and expensive trips to Orlando multiple times a year to receive treatment and to learn to walk with a prosthetic.

So at the age of 10, she moved with family to the New Milford, CT undocumented.  Her family scarified a lot, including her mother’s career, to move closer to treatment. Throughout her childhood in while living in the US, Praeli excelled at school.  In high school, she worked closely with the Anti-Defamation League’s “Names Can Really Hurt Us” program working to stop bullying and promote reconciliation. She had been a victim of bullying herself.

It was not until she received graduated from high school (at the top of her class) and received a scholarship from Quinnipiac University that she discovered that she was an undocumented immigrant.  Her mother kept this information from her to protect her.  For a period of time, Praeli felt shame due to the stigma of being “illegal immigrant”  and hid her status during college.  In 2011, she graduated from Quinnipiac with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Sociology.

Praeli eventually revealed her status when she connected with DREAMer, other immigrants who came to the US illegal at a young age.  She turned to activism an fought secure “in state” tuition rates for undocumented DREAMer in Connecticut. She worked in other states after.

Praeli’s career history includes:

• Immigration Advocacy and Policy Director, United We Dream – a national network of undocumented youth-lead organization. She worked with the Obama Administration to create the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of American and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA).
• Director of Latino Outreach, Hillary Clinton 2016 Presidential Election (May 2015) – See her speak at at the Democratic National Convention (video)
• Director of Immigration Policy and Campaigns, ACLU (May 2017)

Praeli remained undocumented until 2012 when she married and received a green card.  She later became a citizen in December of 2015 and casted her first presidential vote in the 2016 election.

Praeli and family after American citizenship ceremony in December of 2015 (Source: Correo*)

Lorella Praeli on Social Media – Twitter @lorellapraeli,  LinkedIn

*Correo sourced image webpage is in Spanish.

This blog is written to learn about and inform people about women’s contribution to trending themes and what is going on in the news.

Works Cited

Linthicum, Kate. “Never eligible to vote, young immigrant plays key role in Clinton campaign.” The Los Angeles Times. The Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2015. Web. 1 May 2017.

Foley, Elise . “Dreamer Lorella Praeli To Be A Leader Of Trump Resistance On Immigration.” Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc., 28 Apr. 2017. Web. 1 May 2017.

Lilley, Sandra. ” Hillary Clinton Taps DREAMer Lorella Praeli As Latino Outreach Director.” NBC News. NBC, 20 May 2015. Web. 1 May 2017.

MAKERS Team |  September 25, 2015. “Be The Hero: Get to Know Lorella Praeli’s Story.” MAKERS. Aol, 25 Sept. 2015. Web. 01 May 2017.

The Actresses in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

On Friday, April 14, 2017, this year’s Star Wars Celebration, hosted in Orlando, Florida, held a cast panel on Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017). This anticipated film is the latest installment of the famous franchise and will premiere on December 15, 2017. The cast has a number of actresses. From the well-known lead Rey played by Daisy Ridley to a new character, Rose, played by Kelly Marie Tran, this movie looks to be full of women in action fight for their side of the galaxy. (Note: Gwendoline Christie’s Captain Phasma is a member of the dark side.)

The cast members listed here were pulled from IMDb.com’s current cast list and will be updated when more information is released.

Daisy Ridley

 

Daisy Ridley was born on April 10, 1992 in London, England. She attended the Tring Park School for Performing Arts in Hertfordshire, England. She learned musical theater, dance, and singing. After she graduated in 2010, she played in several minor roles in television, film, and music. Ridley’s movie career took off after her role as Rey, the heroine of Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), gained acclaim. She will be reprising her role as the upcoming sequel. Beyond her part in the Star Wars franchise, Ridley enrolled in higher education courses in 2016. She is also acting in several upcoming movies including: Murder on the Orient Express (2017), A Woman of No Importance (date unknown); and Ophelia (date unknown).

Images from: Tech Times and Aint It Cool

Laura Dern

 

Laura Dern is joining the returning cast of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but she did not attend the panel at the Star Wars Celebration. Her character has not been officially released. Rumors have stirred over the last week, if readers are curious. The title of her role will be posted here as soon as there is released confirmation.

Dern was born on February 10, 1967 in Los Angeles, CA. She made her film debut in White Lightening (1973) and received her first major role was in Foxes (1980). She then went on to gain roles in several famous films including: Blue Velvet (1986), Rambling Rose (1991), Jurassic Park (1993), and Wild (2014). In addition to film, she has secured several television roles including: Afterburn (1992), Ellen (1997), Recount (2008), Enlightened (2011-2013), and Big Little Lies (2017). Dern is also an award-winning actress having won or been nominated for several prestigious awards in film. They include two Oscars nominations, five Primetime Emmys nominations, and two Golden Globe nominations and four wins with the most recent 2012. She has few projects in the works including: Downsizing (2017) and Hard Powder (2018).

Laura Dern on Twitter: @LauraDern, 

Image from: TV Line

Lupita Nyong’o

 

Lupita Nyong’o was born on March 1, 1983 in Mexico City, Mexico but grew up in Kenya where her father served as government minister and senator. She started in the film industry during her teen and college years serving as a production assistant and intern on sets of several films. In 2007, Nyong’o graduated with a Bachelor’s in film and African studies from Hampshire College in Amherst, MA.  Her senior thesis, In My Genes (2009), a documentary on Kenyans living with albinism, was shown at the 2010 New York African Film Festival. Later in 2012, she returned to school to attend the Yale School of Drama, where she received her master’s in acting.

In 2013, Nyong’o’s film career took off when played a supporting role in a feature film, 12 Years a Slave, and won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Nyong’o soon joined the cast of Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) to play the CGI character, Maz Kanata. When asked why she choose to play an off screen character, Nyong’o explained, “12 Years a Slave was a film that was so much about my body, and Star Wars is not at all. There was a liberation about being able to play in a medium where my body was not the thing in question.” (Buzzfeed News). Since then, Nyong’o has appeared in several films including: The Jungle Book (2016), and Queen of Katwe (2016). Upcoming films that she will seen be in are: Marvel’s Black Panther (2018) and Star Wars: Episode IX (2019).

Outside of film, Nyong’o took her acting skills to Broadway, performing in an off-Broadway drama called Eclipsed in 2015. Later she made her Broadway debut in 2016 when the play moved to the John Golden Theatre. Nyong’o was nominated for Tony Award for her role. Additionally, she has become a fashion icon appearing in major publications like InStyle and Vogue.

Lupita Nyong’o on Social Media: Twitter @Lupita_Nyongo,  Instagram, Facebook,

Images from: Harpers Bazaar and Bitch Media

Carrie Fisher

 

Carrie Fisher was born on October 21, 1956, in Beverly Hills, CA. In 1975, Fisher made her film debut in the comedy, Shampoo. A few years later, she was  cast in her most famous role as the iconic Princess Leia in Star Wars’ original trilogy (1977, 1980, and 1983). After struggling with alcohol, drug abuse, and mental illness in the 1980’s, Fisher returned to the spotlight as the author of the bestselling and award-winning book, Postcards from the Edge. She later adapted the book into a same-titled film starring Meryl Streep in 1990. She continued her career to play supporting roles in several movies, wrote and edited screenplays, and authored books and plays including The Best Awful There Is (2004), Wishful Drinking (2008), Shockaholic (2011), and The Princess Diarist (2016).

Most recently, Fisher returned to film to reprise her role as Princess, now General, Leia in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017). Additionally, Fisher spoke openly about her diagnosis with bipolar disorder and her struggles with addiction. She received Harvard College’s Annual Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism for her efforts. However, on December 27, 2016, she passed away from complications from a heart attack she suffered days before at the age of 60. Fisher had completed filming her part in the upcoming Star Wars film, but it is unknown how the studio will handle her absence future installments.

#MayTheForceBeWithHer #OurPrincess

Carrie Fisher’s Website 

Images from: EW, StarWars.com, and Cinema Blend

Billie Lourd

 

Billie Lourd was born on July 17, 1992, in Los Angeles, CA to Carrie Fisher. Lourd graduated in 2014 from New York University before starting her acting career. She is best known for her role in the comedy/horror television series, Scream Queens (2015-2016). She plays Lieutenant Connix in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and will return in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017). In addition , Lourd will star in the upcoming movie, Billionaire Boys Club (2017).

Billie Lourd on Social Media: Instagram and Twitter @_praisethelourd

Images from: IMDb and comicbook.com

Kelly Marie Tran

 

Kelly Marie Tran is from San Diego and graduated from the University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA). She has had a long interest in acting and performing and began honing her skills in musical theater and by participating in improv groups. Tran has become recognized for her parts in web series, shorts, commercials, and  occasional guest appearances. She may be best known for her roles in CollegeHumor Originals shorts. As the newest member, Tran joins the Star Wars: The Last Jedi cast as Rose, a maintenance worker in the Resistance and is slated to team up with one of the main characters, Finn, played by John Boyega (Independent). Her character was first revealed during the cast panel at the Star Wars Celebration.

Images from: Empire Online and Cinema Blend

Gwendoline Christie

 

Gwendoline Christie was born on October 28, 1978, in Sussex, England. She became interested in acting after she injured her back in gymnastics at a young age. At the age of 15, she played Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth and set out to pursue her talent. Christie studied at the famous and rigorous Drama Center London and faced difficulty with securing roles due to her height. In 2005, she made her theater debut in a Royal Shakespeare Company performance of Great Expectations and went on to perform in other British productions. In 2009, she received her first role in a major film when she was cast in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. In 2012, Christie began playing in her best-known role as Brienne of Tarth, starting in the second season of the hit TV series, Game of Thrones (2011-Present). In 2015, she was cast Star Wars: The Force Awakens as Captain Phasma in, Star War’s first known female stormtrooper. She is returning to her role in The Last Jedi. Christie’s next known project is the upcoming sci-fi thriller, The Darkest Minds (2018).

Gwendoline Christie on Twitter @lovegwendoline 

Images from: Vanity Fair and Huffington Post

 

Crystal Clarke

 

Crystal Clarke was born in Belleville, New Jersey. She went to the Newark Arts High School and graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland at Glasgow in 2014. Clarke landed her role as Ensign Goode, a Resistance member, in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) after participating in an open casting call for aspiring actors. She and fellow cast member, Pip Anderson, were selected out of over 67,000 applicants. She will be returning to this role for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Clarke has played parts in other recent films including Assassin’s Creed (2016) and The King’s Daughter (2017).

Images from: Star Wars Wikia and Star Wars Wikia

Works Cited

Buchanan, Kyle. “Honestly, How Dare Star Wars Not Show Us Laura Dern in Space.” Vulture. New York Media LLC, 14 Apr. 2017. Web. 14 Apr. 2017.

“Carrie Fisher.” Biography.com. Ed. Biography.com Editors. A&E Networks Television, 09 Jan. 2017. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.

Carrie Fisher Properties, LLC. “About.” Carrie Fisher. Carrie Fisher Properties, LLC, 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

Carter, Kelley L. “Why Lupita Nyong’o Didn’t Want To Be Seen In “Star Wars”.” BuzzFeed. BuzzFeed, Inc, 13 Dec. 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

Dornbush, Jonathon. “Who Is ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII’ Actress Kelly Marie Tran?” EW.com. Time Inc, 15 Feb. 2016. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.

Ginsberg, Gabriella. “Lupita Nyong’o.” Hollywood Life. PMC, 20 Oct. 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

Gower, Eleanor. “Star Wars Casts Newcomers Crystal Clarke and Pip Anderson in Episode VII… as Filming Set to Stop for Two Weeks While Harrison Ford Recovers from Injury.” Daily Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 07 July 2014. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.

Haynes, Clarence. “Daisy Ridley.” Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 14 July 2016. Web. 14 Apr. 2017.

IMDb. “Billie Lourd Biography.” IMDb. IMDb.com, 2017. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.

IMDb. “Billie Lourd.” IMDb. IMDb.com, 2017. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.

IMDb. “Crystal Clarke.” IMDb. IMDb.com, 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

IMDb. “Daisy Ridley Biography.” IMDb. IMDb.com, 2017. Web. 14 Apr. 2017.

IMDb. “Daisy Ridley.” IMDb. IMDb.com, 2017. Web. 14 Apr. 2017.

IMDb. “Gwendoline Christie Biography.” IMDb. IMDb.com, 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

IMDb. “Gwendoline Christie.” IMDb. IMDb.com, 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

IMDb. “Kelly Marie Tran.” IMDb. IMDb.com, 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

IMDb. “Laura Dern Awards.” IMDb. IMDb.com, 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

IMDb. “Laura Dern Biography.” IMDb. IMDb.com, 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

IMDb. “Laura Dern.” IMDb. IMDb.com, 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

IMDb. “Lupita Nyong’o.” IMDb. IMDb.com, 2017. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.

Itzkoff, Dave. “Carrie Fisher, Child of Hollywood and ‘Star Wars’ Royalty, Dies at 60.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 27 Dec. 2016. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.

Kelly, Cara. “Get to Know Billie Lourd, the Heir to the Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fisher Dynasty.” USA Today. Gannett Satellite Information Network, 30 Dec. 2016. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

Knolle, Sharon. “Laura Dern’s Character in ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Is the ‘Anti-Leia’: Report.” AOL Moviefone. Moviefone, 11 Apr. 2017. Web. 14 Apr. 2017.

“Laura Dern.” Biography.com. Ed. Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 15 Jan. 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

Loughrey, Clarisse. “Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Kelly Marie Tran Offers Details on Her New Character.” The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, 14 Apr. 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

“Lupita Nyong’o.” Biography.com. Ed. Biography.com Editors. A&E Networks Television, 03 May 2016. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.

“Lupita Nyong’o.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Ed. The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 06 Jan. 2017. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.

Robinson, Melia. “How ‘Game of Thrones’ Actress Gwendoline Christie Became the First Female Stormtrooper.” Business Insider. Business Insider, 02 Nov. 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

Tavistock Wood Management. “Crystal Clarke Biography.” IMDb. IMDb.com, 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

Walker, Danny. “Star Wars 7: Who Are Pip Andersen and Crystal Clarke? Everything You Need on Episode VII’s Newest   Recruits.” Mirror. Mirror, 07 July 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.

Lynn Nottage, Two Time Pulitzer Prize Winner

This week the Pulitzer Prizes for 2017 were announced on Monday, April 10, 2017.  The Pulitzer Prize is an annual award that honors excellence in journalism, literature, and the arts.  One of the most notable winners in this round is Lynn Nottage, an award-winning, American playwright and screenwriter.  She became the first woman to win two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama.  She won for her plays Ruined in 2009 and most recently for Sweat in 2017.

Lynn Nottage was born in Brooklyn, New York on November 2, 1964. Nottage earned her high school diploma in 1982 from New York’s High School of Music and Art in Harlem.  She attended Brown University where she graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in 1986.  Then, she continued her education to graduate from Yale School of Drama in 1989 with a Master of Fine Arts in playwriting.

In the 1990s, Nottage turned to full-time playwriting after working at Amnesty International.  Her first break came via a commissioned monologue for a musical called, A…My Name is Still Alice. She then went on to win awards for her short play, Poof! (1993) and well-known play, Crumbs for the Table of Joy (1996).  After taking a break from writing, her drama, Intimate Apparel, won several major awards including the New York Drama Critics Circle Award and Steinberg Award.  In 2004, actress, Viola Davis, received a Drama Desk Award for her performance in the play at the Roundabout Theater Company in New York City.

In 2008, her first Pulitzer Prize winning play, Ruined, was commissioned by the Goodman and co-produced at the Manhattan Theatre Club in 2008. The play is set in modern Democratic Republic of the Congo where the main character, Mama Nadi, a businesswoman, protects and profits from the women who bodies are as equally a battleground as the civil war raging around them.  Ruined went on to receive many awards including the Obie for Best New American Play and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play. It has toured throughout the US, London, Canada, and Australia since 2013.

In 2015, Sweat, was co-commissioned and presented by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and eventually premiered at The Public Theater in New York moving to Broadway after its run sold out.  The play is set in Reading, PA, in 2000 and 2008 telling the stories of two generations of factory employees who face layoffs and unemployment due to the decline and then closure of their company in 2008.  The play discusses how the breakdown of a major economic driver in the area unravels relationships along generational and racial lines, eventually leading to violence.

Throughout her writing, Nottage has been inspired by the human experience, especially in the case of identity, struggle, and success.  She is particularly interested in the experiences of women and disenfranchised individuals.  At a young age, she was already writing plays inspired by female family members and everyday women in her neighborhood.  She has continued to be inspired by the experiences of women, especially that of African-American women.

Beyond writing plays, Nottage has developed original projects and screenplays for Harpo, HBO, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, Show Time, and This and that.  She is writer/producer on the Netflix series She’s Gotta Have It (2017-present) directed by Spike Lee. Additionally, she is also an Associate Professor in the Theatre Department at Columbia School of the Arts. She also serves as a board member for several organizations and recently completed a three-year term as an Artist Trustee on the Board of the Sundance Institute.

Nottage can also be found on Twitter (@Lynnbrooklyn). 

*Blog written learn about and inform people about women’s contribution to trending themes and what is going on in the news.

Works Cited

“About.” Lynn Nottage. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.

Canfield, David. “Colson Whitehead, David Fahrenthold, and Lynn Nottage Are Among the 2017 Pulitzer Prize Recipients.” Blog post. Browbeat. Slate Magazine, 10 Apr. 2017. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.

The HistoryMakers. “Lynn Nottage | The HistoryMakers.” Lynn Nottage. |The HistoryMakers, 5 Dec. 2005. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.

IMDb. “Lynn Nottage – Other Works.” IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.

IMDb. “Lynn Nottage.” IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.

Topping, Seymour. ” History of The Pulitzer Prizes.”  The Pulitzer Prizes. Ed. Sig Gissler. The Pulitzer Prizes, 2017. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.

Weinert-Kendt, Rob. “How Lynn Nottage, Inveterate Wanderer, Found Her Way to Reading and ‘Sweat’.” American Theatre. Theatre Communications Group, 04 Mar. 2017. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.

Women in Theatre: Lynn Nottage. Prod. The League of Professional Theatre Women, Betty L. Corwin, Ruth Mayleas, and Harriet Slaughter. Dir. Audra Malone. Perf. Lynn Nottage and Linda Winer. CUNY Television, 2011. Youtube. Web. 12 Apr. 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1-1eEY_c4E&gt;.

Image found on: http://wypr.org/post/lynn-nottage