Throughout March, the “Diversity Unlocks Innovation” campaign will feature female defense innovators through profiles of emerging leaders, an educational speaker series for staff and NSIN program alumni, and other opportunities for interested communities to learn more and get involved.

Emerging Defense Innovation Leaders

  • Monica Aahana Bernard, Computer Scientist at NAWCTSD, U.S. Navy; Hacking for Defense Alum
  • Kelly DiCristina, SMART Scholar and PhD student, New Jersey Institute of Technology; NSIN X-Force Fellow Alum
  • Lauren Hansen-Armendariz, Deputy Division Innovation Officer, 101st Airborne Division; UNUM
  • Gabrielle Hempel, RSA Security, System Engineer; NSIN Tech Squad Alum
  • Kirthi Kumar, Sophomore, University of California, Berkeley majoring in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Business Administration; Intern for Kaitie Penry, UC Berkeley NSIN University Program Director
  • Emma K. Shumway, Operations Research Analyst - Air Force Inspection Agency; NSIN Hirethon and X-Force Fellow Alum
  • Perla Latorre-Suarez, Graduate Research Assistant, University of Central Florida; NSIN X-Force Alum
  • Lorie Vega, Deputy, 28th Mission Support Group, Ellsworth AFB; NSIN Bootcamp Alum
  • Kristen Vilcans, Fellow, MIT System Design and Management; COO, Ubicept; NSIN Hacks Winner
  • Karlin Younger, Co-Founder, FireFlyht; NSIN Foundry and Hacks Alum

Diversity Unlocks Innovation Women’s History Month Speaker Series

NSIN program alumni and mission partners are invited to attend our virtual speaker series events:

March 29, 2022 at 2 p.m. - A conversation with Janice Glover-Jones, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Director of Mission Services; and Col. Rachel McCaffrey, USAF (Ret), Vice President, Membership & Chapters for the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), and Executive Director of Women In Defense.

March 9, 2022 at 4:30 p.m. - “Gender Diversity and National Security Innovation” with guest speaker Alexandria J. Maloney, MPA, a national security, DE&I, and communications strategist. Watch the recording of the discussion.

Women’s History Month Resources

  1. DoD Women’s History Month Spotlight - The Defense Department honors the contributions of women serving in the military and DOD civilian forces, celebrating the richness and diversity of their achievements in March and throughout the year.
  2. WomensHistoryMonth.gov - This Web portal is a collaborative project of the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
  3. Women’s History Month Products from the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute - DEOMI shares posters, bookmarks, placemats, activity books and other downloadable resources.
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