Zed Factor Fellowship

The Zed Factor Fellowship is a non-profit program in the United States that provides paid internships and executive mentorship to underrepresented undergraduate and graduate students seeking careers in aerospace.[1][2][3] The fellowship was founded in 2020 and is closely modeled on programs such as the Brooke Owens Fellowship.[4][5][6]

Zed Factor Fellowship
Founded2020
FoundersTanya Harrison
Therese Jones
Carie Lemack
Karina Perez
FocusAerospace Engineering
Location
Area served
United States
Websitezedfactorfellowship.org

History

The Zed Factor Fellowship Program was founded in 2020 by Tanya Harrison, planetary scientist at NASA JPL and Planet Labs, Carie Lemack, CEO of DreamUp, and Karina Perez, Director for Unmanned and Emerging Aviation Technologies at the Aerospace Industries Association.[7] The fellowship program was awarded "Most Intriguing Newcomer" to the commercial spaceflight industry by Forbes in 2020.[8]

The program provides students paid summer internships at space companies including Relativity Space, Planet Labs, and The Planetary Society, zero-g flight opportunities, and mentorship from aerospace leaders including CEOs, directors, and test pilots.[9][10][11][12][13] Fellows are invited to the annual Future Space Leaders summit in Washington D.C. to network and meet industry officials.[14] Fellows also engage in a community service project of their design with support from the program.[15]

As of 2023, the fellowship program is partnered with the Brooke Owens Fellowship and the Future Space Leaders Foundation.[16]

Alumni

As of 2023, the Zed Factor Fellowship has 60 alumni across three cohorts associated with more than 40 different national universities.[17]

In 2023, nearly 250 students from 115 universities around the United States applied.[18] Approximately 20 are selected annually.

References
  1. "About Zed Fellowship — ZFF". Zed Factor Fellowship. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  2. "SIA's Therese Jones Chats Zed Factor Fellowship - Via Satellite -". Via Satellite. 7 December 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  3. "THE ZED FACTOR FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM | Youth Opportunities Hub". Youth Opportunities Hub. 20 December 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  4. "Zed Factor Fellowship for Underrepresented Aerospace Professionals Launches - Via Satellite -". Via Satellite. 24 November 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  5. "Fostering diversity and inclusion takes work". SpaceNews. 9 September 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  6. Satellite, Via (2 December 2020). "Fellowship to benefit aerospace professionals | The Journal Record". The Journal Record. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  7. "Biography". Karina Perez Molina. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  8. Knapp, Alex. "Forbes Science Awards 2020: Prepare For The Outer-Space Stock-Market Boom". Forbes. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  9. "Summer 2022: Launching the Next Generation". Planet Labs.
  10. "Redwire Partners with Zed Factor Fellowship to Inspire the Next Generation Workforce". Redwire Space. 16 February 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  11. "Executive Mentors — ZFF". Zed Factor Fellowship. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  12. "The Zed Factor Fellowship Host Companies — ZFF". Zed Factor Fellowship. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  13. "Defying Gravity: A Student's Zero-G Flight of a Lifetime || USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy". iovine-young.usc.edu. University of Southern California.
  14. "The drive for diversity and inclusion in the space industry". technologymagazine.com. 8 August 2022.
  15. "Why Community Service". Zed Factor Fellowship. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  16. "The Foundation". Future Space Leaders. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  17. "Zed Factor Fellowship Class of 2021 Fellows — ZFF". Zed Factor Fellowship. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  18. "Zed Factor Fellowship Announces Inaugural Class". Zed Factor Fellowship. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
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