WHAT IF? What if TWU
WHAT IF? What if TWU launched an aviation program? Frequent flyers need some relief IF YOU have flown on an airplane recently, you probably realized that the travel industry is changing. Flight delays, cancellations and similar frustrations have put a damper on passengers’ enthusiasm for air travel. And recent studies corroborate what many frequent fliers have noticed: We need more pilots. What if TWU was a part of the solution in addressing aviation industry challenges? Because TWU is a woman-focused university system, increasing female representation in the workforce is especially important. Is aviation the next industry where we could make an impact? While women constitute 47% of the total U.S. workforce, they represent only 20% of the aviation industry, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This gender gap is especially visible among pilots, where women comprise about 5% of the profession and less than 2% of senior management, as noted by the Pilot Institute. Why so few? For many women, as well as underrepresented populations, flight school can be daunting. Commercial pilots need at least 1,500 flight hours, in addition to other requirements. Many pilots take classes in mathematics, physics and meteorology as well as aviation history, law and business. Pilot preparation is expensive, and few universities combine flight school with four-year degrees. But TWU could change that. “I believe we have the unique capacity to move into areas where we see large gender gaps,” said Chancellor Carine Feyten. FLYING HIGHER Some students are already addressing the challenges that plague the industry. In 2022, TWU’s Team Oneiroi — comprised of five senior kinesiology majors — was named Best Overall Team at the NASA-sponsored Texas Space Grant Consortium Design Challenge. Their winning entry? They created and submitted a wearable light-therapy device that helps astronauts regulate their sleep cycles. History is filled with prominent women figures in aviation. At TWU, the Woman’s Collection houses the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) archive. The WASP archive includes over 1 million wartime and postwar items and personal collections of hundreds of the WASP. That leads to a new question: As a community, what better way to honor the past, than to help lead the future? Tell us what you think Send us a note at advancement@twu.edu 10 TEXAS WOMAN’S
RESEARCH THAT MATTERS Learn how you can support research at TWU Send us a note at advancement@twu.edu > GIOVANNI VALDERAS, MFA Assistant Professor, Painting and Drawing in the Division of Visual Arts Taking it to the streets Community impact drives assistant professor’s art practice GIOVANNI VALDERAS used to think of art as something created just for galleries. But while teaching in Dallas community colleges, he realized his students often found art inaccessible and intimidating. “I thought, ‘I’ve been doing this all wrong — my work needs to be out in the community,’ ” he explained. So he began making piñata-inspired houses and installing them “guerillastyle” around Dallas’ Oak Cliff neighborhood, drawing attention to the affordable housing crisis and its impact on Black and Latinx communities. Teaching, too, is part of his practice. Now an assistant professor in TWU’s division of Visual Arts, Valderas is thrilled when students approach him after his presentations to share comments like, “I feel like you’re talking directly to me.” He clearly is. That’s why he makes art that draws from, and speaks to, his culture and community. “Artists,” he emphasized, “can be catalysts for change.” TEXAS WOMAN’S 11
