Alana Nichols, J.D., MS4, was recently selected as a Selected Professions Fellow by the American Association of University Women (AAUW).
Founded in 1881, the AAUW is the nation’s leading voice in promoting equity and education for women. The AAUW established the Selected Professions Fellowship in 1970 with a $25,000 grant from the Max C. Fleischmann Foundation.
“There are some impressive women who have been selected for this fellowship,” Nichols said. “I am incredibly grateful to be among them.”
The fellowship focuses on opening doors for women in male-dominated career fields. To apply, students must pursue a full-time course of study in a designated degree program where women’s participation has traditionally been low. The fellowship was originally committed to the fields of law and medicine, but expanded to included women studying science and technology as the demand for a technologically skilled workforce has increased. Additional eligible fields of study include architecture, computer science and engineering.
Those selected as fellows have achieved high standards of academic excellence and shown promise of distinction in their respective fields. Personal attributes such as potential as a practicing professional, intent to contribute to societal well-being and a commitment to the advancement of women are considered in the selection process. Special consideration is given to applicants who plan to serve underserved populations and communities or plan to pursue public interest areas.
Each year, approximately 20 women are chosen as Selected Professions Fellows. Notable program alumnae include Joyce Kozloff, one of the faces on the 1970s feminist art movement, and Unoma Okorafor, founder of the Working to Advance STEM Education for African Women Foundation.
One of the world’s largest sources of funding for graduate women, the AAUW provided $3.9 million in funding to 250 women and nonprofit organizations in the 2018-19 academic year.