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Dr. Patricia Reiff  |  reiff@rice.edu
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Rice Space Institute, MS-108
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Reach For The Stars! Archive

2022 Festival

The Reach For The Stars STEM Festival was held April 9, 2022, on the campus of Rice University in Houston, TX.

Keynote speaker Nicola J. Fox

The KEYNOTE SPEAKER for 2022 was: Nicola J. Fox (BIO)
Director of the NASA Heliophysics Science Division

Dr. Nicola (Nicky) Fox is the head of the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters. Previously she was a research scientist at Johns Hopkins University and Chief Scientist for the Parker Solar Probe.

2021 Festival



Reach For The Stars STEM Festival 2021 poster

The Reach For The Stars STEM Festival was held April 17, 2021, on the campus of Rice University in Houston, TX. This year, instead of choosing individual workshops, each girl chose an "interest track":

  • A: SPACE and ASTRONOMY
  • B: MEDICINE (including space medicine)
  • C: PHYSICS, ROBOTICS, CHEMISTRY
  • D: EARTH SCIENCE and ENVIRONMENT

Thanks to our 2021 Sponsors:

2019 Festival

We had a fantastic time at our 2019 festival! We had a 502 girls, 130 chaperones, and over 200 exhibitors, presenters, and volunteers

Download a summary of the 2019 Festival

Here were the 2019 workshop choices:

  1. "Texas in the Dark: Eclipses 2023/2024" (Astronomy)
  2. "Telling the Tales of Whales" (Biology)
  3. "Chemistry to Dye For" (Chemistry)
  4. "Fun With Chemistry" (Chemistry)
  5. "Fire and Ice: Volcanoes and Glaciers" (Earth Science)
  6. "Spectroscopy of Light" (Astronomy)
  7. "Mars Roving" (Engineering Design)
  8. "Building Communities" (Civil Engineering)
  9. "Magnetic Attraction and Electric Shocks" (Physics)
  10. "Let's Walk on Mars" (Planetary Science)
  11. "Fun with Math Logic" (Mathematics)
  12. "Using a cantaloupe as a model for epidural placement" (Baylor College of Medicine)
  13. "Magnetic Fluids" (Physics/Nanotechnology)
  14. "Stardust: Capturing our cosmic friends & science you can do at home!" (Planetary Science)
  15. "The Physics of Butterflies' (Biophysics)
  16. "Wind and Solar Energy" (Physics/Energy)
  17. "Go Speed Racer" (Physics)
  18. "Apollo and Beyond" (Gravity planetarium show)
  19. "Exploring the Solar system" (Planetary Science)
  20. "Mars Rover 2020 Depot Caching With Drones and VEX Iqs" (Space Center Houston)
  21. "Spacesuits: Past, Present, and Future" (Human Exploration)
  22. "How do astronauts speak STEM? World languages on the ISS" (Human Exploration)
  23. "Orion Splashdown!" (Solar System Exploration)
  24. "Engineering Lab Tour" (Engineering)

Previous Sally Ride Festivals at Rice University

2021 - 2022

The Reach For The Stars STEM Festival was held April 9, 2022, at Rice University following COVID protocols. The keynote speaker was Nicola Fox, Head of the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters (and now Chief Scientist).

2020 - 2021

The Reach For The Stars STEM Festival was held April 17, 2021, at Rice University following COVID protocols. Instead of choosing individual workshops, each girl chose an "interest track". The keynote speaker was Kirsten Siebach, a "Martian Geologist" in the Rice University Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences.

2019 - 2020

CANCELED due to COVID-19

2018 - 2019

In 2019 the keynote speaker was Dr. Ulyana Horodyskyj who related her experiences as founder of “Science in the Wild” and Commander of the HERA II NASA Mars simulated mission.

2017 - 2018
Astronaut Peggy Whitson
Astronaut Peggy Whitson

In 2018 Peggy Whitson returned for her third time to thrill the Ride Festival participants!

In 2007 she greeted the girls from space when Eileen Collins was the keynote speaker (see the link to the video below), and in 2008 she spoke in person. Now ten years later and the record-holder for longest single flight of a Woman in Space (289 days), and most total days of any American in space (667!), she returned to her Alma Mater to inspire again!

2016 - 2017

In 2016-2017 Rice hosted the "Conference for Women Undergraduates in Physics" instead of a Ride Festival

2015 - 2016

The keynote speaker was again Wendy Lawrence.

2014 - 2015

In 2014 Catherine Coleman returned as keynote speaker. In addition, there were 35 hands-on workshops for the students, led by women scientists, engineers, and doctors.

2013 - 2014

The keynote speaker was Barbara Morgan.

2012 - 2013

2012 was special because it was just after Sally Ride passed away in July, so the 2012 Festival was dedicated to her memory, and Wendy Lawrence returned as keynote speaker.

2011 - 2012

The keynote speaker was Catherine Coleman.

2010 - 2011

The keynote speaker was Wendy Lawrence.

2009 - 2010

The keynote speaker was Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman in space.

2008 - 2009

The keynote speaker was Peggy Whitson.

2007 - 2008
Peggy Whitson aboard the ISS
Peggy Whitson aboard the ISS

The keynote speaker was Eileen Collins. During her talk, we were pleased to have Peggy Whitson greet the attendees from space (she was the first woman Commander of the ISS, and she later greeted Eileen in space when the shuttle visited the ISS.

2006 - 2007

The inaugural Sally Ride Festival was created when Sally reached out to us about hosting an event for women. Sally Ride herself was the first keynote speaker.