Fashioning the Future With: Bianca Vasquez
What happens when you mix a love of space exploration, an unparalleled understanding of glamour, and a commitment to empowerment and inclusion? You get none other than STEM superstar Bianca Vasquez! Bianca is the founder of the Society of Women in Space Exploration, an amazing organization brings women and allies in the space industry together! It has chapters all over the world, and many of our previous interviewees are members of SWISE. Rocket-building raspberries, how cool is that? Naturally, we are thrilled to interview SWISE's creator, a scientist who truly can rock the color pink like no one else.
Bianca is a Mechanical Engineering student at Santa Barbara Community College, a NASA Aerospace Scholar, and was an intern with Virgin Orbit at the Mojave spaceport. Bianca is currently working with a team at the University of California, Santa Barbara to build an atmospheric water generator. Oh, and she already has another out of this world internship set up with Lockheed Martin this summer. In addition to all of her accomplishments, Bianca is a social media maven who posts about all her cool experiences — and in doing so inspires others to shoot for the stars, too!
Bianca has been featured by outlets such as The Planetary Society, Filling Space, The Rocketry Show, and more. We were thrilled to ask Bianca all about creating SWISE, what advice she has for girls who want to pursue careers in space, who inspires her, and more. Trust us, after reading this interview, you're going to look at the future of space exploration through rose-colored glasses because the industry has SWISE and people like Bianca on its side. Meet Bianca Vasquez, engineer, and founder of the Society of Women in Space Exploration!
When did you know you were a scientist?
Anyone who is curious is a scientist! We’re all curious. We ask questions about the world around us. I knew I wanted to enter STEM because I wanted to be a part of the solution of problems in the world around us. Seeing the space industry thrive in the past few years inspired me to learn more about the world around me.
What originally drew you to mechanical engineering?
I wanted to pursue an education that allows me to contribute and be a part of some of the most exciting industries in STEM. Studying mechanical engineering, I can go in a lot of different directions while still building things and understanding how they work.
Can you talk a little bit about your atmospheric water generator project in affiliation with UCSB?
We are a small team of students and a UCSB professor. The project, which has been in the works for a year now, has been a wonderful opportunity for me to gain hands-on knowledge on building a system at a university level. An atmospheric water generator takes air, which contains water vapor, from the atmosphere and condenses it to potable water. We are working toward relying solely on solar power.
Do you have a specific end goal regarding what you want to do with your career trajectory?
I’m open to a lot of different paths within STEM because things are changing so quickly and we don’t know where technology will take us in 5, 10, or 20 years. I want to be able to do many different things in different fields that will allow me to contribute meaningful work! At the end of the day, I want to challenge myself and be happy.
What inspired you to found the Society of Women in Space in Space Exploration (SWISE)?
There were two things I noticed: the space industry is growing at an exciting rate, and women are underrepresented. I organized a trip to Johnson Space Center after a women in tech conference where I met a diverse group of women who had an interest in both STEM and space. While we all came from different backgrounds and had different focuses; we were bonding drastically over being a minority along with our love and curiosity for space exploration. I wanted to capture that — and that’s how I got the idea!
What has been your favorite part about watching SWISE take off and grow to so many chapters in the US and around the world?
It’s so inspiring to see women and allies take charge and take the initiative in creating a community at their schools! This is exactly what I envisioned- a platform that individuals could take and put their own spin on. I wanted people to have an opportunity to be a local leader in something they are passionate about and have fun with it.
What excites you most about the state of space exploration right now and in the near future?
It is so relevant to individuals and across many industries. Now is such an exciting time for space exploration, scientific discovery and research and technological advancements that impact life on Earth. Lots of people don’t realize that many inventions we have or are impacted by were originally developed for space — for example, camera phones, CAT scans, memory foam…the list goes on! Microgravity is also such a great platform for scientific research — especially in human health. Space exploration takes international collaboration and brings people together.
Can you talk a bit about your philosophy as an advocate for women in STEM, diversity in STEM, and specifically women in space exploration?
I believe in equality. I believe that everybody has the right to pursue their passions and follow their dreams no matter who they are or where they come from. That’s the underlying philosophy of SWISE — we need more women and diversity in STEM and space exploration, because it's a net positive for everyone. Being unapologetically you and defying stereotypes is always in style.
What advice do you have for younger girls (middle and high school) who want to pursue a career in space?
Pay attention to the things you enjoy doing and don’t be afraid to defy stereotypes. Be yourself, work hard. Feel the fear but do it anyways! Space and STEM are such exciting fields to go into because of the endless opportunities that breed innovation and allow you to be a part of something great.
Your social media is well, out of this world! How did you come to be such a pro at creating and curating such amazing content for social?
In a way, I’m displaying the world through my eyes! It’s a combination of delivering a message while having fun and adding my own flair to it. I think that’s how someone would make their own brand. The equation would be: (who you are + what you do) * flair = brand
Is there one misconception people have about women in STEM (or women in space exploration, specifically) that you want to clear up?
A huge misconception is that women aren’t interested in STEM or that young girls can’t get interested in it. There is so much social learning that blocks girls and women from learning more about and becoming passionate about STEM and space exploration. Take the toy section for example — while I love Barbies and makeup, girls should be encouraged to play with LEGOs and robotics as well. These are the messages society is sending to our young girls that we need to combat.
Your recent internship at the Mojave Air & Space Port with Virgin Orbit sounds so cool! What was your favorite part of your experience being a test-site propulsion intern?
The hands-on aspect of learning about what I would otherwise be learning theoretically in school — you can gain so much by actually doing hands on work and being around so many smart people who can show you how to do things in person. I think that was really invaluable. I had such imposter syndrome, but the people around me were really great and gave me confidence. They were so welcoming, encouraging, and taught me so much!
Who (modern day or historical) inspires you?
One of my role models and dream mentor is Jessica O. Matthews — who is such a brilliant, accomplished woman. She is the CEO of a tech company called Uncharted Power. She is an advocate for women in leadership and being your authentic self in the work you do.
Do you have any favorite fictional STEM/women in space characters in books/movies/other art forms?
Princess Shuri from Blank Panther! She exudes confidence and is a princess and tech genius!
What are some of your hobbies you enjoy in your free time?
I love watching TEDTalks, documentaries, and lectures. Learning is more fun when you get to see the people behind the message, technology, or product. My favorites in particular are Steve Jobs' Apple product launches (it’s so exciting to see the devices we use every day be first shown to the world!) and The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch!
If you were a superhero, what would your go-to wearable tech device be?
A cute headband that works as a force field!
To learn more about Bianca, check out her rad website. Be sure to follow her on Twitter and Instagram, too.