Erasing Hope In The Moon: Rose D. F.
February 7, 2025
The Disappearance of Women in STEM: Why Representation Matters
This morning, I woke up to the unsettling news that Rose D. Ferreira’s inspiring story—one of resilience, passion, and hope—had been removed from NASA’s website. Rose is an astronomer, science communicator, and activist whose journey is nothing short of remarkable. Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, she grew up in poverty, experienced homelessness, and yet persevered—teaching herself English at 17, working her way through college, and eventually landing an internship at NASA. She is now working toward her PhD, continuing to inspire others with her dedication to space exploration and education access.
Women like Rose belong in the public eye. Her story is exactly the kind of narrative young scientists—especially girls—need to see. As a child, knowing about trailblazers like Sally Ride and Christa McAuliffe (a teacher preparing to go to space) helped me dream beyond my circumstances.
Representation matters. When young girls see women succeeding in STEM, they can imagine themselves in those spaces too.
The strategic erasure of women in science will harm the future. We are a community of educators, medical researchers, engineers, and doctors, and we cannot allow the contributions of these heroes to be erased.
Rose’s work extends beyond her research; she actively engages in STEM outreach in both English and Spanish, appearing in numerous publications and public science events. She is a candidate for Project PoSSUM’s Scientist-Astronaut Program and advocates for education access and equity, particularly for survivors of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and homelessness.
Her story is powerful. It must not be silenced. If you want to know more about Rose D. Ferreira, seek her out. Share her story. Make sure young minds, especially those who come from marginalized backgrounds, know that they too belong in science.
You can read more about Rose on her website and you can read a copy of her piece on the NASA website here, Sadly, if you visit the NASA Site you will receive a 404 Not Found message.
