Scientific history was made when Dr. Katie Bouman, a young female scientist, captured the first image of a black hole in 2019. Female students saw themselves in her achievements. The image gained praise from the STEM field, government, and media worldwide. A student at the University of Hartford wants to leave their mark on the world like Dr. Katie Bouman. Janae Aellarakos is a double major in engineering and physics and spends her free time studying space from her telescope. She is fascinated by the mysteriousness of black holes. 

When asked about her fixation on the unknown, Janae replied, “I personally don’t want to live in my lifetime. I want my name to be known for thousands of generations to come like Albert Einstein, Plato…I want to be one of those people who figure out the unknown. Like what’s inside a black hole.”

Janae explains the complexity of black holes, how we do not necessarily know what happens to the matter that enters. However, with Dr. Bouman’s image, we are gaining a better understanding. Janae admits she is only beginning her journey as a scientist and lacks pilot experience, which usually comes from the military. Only halfway through her undergraduate program, Janae has plenty of time and the determination to gain the necessary skills. 

When asked about what it meant to be a woman in science on International Women’s Day, Janae opened up about being transgender. 

She expresses how amazing it feels to be a woman today because “women haven’t had recognition in history and now they are finally receiving it.” 

We need more women like Dr. Katie Bouman and Janae in the scientific field to show that even goals out of this world are still achievable.