Empowering current innovators and inspiring the next generation of female pioneers!
Permanent
Open Daily
Included in Admission
All Ages
The Asheville Museum of Science (AMOS) is proud to announce WORK! WNC Women in STEAM, a new temporary and traveling exhibit created by AMOS to celebrate women advancing science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics throughout Western North Carolina.
The exhibit is now open and features:
Lea Buda, Physician/Dancer, Asheville
Jennifer Bauer, Engineering Geologist, Asheville
Desiree Conrad, MRI and X-Ray Technologist, Sylva
Jenny Dissen, Community Engagement, Asheville
Lei Han, New Media Artist, Asheville
Alisa Hove, Botanist, Swannanoa
Samantha Kegley, Photovoltaic Designer, Asheville
Cynthia Liutkus, Paleoenvironmental Scientist, Boone
Elizabeth Sanchez, Painting Conservator, Asheville
Keyana Thomas, Astronomer, Asheville
Through personal stories, hands-on activities, and interactive exhibit elements, visitors will learn about these women’s careers, contributions, challenges, and the different paths that led them into STEAM fields.
As an active part of the region’s STEM ecosystem, AMOS created WORK! to connect visitors with local leaders who reflect the communities and lived experiences of women working in rural Appalachia.
The exhibit will help young people understand that STEAM careers exist in their own communities and that there are many different ways to build a future in these fields.
“WORK! Presented such a great opportunity for us to highlight just how unique our region is when it comes to the types of work people are doing here, and how people got into those jobs,” said Alex Morrison, AMOS Exhibits Manager. “We hope that visitors, especially younger people, can read more about these remarkable women and see that STEAM pathways don’t have to just be in a lab or engineering plant- they’re also in our forests, our creative spaces, and our art studios.”
Through personal stories, hands-on activities, and interactive exhibit elements, visitors will learn about these women’s careers, contributions, challenges, and the different paths that led them into STEAM fields.
As an active part of the region’s STEM ecosystem, AMOS created WORK! to connect visitors with local leaders who reflect the communities and lived experiences of women working in rural Appalachia.
The exhibit will help young people understand that STEAM careers exist in their own communities and that there are many different ways to build a future in these fields.
Following its initial presentation at AMOS, WORK! will become a traveling exhibit available to libraries in six partner counties across Western North Carolina. This traveling model will help bring interactive science learning and career exploration directly to communities that may face barriers to visiting the museum in Asheville.
“This exhibit represents an exciting new chapter for AMOS,” said Amanda Bryant, Executive Director of the Asheville Museum of Science. “We are expanding our role in larger-scale exhibit fabrication, regional community engagement, and meaningful storytelling. WORK! is also an investment in our region’s future workforce. We know that if young people can see it, they can believe they can be it. By introducing young people to women who are already leading and innovating in their own communities, we are helping them see STEAM careers as real, achievable pathways for their own futures.”
WORK! is designed to engage visitors of all ages, with opportunities to explore how STEAM skills are used in real careers and everyday life. The exhibit celebrates not only professional achievements, but also the curiosity, persistence, creativity, and problem-solving that help people build meaningful careers.
By sharing these local stories, AMOS hopes to broaden perceptions of who belongs in STEAM and inspire our community—particularly girls and young women—to recognize their own potential as scientists, engineers, artists, technologists, mathematicians, innovators, and community leaders.
WORK! WNC Women in STEAM was made possible through generous grant support from ASTC (Association of Science and Technology Centers), the If/Then Champions Networks, and Duke Energy. Their investments are helping AMOS expand access to interactive STEAM learning and share the stories of women shaping Western North Carolina.
