Dear AIAA Members,
I hope this message finds you well. My name is Tammy Ashraf and I am honored to be a candidate for Young Professionals Chair in this year's AIAA National Capitol Section election.
I am running for this role because I believe our section has a tremendous opportunity right now. The new space sector is expanding, universities are graduating more aerospace students than ever, and early career professionals are entering a landscape that is rich with opportunity and increasingly complex. At the same time, organizations across our region including NASA, industry, academia, and government agencies are seeking strong pipelines, engaged talent, and meaningful ways to connect with the next generation.
We sit at the intersection of all of this.
As a systems engineer and program lead supporting NASA's Earth Science missions, I have spent several years coordinating cross-disciplinary teams and helping advance technical programs with wide impact. I am also a former member of the Johns Hopkins University Women of Aeronautics and Astronautics community, where I supported mentorship and engagement initiatives that helped early career women in aerospace find connection and opportunity. In parallel, I have devoted much of my career to STEM engagement, mentorship, and community building, forming strategic partnerships between universities and companies and creating programs designed to empower emerging professionals.
Earlier in my career, I developed a Young Professionals Community of Practice at the Project Management Institute (PMI) that grew from a local initiative into a national and global network. Through that experience, I learned how to build communities that are sustainable, welcoming, and genuinely valuable to their members.
I am committed to ensuring that our section remains a place where early career members can thrive and where seasoned professionals and hiring organizations can easily engage with and help shape the next generation.
If this vision resonates with you, I would be grateful for your support in this election.
Voting closes December 17 at 11:59 PM ET.
Thank you for taking the time to participate and for being part of AIAA. I wish you and your families a very Happy Holidays. If you would like to stay connected or share ideas for strengthening young professional engagement, I would be glad to connect with you on LinkedIn.
Warm regards,
Tammy
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Tammy Ashraf, PMI-ACP
Space Systems Engineer & Strategist
Washington, DC
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashraft/------------------------------