Through the EVONA Scholarship for Diversity in STEM, we’re proud to be sponsoring a talented young person through a multi-year degree, in partnership with the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF).

Following the scholarship fund’s announcement at last year’s GEOINT Symposium, all 2022 USGIF scholarship winners have now been selected.

“Not only does EVONA share USGIF’s commitment to investing in the future of GEOINT, they also understand the essential need for that future workforce to be equitable and diverse,” commented Christine MacKrell, USGIF Director of Education and Professional Development. “With support from community partners like EVONA, USGIF is better positioned to work toward our goal of diversifying the GEOINT talent pipeline.”

The EVONA Scholarship was created as part of our mission to drive diversity into STEM industries. It was designed to open doors for an undergrad from a diverse gender and racial background pursuing a geospatial, data science, or space-focused degree. We want to inspire someone who may have otherwise faced challenges, or felt it was not possible, to pursue a career in STEM.

Richard Joyce, EVONA Co-Founder, commented, “EVONA are advocates for the benefits that a diverse workforce can bring to any organisation. Like many in our sector, we recognise that there is a lack of diversity in space, aerospace, engineering and STEM as a whole, and we know the industry won’t change unless we begin to address that issue now. We’re looking forward to supporting someone throughout the next stage in their education and beyond into a bright career in STEM.”

After careful consideration, the winner of the EVONA Scholarship for Diversity in STEM has been selected. We’re thrilled to introduce – Janna Chapman.

Currently studying at the University of Maryland, College Park, Janna is a senior dual degree student majoring in environmental sciences and technology and geographical sciences. Her lifelong interest in environmental science and experience with spatial data manipulation has fuelled her passion for a career in GEOINT.

“Earning the USGIF EVONA Diversity Scholarship solidifies the strength of my knowledge and competence in the geospatial field,” said Janna. “Knowing that top people in the industry feel that I am worthy of this scholarship makes me feel that I will be able to succeed in the future. I also appreciate USGIF and EVONA’s commitment to diversity by supporting underrepresented students. I love the geographical sciences, hope for more people who look like me to feel included in this field in the future. This scholarship will allow me to focus on my school and research work without having to find a part-time job to pay for college.”

Janna has a keen interest in using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to investigate the spatial patterns and inequalities associated with the effects of climate change. After pursing a master’s in geographical science, she hopes to one day have a career in environmental data science.

EVONA Co-founder Tom Kelly commented, “As a specialist space sector staffing agency, we understand that sustainability of the space sector relies on the next generation. We must act in a pragmatic way now to encourage diversity into the workforce as well as nurture the talent already within. EVONA strive to make a tangible difference to a sector we love, and we’re thrilled to be able to do that in such an impactful way by sponsoring Janna in her undergraduate degree.”

We talk a lot about diversity and inclusion, and we want to lead by example. Through the EVONA Scholarship, we hope to demonstrate exactly how to affect change in the industry – by investing in culture, diversity and inclusion. By creating a diverse sector today, we can shape the future of STEM into one that will progress and thrive.

We’re passionate about driving diversity into the industry and are thrilled to be funding this scholarship in alignment with our mission. Our entire crew are wishing Janna the best of luck in her degree and can’t wait to meet her when she flies to the UK.

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