I had the honor of giving the keynote address at the Hawaiʻi Island Chamber of Commerce’s annual Athena Awards Luncheon in Hilo at the ʻImiloa Astronomy Center.

The Athena Awards recognizes women in our community who have demonstrated excellence, creativity and initiative in their profession. These women contribute their time and energy to help other women realize their leadership potential.

My keynote address focused on “Paying it Forward,” along with other lessons learned over a lifetime and during an academic career as a teacher, researcher, scientist and administrator. About 200 people attended the awards luncheon, which I enjoyed immensely.