Santa Clarita Valley Zontian Sharon Langenbeck, Ph. D. is the newly elected president of Zonta International for 2018-2020 and will represent the ideals of Zonta to empower women in 66 countries.

Langenbeck was a recipient of ZI’s Amelia Earhart Fellowship in 1977 and 1978 while pursuing her doctorate degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the University of Missouri – Columbia.

The AE Fellowship is awarded to women pursuing a Ph.D./doctoral degree, who demonstrate a superior academic record in the field of aerospace-related sciences or aerospace-related engineering.

A member of Zonta Club of Santa Clarita Valley since 1979, Sharon has held various leadership positions and served as ZI Amelia Earhart Fellowship Committee Chair for a total of 12 years.

Established in 1938, ZI has awarded 1,573 Fellowships in honor of legendary pilot and Zontian, Amelia Earhart; up to 30 awards of $10,000 each are made yearly to expand opportunities for women pursuing advanced studies in the typically male-dominated fields of aerospace-related sciences and engineering.

The focus is to eliminate gender bias that women face in pursuing doctoral degrees in these fields, as women demonstrate a progression from limited representation to becoming leaders in the field.

In 2013, Sharon was a featured speaker on women in non-traditional professions and participant in Women’s Build Day Project for Habitat for Humanity. At the UN Commission on the Status of Women in 2014, she was an expert panel member for a UN Women-sponsored parallel event on “Where are the Girls and Women – Exploring the Gender Gap in Science and Technology?”

Sharon retired in 2008 from Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, where she held both line and project management positions. As Section Manager of Mechanical Engineering, she managed more than 200 engineers designing and developing space flight hardware. She and her staff were instrumental in Rover’s landing on Mars – a historical accomplishment.

During her employ, she received the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal, and NASA Space Flight Awareness Award for Mid-level Managers. She previously worked at Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Company as Division Manager for Advanced Metals and Ceramics and other management positions. She served as part-time faculty at California State University, Northridge teaching classes in structural materials.

The Zonta Club of SVC is proud of Dr. Sharon Langenbeck in her role of ZI President-Elect to further empower women locally and worldwide.

For more information about Zonta go to www.scvzonta.org or call Phyllis Walker at 661-251-1172.