AAUW Morgan Hill has established and completed two AAUW Fund endowments

The $100,000 Irene Blaine/Barbara Cate American Fellowship Endowment was established in 1991 in honor of the two founders of the branch, in celebration of  its 10- year anniversary. The endowment was completed in 2001. 

The recipient this year is Jana Skirnewskaja. A native of Germany, Jana did her undergraduate studies in mechanical engineering with a focus on automotive engineering. She then earned master’s degrees in the UK in mechanical and electrical engineering. Her PhD research at the University of Cambridge focused on holographic 3D displays for cars.

After she received permanent residency in the U.S. and with support from AAUW, she began postdoctoral research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology with the goal of making automotive transportation safer through the development of a system that warns of hidden obstacles on the road as projected 3D virtual objects.

The $75,000 Wildflower Run Research and Projects Grants Endowment was started in 2014 and completed five years later. It was awarded this year to Atiya (Tia) Bigby-Yodlowsky, an older student, married with three children. Receiving the AAUW grant allowed her to return to school to earn her bachelor’s degree in music with a focus on flute at Winston-Salem State University, North Carolina. She has a special interest in non-Western music traditions.

Tia plays with other amateur flutists and performs with local community and university groups.  She has been selected to travel to Brazil in March as part of a short-term study abroad program.

After graduation in 2026, she plans to attend graduate school to study in the field of ethnomusicology. She thanks AAUW for helping her on her journey as a musician. 

Carol O’Hare, AAUW Fund Chair