Women to Watch at UA Little Rock: Dr. Constance Meadors
In celebration of Women’s History Month, UA Little Rock is profiling women in leadership positions who are making a difference at the university and in the community.
The next Woman to Watch at UA Little Rock of 2024 is Dr. Constance Meadors, interim director of the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium.
Tell us about yourself and your background.
I am a native of Winnfield, Louisiana, where I grew up tinkering and participating in science fairs. This sparked my interest and passion in STEM. I obtained a B.S. in physics from Grambling State University. While at Grambling, I became involved in undergraduate research and loved it. This solidified my interest in STEM and my quest for future STEM degrees. I received a NASA fellowship and a master’s and doctorate degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UA Little Rock). This is where I was introduced to NASA research and conducted hybrid rocket and micro device research at UA Little Rock. Consequently, becoming the proverbial “rocket scientist.”
I became obsessed and fell in love with all things NASA. My passion for STEM has led me to challenge minorities’ perception in STEM. When I speak of minorities, I don’t just mean me as an African American female, a double minority. I mean all minorities which includes socioeconomic and geographical demographics as well. The latter often coexists with limiting factors to obtaining STEM careers. I’ve at times been frustrated and questioned my place in this environment. I wrote a poem, “Am I the Exception or Am I the Rule?” I presented this poem at a NASA conference. It was well received and served as encouragement and motivation for myself and other marginalized persons with STEM dreams. Subsequently, I was motivated to start the #ChangetheRule Campaign. I have worked tirelessly to change the rules and standards that define how minorities are viewed in STEM while also working to move the STEM needle forward.
My STEM passion has taken me to many milestones – intentionally and consequential. I was the first in my family to receive a bachelor’s degree. I was the first African American to graduate from UA Little Rock with degrees in applied science, instrumentation, and systems engineering. I was the first female to teach mechanical engineering at Harding University. I was the first to serve on an Intergovernmental Personnel Assignment in NASA’s OSTEM MUREP pilot program. Now, I am the first female and African American space grant director not only in Arkansas, but in the country.
What is your current position and professional duties at UA Little Rock?
I am the director of the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium and NASA EPSCoR Programs. I oversee and direct the operations and budget for the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium, which is composed of 17 colleges and universities in Arkansas that are affiliate campuses.
What brought you to UA Little Rock?
My reason for being at UA Little Rock is threefold. After being an instructor, a director, and a dean at many diverse institutions, this is an opportunity to return “home.” This is an opportunity to serve as a statewide motivator for STEM education and careers in the Natural State while changing the rules and perceptions that are preventing STEM education and careers. It is an honor and privilege, with NASA being the premier science agency in the world, to lead the largest NASA-funded entity in the state of Arkansas. We will be able to continue to improve the state’s STEM score by impacting and improving efforts both in K-12 and higher education.
What are some of the exciting projects that you are working on at UA Little Rock?
I just hosted the USDA Path to Prosperity meeting in January that included over 300 participants and six federal/state agencies. I am currently coordinating NASA Solar Eclipse efforts for Arkansas. Also, we are launching a planetarium program to have an inflatable planetarium in every region of the state. I am establishing partnerships and collaborations within and outside the state. I plan to unveil a few upcoming citizen science projects this summer.
What woman has inspired you the most and why?
I have a picture of a scared, unsure little girl, me, hiding behind my grandmother. I was born to a teenage mother and spent my early years at my grandmother’s home. Though she had very little education, she did everything with pride and respect. She would wake up every morning and open her curtains to let in the sunlight and face the day with intentionality and determination. Unknowingly, I soaked up these traits like a sponge.
My mother, though she began her adult life with a tremendous challenge, worked tirelessly to improve her circumstances. She cleaned houses and offices and eventually worked in a saw mill, sometimes all night, providing for me. Simultaneously, she pushed me to do well in school and began taking various classes herself. When I started college, my mother started as well. I graduated before her, but she eventually became a special education teacher, retiring last year. So, I would have to say my grandmother and mother were my most inspiring influences.
What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
No one or no rule defines you and your success. Don’t let the world tell you what you can or can’t achieve. You too are here to change the rules. Sometimes your place in history is to follow the rules, address the rules, and sometimes change the rules. It is your job to know your role and make a difference.
Name something about yourself that most people would be surprised to learn.
Most people would probably be surprised to know that I repeated first grade, because I wasn’t reading at the required level. This is a demonstration of how your past does not dictate your future.
What is your favorite quote and why?
“No weapons formed against you shall prosper.” In this world we are challenged daily by obstacles seen and unseen, but we must know that if we stay on the course we can and will achieve our destiny.
