Date: 9 January 2013
Title: Amelia Earhart Day & Fellowship Award Recipient
Amelia Earhart the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, the first woman to be awarded the U.S. Distinguished
Flying Cross and the first woman transatlantic passenger.
Amelia Earhart made her record flight from Hawaii to California on 11 January 1935, 11 January has been designated
Amelia Earhart Day by members of Zonta International, who have long recognised this woman of courage, character and
culture.
Amelia Earhart was a beloved member of Zonta International before she was lost in the Pacific on a flight attempting to
circle the globe by air in 1937.
In 1938, a year after her disappearance, Zonta International established its annual graduate fellowships in
aerospace-related sciences and aerospace related engineering which since that time has awarded 1,368 fellowships,
totalling more than 8 million U.S. dollars, given to over 959 women from 68 countries as a living memorial to her.
Zerrin Turkeli
2012 Zonta International Amelia Earhart Fellow
Ms. Zerrin Turkeli, a doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering at University of Auckland, has been awarded a 2012
Zonta International Amelia Earhart Fellowship, one of 35 fellowships.
Zonta International is proud to honour Ms. Turkeli as a modern heiress to the legacy of Amelia Earhart. By her example,
Amelia Earhart encouraged women to expand their horizons by exploring occupations and holding positions beyond those
traditionally held by women. By supporting the Amelia Earhart Fellowships, Zonta International encourages women to enter
the aerospace-related fields, and keep the Earhart legacy alive.
Ms. Turkeli received her two Bachelor degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineering in 2004 and her
Masters degree in Advanced Energy in 2010. She plans to use the US $10,000 Zonta Fellowship to further her studies. In
her spare time, Ms. Turkeli enjoys a range of interests including nature photography, yoga, pilates and meditation.
ENDS