A Purdue Alumna, Heather Penney graduated with a Bachelor's in Literature and a Master's in American Studies. While studying at Purdue the United States Air Force opened combat aviation to women. Penney was selected to go to the 121st Fighter Squadron and became one of the first women in combat aviation. She is widely recognized for her service on September 11th, 2001. With little time to react, she was one of two F-16s dispatched to take down the hijacked plane. With no time to load weapons, they left with the intent to ram into the B757 to prevent it from hitting its target. As she recounts her experiences on the fateful day she is a powerful, resonant, uplifting speaker. Currently, Penney is a Senior Resident Fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. “She is a recognized expert on defense policy areas such as the defense industrial base, autonomous systems, force structure, acquisition reform, and future operational concepts.”