What a Girl Wants

"Her Universe: What Women Want in Their Female Sci-Fi Heroes," taking place Thursday at 6 p.m. in Room 25ABC, will explore women in the genre -- we're not just helpless victims anymore! Ashley Exkstein, who voices Ahsoka Tano in "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," moderates a panel that answers the questions: "What are the differences between past sci-fi adventures with female characters and today's feminine heroes that women can really connect with? How do you create truly interesting and unique female characters in the sci-fi universe? How are they different from their male counterparts?"