12 Organizations for Women in STEM

Time and time again we are reminded about the lack of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM) professions.  Even though women hold around half of all jobs in the United States, they still only occupy less than a quarter of all STEM jobs.

How can we fix this?

In order to see a significant change in STEM, we must look towards the future.  The young women and girls of today will be the leaders and groundbreakers of tomorrow. 

Numerous organizations have been developed to encourage young woman to pursue careers in STEM.  These organizations pave the way for girls to be an integral part of the next generation of tech workers.

If you are seeking fresh ideas on how to close the STEM gender gap, or are looking to get involved in a new and exciting organization, here is a list of 12 organizations that are making a difference:

1) The National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP)

           

            The NGCP brings together organizations throughout the US that are committed to informing and encouraging girls to pursue careers in STEM.  It includes 31 networks of professionals and researchers, covering 39 states, which allows collaboration between 12,800 organizations, serving 8.35 million girls.

2) The Icebox Derby

            The Icebox Derby is a build-it-race-it competition, requiring 30 female participants to build racecars out of recycled refrigerators.  The refrigerators, provided by ComEd, a refrigerator recycling company, will be transformed into vehicles required to complete five laps around a track at speeds up to 15 mph.  The Icebox Derby is a Chicago-based competition, and is meant to get young woman involved in engineering.  ComEd is partnered by organizations such as the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana, and the Chicago Urban League.

3) Imagine: Your STEM Future and Imagine Engineering

            Funded by AT&T and the National Science Foundation, respectively, these programs offer girls from low income and underserved communities the chance to experience STEM and plan for futures in STEM fields.

4) L’Oreal’s Forgirlsinscience.org

            L’Oreal’s new web site aims to connect girls who love science and give them the chance to learn about women in STEM fields.  It includes resources such as a list of summer science camps for girls and the opportunity for STEM-enthusiasts to blog about their experiences.

5) Girlstart

            Based in Austin, Texas, Girlstart provides year-round STEM education programs for girls in grades K-12.  The organization offers after-school programs, summer camps, and an annual Girls in STEM conference.

6) The American Association of University Women (AAUW)

            The AAUW provides STEM education to more than 11,000 girls each year.  Its national STEM camps and conferences target middle-school aged girls because they believe that time in a girls life is vital to maintaining their interest in STEM.  Their goal is to encourage young girls to begin taking courses that will lead to a future in STEM.

7) National 4-H Council and Million Women Mentors (MWM)

            These two organizations are working together in hopes to engage one million STEM mentors to increase the interest and confidence of girls and young women to pursue and succeed in STEM degrees and careers.

8) Science Club for Girls (SCFG)

            The Science Club for Girls has been connecting girls in grades K-12 with female-mentor scientists since 1994.  Over 1,000 girls participate annually in SCFG programs.  The programs operate throughout five cities in eastern Massachusetts, including Cambridge, Lawrence, Boston, Newton, and Fitchburg.  The Science Club for Girls focuses on subjects like chemistry, engineering, archaeology, environmental science, and physics.

9) The Girls, Inc. Operation SMART program

            This organization is “dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.”  They actively encourage girls to ask questions and solve problems while interacting with women and men in STEM.

10) The National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT)

            After receiving funding from the Clinton Global Initiative, the NCWIT will now be able to test their AspireIT initiative.  Volunteer high school or college women will run the program.  These women will lead designing and computer programs for younger girls.  The overall motive for the AspireIT initiative is to have these young women become role models and develop leadership skills while encouraging younger girls to pursue computing.

11) Black Girls Code

            Black Girls Code is dedicated to growing the amount of colored women in the STEM world by working with girls aged seven to seventeen.  The organization’s website states they hope these girls can become “innovators in STEM fields, leaders in their communities, and builders of their own futures through exposure to computer science and technology.”

12) Women@NASA

            Women@NASA went above and beyond by creating a virtual mentoring program that offers online mentoring to middle-school students across the country.  A NASA employee instructs these students over Skype or Google Chat.  The NASA employees range in professions such as engineers, accountants, scientists, and astronauts. 

These 12 organizations are taking giant steps towards a more unified STEM future.  Only time will tell if their efforts will come to fruition.

There are numerous organizations besides the 12 listed above that are paving the way for women in STEM.  We highly encourage you to become involved and take some time to read about their values and goals.

First Woman to Win Fields Medal

The world of STEM recently welcomed its first ever women recipient of the prestigious Fields Medal.  Sometimes referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Mathematics,” the Fields Medal is the highest international prize in mathematics.

Fields Medal recipients are recognized as the top mathematic scholars from around the world.  Given by the International Mathematical Union (IMU), the most recent winner is Stanford professor, Dr. Maryam Mirzakhani. 

Dr. Mirzakhani made history by being the first woman to win the ‘Nobel Prize’ of mathematics.  The previous 52 winners have all been men. 

This event is not only significant for Dr. Mirzakhani, but for the STEM world as well.

IMU president Ingrid Daubechies stated that Mirzakhani’s accomplishment is “hugely symbolic,” and “hopes it will encourage more women to get into mathematics because we need more women.”

Even though Mirzakhani’s success is a breakthrough for women in STEM, her achievement is all too rare in these male-dominated fields.  A recent study conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee found that nearly 40% of female engineers with degrees leave their jobs prematurely or never apply at all.

This occurrence can be contributed to a lack of appropriate mentoring for young women as well as social bias towards male mathematicians and scientists.

Hopefully Mirzakhani’s victory will be one, not only for herself, but also for all women throughout the STEM world.

For more information on the Fields Medal, visit: http://bit.ly/VhZqiH

Interview with Genentech's Tina Larson

This week, we revisit the 2014 Biopharmaceutical Development and Production Week (BDP Week) with Tina Larson, Senior Director of Technical Development Operations and Engineering at Genentech.

Ms. Larson takes some time to speak with interviewers about what she believes is needed in the current biopharmaceutical manufacturing industry, and where she sees the industry going well into the future.

According to Larson, there are four major opportunities for innovation in her industry:

                      Improving the consistency of the manufacturing processes

              Looking at better drug delivery systems to improve outcomes for patients

              Developing increasingly sophisticated medicines for patients

               And improving facilities where products are made in order to meet the needs of future product requirements

Despite Larson’s enthusiasm for these innovative opportunities, she also mentions some challenges facing the industry:

               The delivery of new, highly sophisticated medicines to a market place has increasing pressures

             These pressures include increasingly tailored patient populations and the need to go global

When speaking of global expansion, Larson mentioned, “Patients in the U.S have had access to these sophisticated medicines, and now we really have an opportunity to take these medicines to every patient who needs them across the globe.”  She hopes to see this global expansion very soon.

Tina Larson has observed the growth of her industry first-hand over her almost two decades at Genentech.  She has particularly seen massive change in biopharmaceutical manufacturing over the last five years.

Watch Tina’s interview at: http://bit.ly/1iQQpZ9

Women in STEM Stories: Talmesha Richards

In conjunction with our Women in STEM Summits, we are featuring a series of Women in STEM success stories, which highlight everyday inspiration from women making a difference and shaping the future of STEM.

The Women in STEM Idea Exchange Summits, brought to you by IIR USA, have been designed to facilitate discussion and action by addressing the question of ‘how to engage women in STEM education and retain them in STEM careers'.  Join us in Boston, NYC, DC and San Francisco to make connections and participate in the movement to feed the STEM pipelines of America’s corporations. 

One iconic woman in STEM, Talmesha Richards Ph.D. Cellular and Molecular Medicine, STEMconnector, Director of Project Partnerships, has one incredible story to tell.

Here’s an excerpt of Talmesha's story: My love for math began in the third grade. My teacher, Mrs. Brown, noticed that I was using my fingers during a multiplication quiz. She pulled me aside after class and taught me some of the tricks used to solve multiplication problems. She opened me up to a world where math was fun and at that point I was hooked. My love for math was quickly followed by a love for science. Read the rest of Tamelsha’s story and her advice by visiting the Women in Stem website: http://bit.ly/1n4b6iI

If you would like to submit your story or recommend an inspirational leader in STEM who we should contact – we would love to hear from you. Contact Ana Kuzmanovic at anak@iirusa.com.

Register for Women in STEM today to listen, learn, discuss and be inspired by Betsy Myers and many other leaders looking to close the gender gap and promote women in STEM careers:  http://bit.ly/1n4b6iI

• 5 easy steps to increase female engagement in STEM (eschoolnews.com)
• STEM to STEAM: There's More Than One Kind of Smart (jenx67.com)
• No Evidence of a STEM Worker Shortage (prnewswire.com)