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Fireside Friday

April 1, 2022

April greetings! This month is a full of important awareness events: National Math and Statistics Month, National Minority Health Month, and Earth Day, to name a few. Hear more from AWIS interim CEO Meredith Gibson in her video message below.

AWIS National Events

Image: Woman in Motion movie poster featuring a rocket launch and Nichelle Nichols' profile

Virtual screening event next week! From Thursday April 7 through Sunday, April 10, AWIS will host a virtual screening of Woman in Motion, a documentary about Star Trek actor Nichelle Nichols and her efforts to recruit diverse astronaut candidates. Register to watch with us! 

Space is for Everyone: Speaker Update. On Tuesday, April 19, AWIS will host a discussion on diversity at NASA as a follow-up to the film screening. Due to a newly scheduled NASA launch, the speaker line-up has changed. The panel will now feature:

  • Dr. Tahani Amer, Program Executive, Earth Science Division at NASA headquarters
  • Dr. Sharmila Bhattacharya, Program Scientist, Biological & Physical Sciences Division at NASA headquarters
  • Barbara Brown, Director of Exploration Research and Technology Programs at NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center

Chapter Event

Resilience of Women in STEM. On Wednesday, April 20 at 6 p.m. PT, join Seattle AWIS and co-hosts the American Chemical Society, Puget Sound Section to explore the topic of resilience and women in STEM. Panelists will include Gwen Gross, Chief Chemist at the Boeing Corporation; Jennifer Marsalla, Staff Scientist at Anchor QEA; and Mi-Youn Brusniak, Principal Bioinformatics Scientist at Nautilus Biotechnology. Register.

Member Shoutouts 

Image: Shrishti is standing in a convertible car.Srishti Baid is a doctoral candidate in microbiology at the University of Kansas. A self-described "science enthusiast," she enjoys research, outreach, and mentoring. She is one of the first people in her family to pursue a career in the biological sciences. Read more in her new member spotlight!

Image: Dr. Rachel Roper with a microscope

Dr. Rachel Roper, a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, has been appointed to the American Society for Microbiology's inaugural IDEAA Committee of the Board, which will focus on inclusive diversity with equity, access, and accountability (IDEAA). Read more.

 

Career Corner

Have you looked up your field? Get salary information, projected employment forecasts, and more using the career insights feature on the AWIS Career Center. Need a refresher on how to make the most of this tool? Watch this quick tutorial.

Image: Screenshot from Career Insights page that says "Are you making what you're worth?"

In Memoriam

AWIS is remembering two influential community members who have passed recently, Mildred Dresselhaus and Helen Conrad Davies, pictured together below at an event in 1998. Dr. Dresselhaus, a physicist known as the “Queen of Carbon Science," earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Medal of Science during her career. Dr. Davies was a microbiology professor at the University of Pennsylvania and spent seven decades writing, researching, and teaching. Read more on AWIS' In Memoriam page.

Image: Candid photo of Dr. Dresselhaus and Dr. Davies who are both wearing red jackets and name tags and are smiling as they mingle at an event.

Featured Opportunity

Speakers Wanted for Women in Science Summit. Lab Manager will host a digital summit, "Women Leaders in Science," on August 16-17. They are looking for speakers to present webinars on their advice and experiences. If you or someone you know would be interested in this speaking opportunity, please contact Lab Manager.

The Bottom Line

"I encourage you to learn more about the science behind gender identity and the accomplishments of trans people so that you may be an ally and work to reduce the biases they face." 

— Meredith Gibson, AWIS interim CEO, in her video message for Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31.