500 Women Scientists

If you are marching this weekend in a March for Science, please let us know and tag us in your photos! For those staying home, we'd also be interested to hear from you? Did you march last year? What makes you decide when and when not to demonstrate? As always, stay safe when you are demonstrating, see last week's post for tips! Enjoy the weekend! 

This week on Meet a Scientist, we meet Dr. Pragnya Eranki, a Chemical Engineer with expertise in sustainable technologies. She currently works at the Colorado School of Mines as research faculty in civil and environmental engineering, as well as developing a Diversity, Inclusion, and Access Council. Learn about Pragnya's work on sustainability and DI&A issues — and her passion for reading and dancing!

Are you marching for science next week or participating in a Science Rising event? Before you take action, read this info to help you safely organize and speak out for science. Read the ACLU free guide, “Know Your Rights: Science Activism and Protests.” If you want a quick summary, the American Geophysical Union put together  the main takeaways. Have a great weekend all, and keep up the awesome work! 

In honor of Earth month, we invite pods to sign up as teams in the Drawdown EcoChallenge, a three-week engagement program focused on carbon reduction.

Women's History Month may be coming to a close, but here at 500WS it honestly doesn't ever really stop. This last month has been great though. We are especially proud of the many Science Salon's that have been hosted by our pods. Enjoy the weekend (a long weekend for those in Europe) and see you all next week! 

What can we learn from the New York City pod? By actively creating an inclusive space you can build a pod of over 200 women! Plus, by forming partnerships you can get more done! Read on to find out what else the NYC pod is up to.

For many, monthly menstruation remains a source of economic stress and shame. For this Take Action Tuesday, we want to address the menstruation taboo that continues to predominantly negatively influence women and girls around the globe, we want to talk about periods!

Today on #MeetAScientist,  Dr. Izumi Hinkson dives into her world of proteomics, mentorship, soccer, and cuisine! Izumi grew up in California, and earned her Ph.D. from Stanford in Chemical and Systems Biology. She spent a year in Washington, D.C. as an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow, and is currently working to help the National Cancer Institute manage data to help us better understand cancer. Izumi explains the difference between proteomics and genomics, shares an inspiring story of her mentorship in the lab, and tells us how she found her way into an interesting and timely career in proteomics. 

Happy Spring ya'll! We now have over 140 Pods around the world! It is so exciting to see women  scientists leading their communities. Please keep us updated on your activities and never hesitate to send us a message, we love receiving emails for you ladies! Enjoy the weekend. 

Today, for our #weeklyaction we encourage you to speak up for women, for science, and for justice.

“It is not scientific proof of gender equality that is required, but general acceptance that women are at least the equals of men, or better," said Stephan Hawking in an interview last year. On Wednesday the world lost an amazing scientist and a wonderful human. He exemplified that scientists are humans and we must embrace all the difficulties and differences each one of us has. And that science is best when all are included on an equal platform. 

Today, meet the Laramie Wyoming Pod! They are building a sustainable movement to support women scientists and connect with their community.

This week we continue to highlight women history has forgotten or overlooked. We were inspired by this twitter thread where Candace Andersen is searching for a woman scientist from a photo taken in 1971.

Today on #MeetAScientist, get to know evolutionary ecologist and biogeographer Dr. Patricia Salerno. Patricia grew up in Venezuela, where she discovered her passion for biology and field work. She later moved to the US to do her PhD and postdoctoral research, where she found her way into the world of science communication. In addition to talking about the differences between science in Venezuela and the States, Patricia shares how she found her way to the work she does today and how she continues to (as she says) "machete her way" to carve out a career that suits her best.

What an awesome day yesterday was! Women from around the world gathered for #IWD18 and social media was bursting with images and articles celebrating women. All I could think was that more days should be like this, everyday should be like this! Many of our pods gathered for our now annual Pint Night. The photos will fill your heart: Chicago, Providence, NYC, Wageningen, Vienna, Aberdeen, Bozeman, Boulder, & Dublin all raised a glass or ice cream pint (and another). 

“To all women and girls: own your voice and own your power. Carry it. Be proud of it. Always know that, whatever you're thinking or you're feeling, your voice is important and should be heard.” #WomensHistoryMonth - Kamala Harris

What a great way to ring in Women's History Month - we just reached the 5,000 women scientists in our Request a Woman Scientist register! I don't think we will change our name, but 5000 Women Scientists sure sounds pretty great! This month also marks the kick off of our Science Salons for Puerto Rico!

The week meet the Fort Collins Pod - the brains and engine behind Request a Scientist and our #weeklyaction!

"Perhaps if more of us knew that there were actual professors who looked like them or loved like them, they would know that it would be possible to become one." --Dr Kevin Nadal

This week on #MeetAScientist, get to know Dr. Greetchen Díaz is the Director of the Science Education Program and Community Partnerships of Ciencia Puerto Rico (CienciaPR). With March around the corner, 500 Women Scientists is preparing to launch our pod-wide campaign to host Science Salons for Puerto Rico. So we're thrilled for Greetchen to share the work she has been spearheading at CienciaPR to transform science education in Puerto Rico through problem-based learning that addresses disaster relief and resilience in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

Hello friends, I'm writing today from a small patch of sunshine that may mark the turning point in our long dark European winter!  Luckily bad weather hasn't slowed our fast growing organization. This week we welcomed many more pods from all over the world! March 8th is international women's day and what better way to celebrate than with your pod for our (now) annual Pint Night!  Remember to keep us posted on all your 500WS activities - tag us on twitter and facebook or simply send us an email- we'd love to hear from you! Have a great weekend.

We are once again angry and heartbroken at yet another mass shooting, this time in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. We stand with the brave young students who are standing up to say “Enough!”.