500 Women Scientists

“..every single day in America, 137 black women die from a preventable disease, heart disease. That's every 11 minutes.” -T. Morgan Dixon

February is Black History Month in the United States. This Tuesday, and for the entire month of February, take some time to learn more about African American artists, authors, scientists, and activists. Support and amplify their stories.

For #blackhistorymonth, Black Panther is back in theaters! This could be a great pod gathering and another opportunity to see the brilliant scientist, Shuri on the big screen ! How else are you all planning to honor and celebrate #blackhistorymonth? Let us know! Enjoy the weekend, and for those in the polar vortex, stay safe!

This week on #TakeActionTuesday, 500 Women Scientists asks you to #StandWithBennett to ensure the continued accreditation of Bennett College, one of two remaining historically black colleges for women. We’ll also keep working to keep the government open and prevent future shutdowns, which only serve to harm science and our society.

Last weekend many from our organization marched - in a women’s march, on #MLK day and for #indigenouspeoplesmarch. We love to see you all out there standing up for social justice and taking steps towards breaking down a system that truly only supports on a few and holds back most. We know alone, marching will not bring change, but it does bring us together, helps build our network, and makes us stronger when we return home to enact the necessary changes - to make science more open, inclusive, and accessible. Thank you everyone for what you do. Enjoy your well earned weekend!

There is about a week left to weigh in on proposed changes to Title IX that will affect student and employees of educational institutions from discrimination based on sex and sexual harassment. Or as ‘Catherine Lhamon, a former assistant secretary for civil rights in the Obama administration, said the consequences of the rule would be devastating for survivors: “It seems like encouragement for schools to stick their heads in the sand and ignore information readily available to them,”.’

To continue celebrating National Mentoring Month, this week’s #TakeActionTuesday is focused on recognizing and thanking the mentors in our life. #ThankYouTuesday

Hey friends, how are you doing this week? How is your #selfcare routine? Are you exercising? Making time for your own thoughts? Making time away from your computer to be with your friends and family? Maybe a goal for the weekend? Sunday I have 4 conference calls so on Saturday I am leaving my computer and phone and home and plan to get time outside! I also plan to take a nap, I can’t wait! Big hug and see you next week.

This week on #MeetAScientist, get to know Dr. Susan Cheng, an ecosystem ecologist and member of the 500 Women Scientists Leadership Team. She has spearheaded our newly launched Fellowship of the Future, which will recognize the contributions of women of color leading in STEM. 500 Women Scientists is currently fundraising to support the first cohort of fellows in Fall 2020. To learn more and support the future of STEM, you can donate today.

Happy New Year! 2018 was awesome, and honestly we can’t wait to see what 2019 brings. I started my year off by listening to the latest episode of the Nod, on setting your intentions for the year. I love the connotation of ‘intention’ because it allows for and encourages assessment and reflection at the end of the year - more so than ‘goals’ or ‘resolutions.’ What do you think? Do you set intentions? Make resolutions? Or do you have another tradition for starting out a new year?

The year is ending, and while we are ready for a bit of rest over the upcoming week, we really can’t wait for 2019 to start! Like any change making organization, our momentum waxes and wanes, but we trust our work. We are changing the STEM landscape, growing a stronger network, and building resources every day. Thanks for joining us on this journey! Happy Holidays.

Make mentoring part of your new year's resolutions.

This week on #MeetAScientist, get to know Erin Hogeboom, Director Of Strategic Partnerships at National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP). NGCP works to bring together organizations that are committed to informing and encouraging girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In this interview, she shares the NGCP’s approach to supporting girls in STEM.

We have just finished up a fantastic week in Washington, DC at the AGU conference where we had meet-ups, launches and happy-hours galore. After last week when we launched our Women in Medicine satellite, we are ready for a bit of a holiday break! Sending you all a big hug and good feelings for the last 2 weeks of the year.

We are launching the Fellowship for the Future to recognize and amplify the important contributions of women of color in STEM. This fellowship will provide awardees with leadership training, a stipend, and additional resources to complete their projects that help make the STEM community more inclusive and equitable.

Our favorite meeting of the year is coming up next week - AGU! This year we have a fews ways you can meet up with us Scientist Engagement Happy Hour & Story Collider on Thursday. And send us a message on twitter if you have questions while you are there. Hope to see some of you next week and have a great weekend.

Happy Holidays friends. This year we are really excited to share our holiday gift guide for current and future women scientists! We have something for everyone: gifts that give, gifts for your home, to read & to wear, and gifts for the future women scientists in your life. Honestly, these gifts aren’t just for the holidays, they’d be great for birthdays, graduations and just to say ‘thanks, for being a role model’. Enjoy and let us know what you think!

Today marks the launch of 500 Women in Medicine, a satellite of 500 Women Scientists established by five women medical students. Celebrate by getting to know the five women running this initiative. We believe women play a critical role in medicine and for medicine to truly serve the people, it must be inclusive and reflect the true diversity in our society. To learn more, check out their official page and follow them on Twitter @500WIM, Instagram @500womeninmedicine, and Linkedin.