Updates & News
This week, I am at the Women’s Global Leadership Forum at U.Va and have been reminded of and inspired by amazing women outside STEM working to improve the rights of women and girls around the world. It has been another reminder that for all the work there is to do, we have many allies in our journey and many places to look for inspiration. Speaking of work to do, here are some specific actions for the week, one inward facing and one outward facing:
This week on #MeetAScientist, get to know Dr. Alicia Pérez-Porro, a marine biologist and explorer. Alicia is a member of the 500 Women Scientists NYC pod, and led the effort to put together a recent op-ed for Scientific American on solutions to stop the leaky pipeline. We're thrilled to count her voice among our membership and excited to share her story with you all!
On November 4-5, we held our second board meeting in Washington DC and celebrated one year of 500 Women Scientists. The goal of our meeting was to identify how to actualize our mission in 2018, ensure all aspects of our organization are inclusive, and better organize ourselves to be sustainable through many more years. This will require input from all of us- leaders, advisors, pods and members. So if you want to take action, form a pod, if you have a pod, go to a meeting, and if you want more contact us!
One year ago, 500 women scientists (and many more) signed a pledge to declare our support science and all minorities, immigrants, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA. That pledge grew into a mission to make science open, inclusive, and accessible. As an organization, 500 Women Scientists is committed to providing opportunities for leadership and an inclusive space for all voices and points of view. So as we celebrate our 1 year anniversary, we invite you to meet some of our organization's leadership team and learn what inspired them to join the cause. We always welcome new ideas, voices, and energy, so please get in touch if you feel similarly inspired to step up and help lead our growing organization.
In the face of tragedy, let us not lose hope, and let us never ever stop fighting for what is right and just. We are angry and heartbroken at the terrible shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas -- the loss of so many lives including young children with so much hope and potential ahead of them. Today we take action.
Happy November friends. We are so excited to reclaim the month with you. And we start with our 1 year celebration this weekend! Gather together with your pods and celebrate 1 year of 500 WOmen Scientists. If you happen to be in DC, please join us!
Sitting against a backdrop of the majestic Rocky Mountains in Montana, the Bozeman pod is a young and highly motivated group of women that have adopted a mission of diversity and inclusion. While their pod members represent a spectrum of political ideologies, all agree on the importance of protecting the environment and influencing local policy.
Over the last week, the March for Science received a new flurry of media attention, sparked by an open letter from MfS volunteers. If you aren’t familiar with what is happening, you can read the full story in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and Gizmodo’s Earther. Before the March, 500 Women Scientists dissolved our partnership because we no longer saw our mission aligning with that of the MfS, though we still marched last April. Our mission remains plain, simple, and ambitious — to serve society by making science open, inclusive, and accessible. One year after our launch, we remain committed to fulfilling that mission, to remake science into an enterprise for all. Our membership is central to fulfilling that vision. So with that in mind, here’s our week in review!
Stop the leaky pipeline, from the NYC Pod.
Brilliant women climate scientists, including 500WS Seattle’s Dr. Sarah Myhre.
Planning our one year celebration!
The Philly Pod met their lawmakers to discuss renewable energy jobs!
Took time for #mentalhealthmonday.
Find your match with The Science Network Mentor Program
A book you’ll want to read, what if?
A report you’ll want to read.
Indigenous STEM awards.
Bonus - Create what you want to be a part of!
As we look back on the achievement and growth of the past year and as we plan for the year to come, we ask you to take some time this November to celebrate how far we have come and reflect on where you want this organization to go.
This week let’s talk about sexual harassment in academia. Over the last few days we have heard our friends, colleagues, mentors, and students publicly acknowledge their experiences with sexual harassment and assault using #MeToo on social media. Have you done this yourself? Some have been brave enough to share full stories, others are simply retweeting #MeToo. All of these posts are important to pushing the conversation forward and forcing the community to acknowledge openly that sexual harassment is a deep rooted issue. Here are two actions you can take to fight sexual harassment in science:
Happy Ada Lovelace Day! This week for #takeactiontuesday we promote and discuss the awesomeness of women scientists. We celebrate the brilliance and creativity of Ada Lovelace, a mathematician and visionary of computer science. We also reflect on how many women scientists are overlooked and under appreciated.
This week on #meetascientist, get to know Dr. Jessica Prenni, Associate Professor and Director of Proteomics & Metabolomics Facility at Colorado State University. A few weeks ago, Jessica co-authored a study on gender diversity based on an analysis of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry's annual meeting, so we thought it'd be a great opportunity to share her findings and her story!
Our mission is to serve society by making science open, inclusive, and accessible, and to transform society by fighting racism, patriarchy, and oppressive societal norms
