Updates & News
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!
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!
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.
“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.
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).
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
