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News & Press: Empower

November 2023 Empower

Monday, November 27, 2023   (0 Comments)
Posted by: Jennifer Riggs
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 November 2023
Welcome to GWIS Empower! GWIS Empower seeks to provide career and leadership advice for women in science along with member-generated content. This issue speaks about Sarah Josepha Hale's initiative to turn Thanksgiving into a national holiday and the retitrement of the STEM-themed Macy's day parade float. Our DEI segment discusses the concepts of "shared equity leadership" as a way to maintain a sustainable DEI culture in higher education. Award nominations, The Science Ambassador Scholarship, and the Excedr Scholarship for STEM Graduate Students applications are listed, as well.
Thanksgiving Holiday: One Woman's Crusade

Did you ever wonder how Thanksgiving became a national holiday? Partially, it is because of Sarah Josepha Hale, a poet best known for her nursery rhyme "Mary had a little lamb". Although she was born in a time (1788) when access to education was limited for women, her parents and husband supported her scholarly endeavours. In 1837, she became the editor of Godey's Lady's Book and used the magazine as an avenue to advocate for women's education. In 1863, she used her persuasive writing to convince President Lincoln to acknowledge Thanksgiving as a national holiday. Read more about Sarah Hale.
 
Read Now
Not Anymore: STEM-themed float retires from Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Photo courtesy of Space.com

To showcase their commitment to bridge the gender gap in STEM research, Olay launched their float - "Her future is STEM-sational" - in Macy's Thanksgiving parade 2020. Similarly, the parade featured a "Ada Twist, the scientist" balloon based on a popular kids show on Netflix. Unfortunately, both the float and the balloon retired last year (2022)... Why? Unclear, and while this is unfortunate, it highlights creative ways to raise awareness of girls and women in STEM to thousands of people! Maybe you can build a women in STEM-themed float for a local parade next year? Read the backstory to the Olay float.
 
Read now
Everyone's Work
Many higher education institutions have experienced a shift in leadership roles as previous leaders retire, vacate postions and take on new jobs. Those shifts can bring along changes in institutional priorities. One area of priority that is being (negatively) impacted by changes in leadership is an institutions commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. In this article, Amy Fulton discusses "shared equity leadership", an approach that makes equity everyone's work, as a way to a sustainable DEI culture in higher education institutions.
 
Link to article

Want to connect on-line with other women scientists? Join the GWIS Slack channel. GWIS also has a private LinkedIn group for connecting with nearly 2,000 women scientists to share interesting news, job opportunities, and more! Want to form a small group? Contact the GWIS Media group to access our private forums and help you solicit fellow GWIS participants!
Inviting Nominations for GWIS Honorary Membership Award
 
Inviting nominations for outstanding women scientists in the following categories:
  • The Bette Barnes Promising Young Scientist Award
  • The Florence R. Sabin Research Excellence Award
  • The Jean E. Simmons Science Education Excellence Award
  • Science Communications Award
Deadline: December 22, 2023 by 11:59 PM EST. 
Fill out the nomination form online using the link below.
 
Apply Here
Scholarship Opportunities
The Science Ambassador Scholarship
This opportunity offers a full–tuition scholarship for up to four years for women and non-binary students in STEM. To apply, high school seniors or undergraduate college students must film a three–minute educational video explaining a STEM topic they're passionate about. The applications will be reviewed by an advisory board of women and non-binary professionals who hold higher degrees and work in a broad range of STEM fields. Deadline for submitting applications is December 13th, 2023 at 11:59PM CST.
 
Apply Here
Excedr Scholarship for STEM Graduate Students
Excedr seeks to support graduate students in STEM that want to further scientific innovation with their work. Applicants must write a 500-750 word essay on "How do you plan to apply your research in the lab to the greater benefit of society in your career?" to be awarded $1,500. The deadline for submissions is December 1, 2023.
 
Apply Here

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About GWIS

Founded in 1921, Graduate Women in Science is an inter-disciplinary society of scientists who collectively seek to advance the participation and recognition of women in science and to foster research through grants, awards and fellowships. We comprise over 20 active chapters of more than 800 women who are "United in Friendship through Science" to support and inspire member professional goals and mutual appreciation of science. Learn more at www.gwis.org.

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President
Amanda Koenig
Editor
Courtney Ragle
Membership Secretary
Ogochukwu Ozotta
GWIS Empower Copy Editor
Amy Zheng
GWIS Empower Content Editor
Selina Bruckner
Copyright © 2023 Graduate Women in Science, All rights reserved.


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