WoSTEM February Lecture: Dr. Karen Samonds

Dr. Karen Samonds from NIU was the inaugural winner of the Carla Montgomery Memorial Award for Faculty and thus will be the speaker for the Women in STEM lecture series this semester. Her talk is entitled Unearthing stories: A woman’s journey through fossils, fieldwork, and family. Thus, I think her work will be of broad interest to students and faculty across STEM, health, humanities, and gender and women's studies fields.  

Who: Dr. Karen Samonds from NIU 

When: Thursday, February 19th, 12:30-1:30  

Where: Founders Memorial Library Staff Lounge, which is on the ground floor next to Einstein's Bagels.  

RSVP Here is optional but encouraged.   

A light lunch will be served. 

As always, Women in STEM events are open to everyone and are intended as a forum to provide inspiration and connection for all people working across fields where women are often underrepresented. Lunch will be served. This is an honors engaged eligible event. 

WoSTEM hosting Biological Anthropologist Dr. Kate Clancy 21 January 12:30-1:30

 

Who: Biological Anthropologist Dr. Kate Clancy from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

When: Wednesday 21 January from 12:30-1:30 

Where: Founders Memorial Library Staff Lounge, which is on the ground floor next to Einstein's Bagels. 

RSVP Here

As always, Women in STEM events are open to everyone and are intended as a forum to provide inspiration and connection for all people working across fields where women are often underrepresented. Lunch will be served. This is an honors engaged eligible event.

I look forward to seeing many of you there and appreciate you helping to spread the word!

STEM Fellowships & Scholarships | PathwaysToScience

 Many of these scholarships and fellowships have early fall deadlines for funding for the 25 /26 academic year, and these early deadlines can catch students off guard!

At the moment, PathwaysToScience.org has over 65 portable scholarships and fellowships posted on the site, all within STEM:

https://www.pathwaystoscience.org/programs.aspx?u=&r=&s=&sa=either&p=YesPortable&o=either&c=either&f=&dd=&ft=&submit=y&adv=adv

Undergraduate scholarships and resources for applying: https://pathwaystoscience.org/Undergrads.aspx

Graduate fellowships and resources for applying: https://pathwaystoscience.org/Grad.aspx

Postdoctoral fellowships and postdoc positions: https://pathwaystoscience.org/Postdocs_Portal.aspx

A quick video tutorial on using our advanced search functions to find funding opportunities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxKsAGk8dAw&t=16s

Women In STEM!

 

Hello everyone,

 

Hope the Spring 2024 semester is off to a good start, even with frigid temperatures/

 

The Women in STEM Lecture series is hosting back with its first event of the semester with the community building event on February 6^th at 12:30 pm at the Founders Memorial Library.

 

This is an opportunity to informally form new connections, grow existing ones, and discuss any concerns/suggestions.

 

This event is limited to the first 50 people who register by Friday, February 2^nd by emailing wostem_info@mail.niu.edu. Please see the attached flyer for more details.

 

Please help us spread the word!

 

Thank you and stay warm!!

Women in STEM advisory committee.

 

Women In STEM Lecture Series April 3: Dr. Kay

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, today, I am pleased to share our final activity of the Spring semester for the Women in STEM lecture series scheduled on April 3^rd at 12:00 pm.  Dr. Leslie Kay will be talking about “The sense of smell as a framework for cognitive health” and sharing her journey as a woman and a member of the LGBTQ+ community in STEM. We are honored that she has accepted our invitation. Please see attached flyer for more information. Please share widely!

 

Dr. Kay is also available to meet with a few people, please let me know if you are interested in meeting with her.

 

For additional queries, please email wostem_info@mail.niu.edu

 

Women in STEM lecture Series

Please save the date for Feb 1^st, 2023 at noon at the library. 

We will start with an introduction and discussion session followed by the screening of the documentary, Picture a Scientist, for those who can stay back.

Food and Drinks will be provided. RSVP is requested.

This event is open to all.

 

Please see attached flyer for more information and share it with interested people.

 

 

Internship Opportunities for University Students: Evergreen Climate Innovations

The Illinois Science and Technology Coalition (ISTC) has alerted us of the following opportunity for undergraduate student internships with the DOE’s National Lab system via Evergreen Climate Innovations. 

 

In brief, the Technology Commercialization Internship is a paid internship for undergraduate STEM and business students to “experience the US DOEs world-class National Lab system, boost their entrepreneurial thinking, and explore energy technology markets.” More information can be found at https://www.energy.gov/technologytransitions/technology-commercialization-internship. Additional qualifications from the application are below. 

 

Qualifications

To be considered, applicants must meet each of the following criteria by the application deadline:

• Be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident. For non-U.S. citizens, appointments are contingent upon having a valid immigration status. Selected candidates must provide suitable documentation to verify status at the time appointment is accepted.
• Be at least 18 years old by June 1, 2023.
• Be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student during the 2022-2023 academic year pursuing a degree in science, technology, mathematics, engineering, or business with an interest in entrepreneurship and technology commercialization. You must provide proof of enrollment during the 2022 Fall. Candidates selected for an internship appointment will be required to provide proof of enrollment for 2023 Spring.
• Have coverage under a health insurance plan during the appointment. Selected candidate must provide proof of such coverage before the appointment start date.
• Be available to participate virtually in a summer long appointment. Length of the appointment will depend on the project assignment and mentor and candidate’s availability.

If you have any questions, you can reach out to Oluwatobi (Tobi) Oladejo at the ISTC tobi@istcoalition.org or Evergreen's Program Manager, Allie Gross at allie@evergreeninno.org.

 

NIU SWE (Society of Women Engineers)

SWE is looking to expand and invite more STEM majors to our organization's meetings. In addition, we volunteer at sycamore middle school and assist them with an environment project that's working to solve some of the flooding issues on their campus and in their community.  

NIU STEM Cafe May 12, 6PM Fueling the Future

Please join us for our next NIU STEM Café, Fueling the Future with Renewable Energy, May 12, 6PM Online. Professor of Chemistry Tao Xu will explore the art of innovation and discuss the latest research in renewable energy.  His research group is developing materials that convert sunlight to electricity and electrocatalysts that convert carbon dioxide and water into fuel.

 

Renewable energy technologies can help to mitigate global climate change, and spinoff technologies produced by renewable energy research also profoundly impact our lifestyles. What new fuels and renewable energy technologies are being developed? Why are these technologies important? And how will they impact our daily lives?

 

Please share the attached flyers with family and friends. Registration is required for this free online event.

 

Register and learn more at go.niu.edu/fuelfuture.

 

For more information about either event, contact Judith Dymond at jdymond@niu.edu or 815-753-4751. You can always check for upcoming NIU STEM Café events on our website: https://www.niu.edu/niusteam/programs/stem-cafes.shtml

 

NIU STEM Cafe Harvest the Power of Wind Energy

The next STEM Café is scheduled for March 16, Tuesday, from 6 PM to 8 PM. Our café is Harvesting the Power of Wind Energy.  Our speaker is Dr. Nicholas Pohlman, NIU Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering.

 

For millions of years, fossil fuels collected sunlight and were compressed underground, creating fuels dense with energy. However, humans are consuming this energy at a rate that far exceeds its multi-million-year reserve. If we can learn to harness and immediately use lower energy density forms such as wind energy, we can increase sustainability and decrease impact on climate change. However, pivoting to wind energy requires some changes in our thinking and behavior.

 

Join us to learn more about what’s involved in the change to wind energy.  Dr. Pohlman will discuss the kinetic energy of wind, the fluid mechanics involved in harvesting wind power, the distribution of wind farm energy to urban areas and the possibility of incorporating wind energy collection into urban architecture.

 

Dr. Pohlman will be joined by Derek Hiland, DeKalb County Community Development Director, who will address questions related to growth, zoning and land-use changes in the county.

 

Attached is the flyer for the event – please share the information with fellow  STEM enthusiasts.  You can register by going to our NIU STEAM website and search for programs and then STEM Cafés.  You will find past cafes, teen cafes, upcoming cafés and our recorded cafés.  Registration information will be there and is required for this free online event.  Register and learn more at go.niu.edu/windenergy

STEM Scholars

Congresswoman Underwood invites Illinois 14th Congressional District sophomore and junior high school students interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to apply for the STEM Scholar Program for the 2021 calendar year. Students accepted to the program will join the Congresswoman on visits to various STEM-related businesses and facilities.  Visits will include demonstrations, discussions with local business leaders, employees, educators, and researchers to learn how STEM is being utilized in the local area. 

How to apply 

STEM Scholars will need the following required items to apply: 

• Expression of Interest - Why are you interested in the STEM Scholar program and what do you hope to learn? (max. 250 words)  
• Essay - What challenges does the STEM field face currently? (max. 500 words) 
  • OR With the rise of STEM, what greater challenges, if any, does society face?  
• Resume including a list of activities, accomplishments, and awards. 
• A letter of recommendation from a teacher or mentor. 
• A signed Parental Consent and Photo Authorization Form. Please print, have a parent or guardian complete this form, and create a digital copy by scanning a PDF or taking a picture. 

Please assemble these documents before submitting your application through the Google Form. Students can submit their applications here starting on Saturday, November 7th. The deadline to apply is Monday, December 28, 2020. 

For questions, please reach out to Rep. Underwood’s West Chicago Office at 630-549-2190.