[gwaMIT] gwaMIT Newsletter, October 5th, 2020

Mon Oct 5 14:11:41 EDT 2020

gwaMIT Newsletter

October 5th, 2020

gwaMIT Diversity & Outreach Committee Applications Now Open!

gwaMIT is creating a diversity and outreach committee beginning this semester to pioneer major Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) initiatives pointed especially at issues related to intersectionality. There are seven open positions available on this new committee. The application form and descriptions of the roles can be found here<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfA___TsZLzobLnRlTEacrJrdjd738w8pKUvha1FB6oZaFPDA/viewform>.

Meet the Department Reps!

[cid:image001.jpg at 01D69B21.783C6BA0] Nika Fendler/ Biology

What is your research about? I'm a second year biology grad student in Seychelle Vos's lab. We're interested in how genome organization affects gene expression. We study how transcription and genome organization are physically coupled using structural biology and biochemistry.

Who is your favorite womxn from history or the present times, and why? One of my favorite womxn biologist is Maud Menten, who co-authored the famous Michaelis-Menten enzyme kinetics equation in 1913. She lived a fearless life. She drove a Ford Model T and once went on an Arctic expedition. Her work truly pioneered the study the enzymes and I admire her courage.

What do you like about being a gwaMIT Rep? I've only just started as the gwaMIT Rep for biology, but so far, I've really enjoyed interacting with other graduate womxn students in my department and starting conversations about what types of activities would most support and empower the grad womxn in biology! I also really like meeting the gwaMIT Reps from other departments and being a part of something beyond just my department.
[cid:image002.jpg at 01D69B21.783C6BA0]Bensu / PhD student in Civil and Environmental Engineering
What is your research about? My research is about the structural resilience of residential buildings against natural hazards, such as hurricanes. Lately, I’ve been looking into the economic impacts of how the configuration of buildings in locales affects wind loads and, in result, wind losses.
Who is your favorite womxn from history or the present times, and why?  One of my favorite womxn is Patti Smith – singer, song-writer and poet. I love her album “Horses”, and her poems and books about photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Two years ago, I saw her perform in Boston, and I often think about how captivating she was with her performance and headstrong personality.
What do you like about being a gwaMIT Rep? I just become a gwaMIT rep! And, so far, I’m really enjoying meeting new womxn, brainstorming and testing new ideas, and re-gaining a sense of unity and community in a time when we’re all isolated to an extent.

Did you know? Here is some womxn-related news from around the world:
Read<https://www.espn.com/espnw/news-commentary/story/_/id/10267603/espnw-further-evidence-venus-serena-williams-influence-seen-2014> how the Williams sisters have broken down barriers and paved the way for a more diverse group of athletes

Watch<https://www.ted.com/talks/madame_gandhi_why_we_must_stop_dancing_to_the_sound_of_our_own_oppression> a TED talk by Madame Gandhi regarding the rampant use of mysoginistic song lyrics in today’s music. She encourages us to update our playlists to be more sex-positive and empowering.

Events & Opportunities

  1.  D. E. Shaw Research -- Virtual Information Sessions (multiple dates)
  2.  MIT SWE 41st Anniversary Celebration (Oct. 5th)
  3.  Committing to Antiracism (Oct. 6th)
  4.  “Warrior Women” Virtual Film Discussion (Oct. 8th)
  5.  Grad Technical Leadership Virtual Workshops (multiple dates)
  6.  Public Guest Lectures: Black Mobility and Safety in the US (multiple dates)
  7.  US Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E) Conference (apply by Oct. 7th)
  8.  Black Doctoral Network Virtual Grad School Fair (apply by Oct. 9th)
  9.  MLK Visiting Scholar Virtual Luncheon with Patricia Saulis (Oct. 14th)
  10. Path of Professorship Workshop (apply by Oct. 15th!)
  11. Upcoming WEST Events (multiple dates)
  12. Fund It Forward Student Video Challenge (apply now!)
  13. Full-Stack App Developer Internship Opportunity (apply now!)
  14. Get ready to vote!
  15. The Social Scientist Mentorship Program (now!)
  16. NE GWiSE Upcoming Virtual Events (stay tuned!)
  17. Outreach Opportunities with Science Club for Girls (now!)
  18. STEMxx Chats Interest Form (now!)
  19. Join the IDHR Student Advisory Committee (now!)
  20. Join MITxHarvard Women in AI Group (now!)
  21. Join GrasshoppHer’s #braveboldboundless (now!)
  22. Sign up for WEST Dynamic Pod Mentoring (now!)
  23. Become a gwaMIT Department Rep (now!)

  1.  D. E. Shaw Research -- Virtual Information Sessions

It is our pleasure to invite you to attend a virtual information session about D. E. Shaw Research<https://www.deshawresearch.com/> (DESRES).  Whether you’re familiar with our group, or this is the first you’re hearing of us, this session will offer you an opportunity to learn more about DESRES and our research and engineering projects.  We will also briefly talk about the full-time and internship opportunities in our group.  We will be organizing four such information sessions in the next couple of months (details below) that will include similar content, so please mark your calendar and attend the one that would work best for your schedule.

·         Wednesday, October 7, 2020 – 6:00-7:30 PM ET, https://primetime.bluejeans.com/a2m/live-event/tcqjjxqu, Speakers: Qi Wang<https://www.deshawresearch.com/people_c-b_wang.html>, Daniel Richman<https://www.deshawresearch.com/people_c-b_richman.html>

·         Thursday, October 22, 2020 – 12:00-1:30 PM ET, https://primetime.bluejeans.com/a2m/live-event/xeepakcv, Speakers: Elizabeth Decolvenaere<https://www.deshawresearch.com/people_c-b_decolvenaere.html>, Yakov Pechersky<https://www.deshawresearch.com/people_c-b_pechersky.html>

At the time of the event, we would recommend opening the link in a browser on your computer (rather than a phone or tablet).  We hope you will be able to join us.

For more information about the group and current opportunities, please review our brochure<https://www.dropbox.com/s/u71gf7gsquz30iw/DESRES_Brochure_2020_Virtual%20Info%20Session%20%28Combined%29.pdf?dl=0>.  If you’d like to apply, please click on the link in the description of the position that is most relevant to your background

  1.  MIT SWE 41st Anniversary Celebration

An Evening of Networking + Mini Career Fair

Monday, 10/5 | 7pm – 9pm EDT

All are welcome; companies including Tesla, Citadel, Optum, and Salesforce are waiting to meet you! You’ll also get the chance to chat with other students and meet members of MIT SWE (think: networking + mini career fair rolled into one).

Register here<https://forms.gle/d9d1kjuVyuBaiH9e6> by 11:59pm PDT on Friday, September 18th to receive two raffle ticket entries for prizes (including AirPods), or by 11:59pm PDT on Sunday, September 27th to receive one raffle ticket entry. You must register to receive a link to join the virtual event!

The Celebration will be held from 7pm – 9pm EDT on Monday, October 5 via Gatherly, an online events platform.

Questions? Contact laurenah at mit.edu or vkchen at mit.edu<mailto:vkchen at mit.edu>.

  1.  Committing to Antiracism
With Lauren Wojtkun and Edward Alexander
October 6 | 12:00 PM EST VIA ZOOM
Register here.<https://www.eventbrite.com/e/iceo-community-dialogues-committing-to-antiracism-tickets-122577778435>
Geared towards those who may be new to racial justice work, this session will provide a starting point for those ready to commit to antiracism and to affect real change within their own circles of influence.
We’ll cover various definitions of racism and antiracism, educate attendees on examples of systemic racism, talk about white privilege, and discuss concrete steps that each of us can take in our learning and action, especially in relation to our communities at MIT.
Co-sponsored by: MIT Sloan and ICEO

  1.  “Warrior Women” Film and Discussion

Virtual Q&A with Director & Producer Elizabeth A. Castle

Thursday October 8th at 6:00pm ET

Please RSVP<https://tinyurl.com/warriorwomenRSVP> to receive the zoom discussion link: tinyurl.com/warriorwomenRSVP<https://tinyurl.com/warriorwomenRSVP>

Watch the film<http://gooddocs.net/apps/downloads/orders/shasen%2540mit.edu/30194926> on your own time, any time in the next two weeks, and join us for the discussion on 10/8.

We had to cancel this film in March as part of our Women Take the Reel Film festival, but we are excited to bring it to you virtually now.
Please watch the film with this link<http://gooddocs.net/apps/downloads/orders/shasen%2540mit.edu/30194926> anytime between now and October 8th, and join us at 6pm ET that night for a discussion with the director!
In the 1970s, with the swagger of unapologetic Indianness, organizers of the American Indian Movement (AIM) fought for Native liberation and survival as a community of extended families.
Warrior Women is the story of Madonna Thunder Hawk, one such AIM leader who shaped a kindred group of activists' children - including her daughter Marcy - into the "We Will Remember" Survival School as a Native alternative to government-run education. Together, Madonna and Marcy fought for Native rights in an environment that made them more comrades than mother-daughter. Today, with Marcy now a mother herself, both are still at the forefront of Native issues, fighting against the environmental devastation of the Dakota Access Pipeline and for Indigenous cultural values.
Through a circular Indigenous style of storytelling, this film explores what it means to navigate a movement and motherhood and how activist legacies are passed down and transformed from generation to generation in the context of colonizing government that meets Native resistance with violence.

  1.  Grad Technical Leadership Virtual Workshops (Fall 2020)

The MIT-Gordon Engineering Leadership Program (GEL) and the Graduate Student Advisory Group for the School of Engineering (GradSAGE) encourage you to enhance your MIT graduate experience and enroll in the Graduate Certificate in Technical Leadership Program. Linked is a summary of the interim certificate requirements<https://gelp.mit.edu/grad-students/graduate-certificate-technical-leadership-interim-requirements>.

We would also urge you to attend our upcoming Fall 2020 Grad Technical Leadership Workshop Series, which can be used to help satisfy the certificate program requirements. (*Please note— If you are working towards to the Grad Certificate in in Technical Leadership you only need to attend four out of six workshops over the entire course of your time as a grad student.)

All of the following workshops will be held virtually from 5:30-7:30pm EDT:

World Class R&D For Geographically Distributed Markets - Led by Reza Rahaman. Tuesday, October 13

Leading at the Intersection of Management and Engineering - Led by Joan Rubin. Thursday, October 22

Week of November 2 Workshop TBD - (Speaker and topic to be announced.)

Technology Roadmapping and Innovation in the 21st Century (Part 1) - Led by Oli de Weck. Tuesday, November 17

Technology Roadmapping and Innovation in the 21st Century (Part 2) - Led by Oli de Weck. Tuesday, December 1

Register for the certificate program and/or any or all workshops by emailing Lisa Stagnone (lstag at mit.edu<mailto:lstag at mit.edu>)

  1.  Public Guest Lectures: Black Mobility and Safety in the US

For zoom information, please click here.<https://www.media.mit.edu/posts/public-guest-lectures-black-mobility-and-safety-in-the-us/>

MIT Course Numbers: I Fall 2020 MAS.S63, II Spring 2021 MAS.S63

Ekene Ijeoma’s Black Mobility and Safety in the US<https://www.media.mit.edu/courses/black-mobility-and-safety-in-the-us/?utm_source=MLWeekly&utm_campaign=7e93967084-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_09_03_07_40&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_dee7222423-7e93967084-156224157> course this fall will include a series of public guest lectures co-sponsored by ACT around living while Black. The first semester's topics will include birthing, breathing, sleeping, eating, and walking while Black; the second semester will include learning, voting, driving, working, and loving while Black.

The two-semester public lecture series organized by Ekene Ijeoma, founder and director of Poetic Justice at MIT Media Lab, explores issues around mobility (physical, mental, socio-economical, political, etc) and safety for Black Americans. It's organized into two-week topics around living while Black. Read more at: https://www.media.mit.edu/posts/public-guest-lectures-black-mobility-and-safety-in-the-us/.

Fall  (Zoom<https://mit.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUqcO-hrz8qGtDBsu_3dCAa5QAi3_x-VnWp>)

October 6 @ 2-3 pm | Breathing while Black II: Linda Villarosa<https://www.lindavillarosa.com/> (NYT<https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/28/magazine/pollution-philadelphia-black-americans.html>)

October 13 @ 2-3 pm | Sleeping while Black I: Tricia Hersey<http://www.triciahersey.com/> (The Nap Ministry<https://thenapministry.wordpress.com/about/>)

October 20 @ 2-3 pm | Sleeping while Black II: Dr. Danielle L. Beatty Moody<http://www.daniellelbeattymoodyphd.org/> (UMBC<https://psychology.umbc.edu/corefaculty/beatty/>)

October 27  @ 2-3 pm | Eating while Black I:  Dr. Ashanté M. Reese<http://www.mamboanthro.com/bio/> (UTA)

November  3  @ 2-3 pm | Eating while Black II:  TBD

November 10 @ 2-3 pm | Walking while Black I: Professor Elijah Anderson (Yale University)<https://sociology.yale.edu/sites/default/files/pages_from_sre-11_rev5_printer_files.pdf>

November 17 @ 2-3 pm | Walking while Black II: Topher Sanders (ProPublica)<https://www.propublica.org/series/walking-while-black>

  1.  US Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E) Conference

The DOE sponsored U.S. Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E) conference will take place on December 8 and 9, 2020 (it will be a virtual conference):

https://www.c3eawards.org/2020

The conference includes cash awards for winners of the poster competition so please share this email with female-identifying undergraduate and graduate students or postdocs working in any of the following energy areas:

Basic Energy Science, Built Environment and Infrastructure, Climate and Environment, Developing World, Energy Education, Energy Efficiency, Fossil Energy Emissions Mitigation, Nuclear Energy, Policy and Finance, Power Distribution and Energy Storage, Renewable Energy, Transportation

The 2020 U.S. C3E poster competition

Students and early-career researchers are invited to participate in a poster competition at the annual U.S. C3E Symposium and Awards, which will be held online in December. The poster competition exposes symposium attendees to cutting-edge research in a variety of clean energy fields. A poster committee with wide-ranging expertise will select the most compelling poster submissions for presentation at the symposium with an eye toward diversity of institution, topic, and discipline. The poster presenter must be a female-identifying undergraduate student, graduate student, or postdoctoral researcher currently undertaking the research project presented.

Enter by Wednesday, October 7 at 11:59 pm ET. Check out details and apply.<https://mit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1a57a715520513505ca5cda89&id=5f9cc2ca11&e=46ff92d2e6>

Related: Are you joining the C3E competition? Do you need help on your poster? MITEI will match you with a mentor to help coach you through the process. For more information, please contact Diane Rigos<mailto:rigosa at mit.edu>.

  1.  Upcoming WEST Events

10/6: Making better decisions: Pre-mortem analysis and other cognitive tools for better outcomes in life, love, and work<https://www.westorg.org/2020-10-06-better-decisions>

10/7: Book Club - The Likeability Trap<https://www.westorg.org/2020-10-07-book-club-likeability-trap>

  1.  MLK Visiting Scholar Virtual Luncheon with Patricia Saulis

Part of the MLK Visiting Professors and Scholars program.

Wednesday, October 14 @ 12:00 pm EST

Zoom information available upon registration

Psiw Ntolnapemok, All my Relations

Join MIT’s 2020-2021 MLK Visiting Scholar Patricia Saulis for a presentation on important topics from her research and personal experiences.

Indigenous culture, practices, knowledge systems and protocol is an integral part of redressing systemic racism. Ms. Saulis will discuss the idea of erasure that has permeated our society and how acts of genocide have impacted if and how people see and hear Indigenous Peoples.

Specific to MIT, she will cover the actions taken by the Institute thus far to set a better relationship with Indigenous students and offer next steps to be taken. Her lecture will conclude both with gratitude and hope for all our future generations as we seek to reconcile the injustices of the past.

Zoom information will be made available to registrants via email prior to the event.

Learn more about this event<https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mlk-visiting-scholar-luncheon-with-ms-patricia-saulis-tickets-122616488217>

  1.  Path of Professorship Workshop

The Office of Graduate Education is pleased to announce the opening of this year's application to our Path of Professorship workshop. This workshop is designed for graduate and post-doctoral womxn, an umbrella term we use to mean cisgender and transgender women, non-binary people, and gender diverse people. The workshop's aim is to provide information about academic scientific careers and the application process. Each year we are able to gather a wonderful group of womxn professors from MIT and a diverse range of colleges and universities about their experiences in academia. This year is no different and we are expecting an exciting and informative weekend.

Attendees learn:

  *   Key strategies for applying and interviewing for academic positions
  *   The importance of networking and how to manage networking with peers and superiors
  *   Insights from deans and department chairs about what to negotiate for once you have the offer
  *   Advice from faculty on things you can do now and during your hire to make your tenure-track years as smooth and successful as possible
  *   Characteristics of different types of universities
  *   Advice on maintaining a balanced life, in light of rigorous demands of a career in academia
**Note: materials and networking opportunities will be provided
Path of Professorship will be held over Zoom this year and will be split up into three different days: Friday, November 6th - Sunday, November 8th from 1 PM EST to about 5/6 PM EST each day. Topics covered will range from "What Type of Institution is Right for You?" to "The Tenure Process".
More information and the application<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfD6bQh5eQROol4gfCub8_eSw8hQJz2RnZ711_VFQfMlZTb_Q/viewform?usp=sf_link> are available at http://oge.mit.edu/development/pop/
**The application will close on October 15th and selected applicants will be notified shortly thereafter.
We hope you will consider applying if you think academia may be in your future.
(This workshop is sponsored by the Office of Graduate Education with support for postdoctoral womxn from the Office of the VP for Research.)

  1.  Black Doctoral Network Virtual Grad School Fair

The BDN Virtual Graduate School Fair is a professional event for undergraduate students who are interested in attending graduate school programs.

Candidate Information: Recruiters are considered representatives from companies or organizations that are recruiting for graduate school admissions or career openings. Candidates will have the opportunity to share their resumes, virtual business cards and other documents with recruiters. Candidates will also have the ability to engage in a chat or video call with recruiters. Candidates will begin interacting with the recruiters when the event goes live. Registration to the recruitment fair is FREE for all candidates.

Sign up at. www.blackphdnetwork.org/virtualrecruit<http://www.blackphdnetwork.org/virtualrecruit>

  1.  Fund It Forward Student Video Challenge

The Science Coalition recently launched its second-annual Fund It Forward Student Video Challenge<https://www.sciencecoalition.org/student-video-challenge-2020/>, which is a great opportunity for students and researchers on campus to get involved in science advocacy and earn cash prizes! The challenge is open now until October 19. The power of a great story can change the world, and now more than ever, it’s important we share the value of science to advocate for increased federal funding for research.

Cash prizes from $500 to $1,000 will be awarded to the top three graduate and undergraduate student winners, with an additional opportunity for finalists to earn more through the People’s Choice Award. You don’t have to be a scientist to enter—if you’re passionate about science, we want to hear from you. It’s time to fund it forward.

Enter today! More details can be found on the website<https://www.sciencecoalition.org/student-video-challenge-2020/>, and questions can be directed to tsc at sciencecoalition.org<mailto:tsc at sciencecoalition.org>.

  1.  Full-Stack App Developer Internship Opportunity

Position: We are seeking a full-stack developer intern to join our team to refine our mobile application. The back-end currently uses a Python Django framework, and the front-end was built using React Native. The intern will need to dedicate 10-15 hours per week to our venture. Depending on performance and if desired, the intern will also have the opportunity to join our team (still on a part time basis) and receive equity in our business.

Background: Loneliness and depression are on the rise, and younger workers, who make up 67M individuals in the USA, feel it most - 71% say they feel alone due to work and life transitions and the lack of a support system (Cigna). This problem is expected to only worsen post COVID-19 with many jobs will move virtually, giving young workers little to no way to meet new people.

The Company: We are an early-stage startup that aims to revolutionize the way young professionals form social and professional connections to combat the aforementioned issues. Through extensive research, surveys, and conversations, we have found promising evidence for widespread usage of a sleek, easy-to-use mobile application that specifically targets young professionals. We have built a minimum-viable product and were accepted by the Founders Institute Accelerator (has helped founders raise over $950M in funding) as well as Halo Incubator's Fall 2020 cohort. We have started conversations with potential investors and plan to launch our app in Summer 2021.

Requirements:

1) Ability to debug and refine existing code to ensure the app is functioning smoothly and as efficiently as possible

2) Ability to embed additional functionality to enhance the user experience. For example, we would like content displayed to change depending on a user’s location.

3) Not required but a plus - Familiarity of backend app deployment on servers, supporting HTTP and websocket connections (need to host the Django App over multiple server machines with the load distributed with a load balancer if needed or through another hosting platform)

If interested, please email kd2746 at columbia.edu<mailto:kd2746 at columbia.edu> and manasa.grandhi at gmail.com<mailto:manasa.grandhi at gmail.com>

  1.  Get Ready to Vote in 2020! National Voter Registration Day & Vote by Mail Information

MITvote<https://vote.mit.edu/> is a non-partisan student organization actively working to increase voter turnout and civic engagement throughout the MIT community. This election cycle the Presidency, hundreds of congressional seats, and critical state and local offices will be on the ballot across the country. Register to vote and make sure your voice is heard in this important election!

Register to Vote: Register at TurboVote<https://mit.turbovote.org/> - don’t miss these key steps<http://vote.mit.edu/turbovote-help/TurboVote_Instructions.pdf>. Tuesday, September 22 is National Voter Registration Day!

Vote by Mail: If you plan to vote by mail/absentee, please request your ballot ASAP (can use TurboVote<https://mit.turbovote.org/>) and return your ballot as soon as you receive it, either by mail or using a ballot drop box, to ensure that your ballot arrives on time.

Dates and Deadlines: Go to vote411<https://www.vote411.org/select-state> and select your state.

Voting Questions and Resources: Contact MITvote <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdYUQwM9_WcuLZxaBVWHfcy3TKGEzJZNiErjFP3t3UMFZxqZQ/viewform> with any voting questions and check out MITvote’s website <https://vote.mit.edu/> for more voting resources.

Motivation to Vote: MITvote members have written a series of non-partisan blog posts through the PKG center about why it’s important for students to vote:

Why the STEM Vote Matters<https://pkgcenter.mit.edu/2020/08/11/mitvote-guest-blog-why-the-stem-vote-matters/?fbclid=IwAR1ii9-r9R8ELmMQsdp58ZFiXatBBqoQ_OndraFO1V23bsr7rHkyhgc5MgY>

The Importance of State Elections<https://pkgcenter.mit.edu/2020/06/11/mitvote-guest-blog-the-importance-of-state-elections/?fbclid=IwAR1P57zIsbZUGPkqV89ArvMC1xd0S7cxCmrcYitLX1nvNYHCN2QdISOpX_U>

Motivated By The Fight for Racial Justice? Vote in your Local Elections<https://pkgcenter.mit.edu/2020/06/29/mitvote-guest-blog-motivated-by-the-fight-for-racial-justice-vote-in-your-local-elections/?fbclid=IwAR10GCOO46F5cC3oazWpIDSYBw7LG1hv0XaCn734jP59bz4LRiZ5AqbAeZo>

A Reflection on Absentee Voting<https://pkgcenter.mit.edu/2020/04/29/guest-blog-from-mitvote-a-reflection-on-absentee-voting/>

Why I Vote<https://pkgcenter.mit.edu/2020/04/20/guest-blog-from-mitvote-why-i-vote/?fbclid=IwAR1wtO5gNIgkIjq5vEgu40LnAbK8KsCbjiAWwdW5UQWh4i264KoICvaq2Fc>

  1.  The Social Scientist Mentorship Program

The Social Scientist is a nonprofit initiative for career guidance and advice in the STEM fields. In order to provide resources for all, The Social Scientist is an online platform for STEM mentorship. Our core program model aims to provide a global community of higher education students and professionals that are accessible and willing to dedicate their time for mentorship. We are an interdisciplinary group of diverse mentors that engage with young students and advocate for those already immersed in the STEM fields.  https://www.thesocialscientist.org

We connect with mentees in an informal setting to encourage a relaxed and easy conversation. The Social Scientist mentors can speak upon their education, career path and provide valuable insight on the nature of their work. From graduate students to industry directors, all of our mentors have diverse backgrounds and endured their own struggles and success with their career trajectory. We currently have enlisted STEM volunteers from across the world in Academia, Engineering, Industry, Writing/Publishing, US Government, Technology, Mathematics and Alternative Careers. We follow up with every inquirer after their chat to ensure a high-quality interaction with the mentors and establish an ongoing relationship between them and The Social Scientist. Additionally, our mentors have set up ongoing communication with their mentees to provide stable and long-term mentorship. Mentorship is critical at every stage of one’s career and we aim to create opportunities in STEM that are not equally and widely available. Currently, 67% of our mentors are women in STEM.

  1.  NEGWiSE Upcoming Virtual Events - Check Back for More Details Soon!

October: Creating Environments and Organizations that Effect Change for Minority & First-generation Students presented by Deja Knight (she/her/hers), a Master of Public Health Candidate at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in the department of Health and Social Behavior. At Harvard, Deja also serves as an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Fellow in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

November: Designing Your STEM Experience with Dr. Ellise LaMotte (she/her/hers), the Director of the Center for STEM Diversity at Tufts University, a role in which she directs the Center as it supports underrepresented populations in STEM fields through programmatic offerings, as well as financial and social/emotional support.

  1.  Outreach Opportunities with Science Club for Girls

Science Club for Girls (SCFG)<https://www.scienceclubforgirls.org> is a nonprofit organization whose mission is “to foster excitement, confidence, and literacy in STEM for girls, particularly those from underrepresented communities, by providing free, experiential programs and by maximizing meaningful interactions with women STEM mentors.”

Mentors: SCFG is looking for volunteers to serve as mentor scientists and lead fun, hands-on science experiments with girls of ages ranging from kindergarten to 8th grade. This semester, the program will be virtual via Zoom and all materials will be provided by SCFG. Virtual clubs will run for 8 weeks beginning the week of Oct. 5 and will be held at the following times:

Tuesdays 3-5pm

Thursdays 3-5pm

Saturdays 10am-12pm

There will be a mandatory online training session on Saturday, September 26 from 9:30am-12pm.

Please register to be a mentor by filling out this application<https://www.tfaforms.com/4824242>.

SCFGLive Committee: SCFG is also seeking volunteers to assist with video editing and production, script writing, advertising and outreach, and conducting interviews for their weekly Live SCFG programming<https://www.scienceclubforgirls.org/scfglive>  If interested in joining the SCFGLive Committee, please send an email to hweinstock at scienceclubforgirls.org.

Other Volunteer Opportunities: If you are not able to commit to weekly mentoring or participating in the SCFGLive Committee but would still like to volunteer, you can find other options for SCFG volunteer opportunities here<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfNw2UKUqiU66lh-npPw0vOp2qAHGfiT4YlFurlcsGupQQitA/viewform>

  1.  STEMxx Chats

STEMxx Chats is helping trainees, especially women in STEM, succeed in their career paths and in life. At MIT, our predominant benefit will be to undergrads and graduate students. We will address key gaps in facilitating their career development with particular emphasis on professional development tricks and soft skills that they’re not getting in any systematic way. We hope to offer mentorship, support and guidance while addressing key gaps in facilitating their career development. We hope to create a group culture that is uniquely focused on the person, has a high positive tone, emphasizes positive impact, and seeks to do this in a sustained way and have personal friendships form as opposed to one-and-done activities. We hope that creating a culturally and academically diverse group at MIT will allow you to share similar experiences while benefitting from the resources and events of the greater STEMxx Chats community. Below is the interest form for those wanting to join. We will host monthly meetings in addition to the broader STEMxx Chats events (eg. panels on career decisions, key speakers from top women in STEM, etc). We also have Twitter and Instagram (@stemxx_chats) for those who want to learn about the latest events.

Feel free to reach out to the organizers (Shirley Chen, schenxy at mit.edu and Mariana Avila, avilam at mit.edu) if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you in the fall.

Website: https://aliceestanton.wixsite.com/aliceestanton/stemxxchats

Interest form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfxDhfUz57xILhrgSkIGwUYufkRhrzyxfbRC81wA6pMQByyQA/viewform?usp=pp_url

  1.  The IDHR Student Advisory Committee is looking for more students to join this year!

MIT’s Institute Discrimination & Harassment Response<http://idhr.mit.edu/> Office (IDHR) is dedicated to preventing and addressing discrimination and discriminatory harassment across the Institute. The Student Advisory Committee<https://idhr.mit.edu/our-office/get-involved/student-advisory-committee> is made up of undergraduate and graduate students from across the Institute who provide feedback and input to the IDHR office regarding our messaging and outreach campaigns and help us most effectively engage with the student body. In addition to monthly committee meetings, the student advisory committee has two subcommittees focused on: 1) institutional advocacy and 2) messaging & partnerships. To get involved, contact idhr-education at mit.edu<mailto:idhr-education at mit.edu>

  1.  MITxHarvard Women in AI Group

Are you interested in Artificial Intelligence? Curious about neural networks, GANs, reinforcement learning, neuro-symbolic approaches, or program induction? If you don’t know what any of those are, but want to learn, think, and discuss not only the technical side of machine learning and AI, but the ethics of AI and applications to biomedicine, cognitive science, environmental sciences, and more! Then we’d love to have you join the MITxHarvard Women in AI Group!!

We are a new initiative spanning both MIT and Harvard, composed of undergraduate and graduate students, seeking to provide a welcoming, supportive community for students excited about AI (no prior background is needed!!)

Our group centers around two prongs: 1) aiming to bring together students of all backgrounds to talk about AI in a supportive community via Zoom paper reading sessions, lightning talks, project sessions, and a fun Slack page! and 2) developing outreach material to get other students excited about AI! We’ve already begun an interview series with amazing women in tech from professors at Harvard, MIT, and Caltech to researchers at DeepMind and Microsoft! This will be posted on our website and YouTube shortly, and we are eager to have more student interviewers on board! If you want to meet other cool students at MIT and Harvard or want to help with our interview series, outreach, and more, please sign-up here: https://tinyurl.com/mitharvardwai<https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.com%2Fmitharvardwai%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR09t8hzcjSGIrTn9svLmU5Xhisb1llWs8ly84av5cDf406_47KdVAEuqBo&h=AT1QrLxISgTmJtxzinOvL3tkkcrqcnRyrang_ahmhjmgHzblO5YayvhoLx4euu9Y4KcMHJt4vbf9BbPHiFWnzY8LuV8voyXFims5iCAonHXAMvb6S_fD9Cuv4Wv8RzcWcVhCq-xvtQg>

Feel free to check out our initial website https://web.mit.edu/women-ai/ or reach out to wai_exec at mit.edu  if you have questions or want to learn more!!

  1.  Join GrasshoppHer’s #braveboldboundless

Looking to build your resume and meet company executives?

Want to help solve problems of social equity in the workplace?

We have the perfect opportunity for you!

We are GrasshoppHer, a mobile app for both companies and individuals that connects female and non-binary mentees and mentors, and we are organizing our inaugural #braveboldboundless Ideathon! In the wake of the BLM movement and the COVID crisis, it has become apparent that our workplaces are not as equal as we initially thought. And in true millennial fashion, WE’RE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

We want to hear from YOU on how the workplace can become more inclusive across racial and gender lines. Additionally, by participating you will have the chance to win:

A $500 cash prize

Mentorship from a sponsoring company on implementing your idea

An invitation to a winners-round table with sponsoring companies

And many more!

Additionally this ideathon is a great opportunity to build your network as we will have representatives from major firms in consulting, banking, media, tech, retail, CPG and many other industries!

If sparking meaningful change within workplaces across the nation is something you are interested in, check out our ideathon flyer.<https://rlink.re/l/235386c1/c1b5/44e3/bea9/714763a5e230>

  1.  WEST Dynamic Pod Mentoring

In the fall of 2020, WEST will pilot a non-traditional, dynamic pod mentoring program.

The 2020 pilot program will be small with 8 mentors and 20 mentees. It will consist of four 2-hour sessions. Mentors and mentees will participate in:

A kickoff meeting on 9/29 (with training information, goal setting exercise, 1 sample pod session)

3 meetings on 10/13, 10/27, and 11/10 (includes networking and 2 pod sessions in each 2 hour meeting)

Total time commitment: four bi-weekly meetings, starting at 6:00 pm and ending at 8:00 pm

In each session, mentees will:

Explore up to 2 topics, with feedback from 1 mentor and up to 3 mentees (i.e., a pod) per topic

Expand their network with 30 minutes of structured networking

Discuss a specific challenge/goal and come out with concrete and actionable feedback

The cost of participation for the pilot program is $50, currently open to WEST members only. If you belong to an underrepresented group in STEM and need a scholarship to cover the cost of a year-long WEST membership and a spot in this mentoring program, please email info at westorg.org<mailto:info at westorg.org>.

  1.  Become a gwaMIT department rep!

gwaMIT is accepting applications for the position of department representatives! As a gwaMIT department rep, you'll build connections across MIT and help in the personal & professional development of graduate womxn. It is also a powerful means to bring about department-level change and strive towards a more equitable and inclusive MIT. The position lasts for one year, with an option for renewal. Read more about the role and responsibilities here<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BepM4QWy2tUO7ju1dkIOt69lb9wJb_DIs9Us_ljVqUA/edit>. Fill out the short application form here<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfxO1KrUGe7rS_tvZsAW8jOOMFNBnv5BdAi4ssn1svoKUqV9w/viewform>. Womxn who are members of underrepresented and minoritized groups are encouraged to apply. The departments with openings are: Sloan, ChemE, Arch, PolSci, HASTS, Humanities, Writing, NSE, CCWCE, CMS, CSB, MAS, CRE, CCE, CTL, EECS. If the position is currently filled, but you are still interested in being involved with gwaMIT, email us to let us know! We have multiple avenues for engagement in gwaMIT's activities and initiatives.

“Fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you”

-Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
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