WiN has been busy these past six months, progressing from an idea suggested over beers to a formal organization with weekly meetings, funding, and accomplishments already under our belt. After our establishment in the Spring of 2018, WiN held formal elections to select an executive committee consisting of Angie Michaiel (President), Daryn Blanc-Goldhammer (Vice-President), Rachel Lukowicz (Secretary), and Emily Heckman (Treasurer), and worked with the Institute of Neuroscience to secure funding for our first year. Although a small group, we have had lofty goals from the beginning to help promote gender equity in both our local community and within science in general.
Journal Clubs: We use data to illuminate the gender discrepancies that exist in science, the reasons they exist, and how each of us can individually work to combat this problem. Sarah Beyeler presented A tale of two sexes and Diversity begets diversity to showcase the importance of community in promoting gender equity (and overall diversity) in science (Joels and Mason 2014, Potvin et al., 2018). Mandi Severson, presenting Science faculty’s subtle gender biases favor male students and Seeing is believing: Exposure to counterstereotypic women leaders and its effect on the malleability of automatic gender stereotyping led a discussion on how implicit gender bias can influence our perceived potential of others (Moss-Racusin et al. 2012, Dasgupta & Asgari 2004). From these journal clubs, it is evident that we need to increase female representation in leadership roles, individually be overtly supportive of diversity, and have visible diversity statements on department websites. Since these discussions, a diversity statement has been added to the ION website and several faculty have added statements to their lab websites.
Career Discussion Luncheons: WiN has hosted five well-attended career discussion lunches with female ION seminar speakers. Speakers open up in this personal setting, sharing their struggles, successes, and advice. In addition to exposing students to prominent female neuroscientists, trainees have the opportunity to informally network and gain valuable insight into navigating both academia and industry.
Our Fall 2018 speakers were:
Ellen Hoffman, MD, PhD
Marlene Behrmann, PhD
Cecilia Moens, PhD
Caitlin Tenison, PhD
Nicola Grissom, PhD
WiN Kick-off Social: Around 40 people attended our inaugural social including faculty, staff, postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduates from ION and beyond (including a student who drove all the way from OSU!). This inclusive and diverse event was a great chance for members of our community to learn about WiN’s goals and how they can support our mission.
Other efforts to support and empower womxn in science: WiN is offering a Scholarship and a Travel Grant to support womxn and allies. WiN has also worked with Dr. Nadia Singh this term to promote the Biology Mentoring Network, providing female graduate students with support from female faculty.
Although off to a strong start, we still have a long way to go. We invite you to keep attending our socials and journal clubs, as well as to look out for our biweekly newsletters that will be starting winter term!
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