Past Events

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7th Annual Symposium: "A Toolkit for Career Success" & Awards Banquet

• May 8
• Annual WiSTEM Symposium focused on "A Toolkit for Career Success" followed by a Networking & Awards Banquet where the annual WiSTEM awards were announced.
• More information
• Photos

Turning Over a New Leaf: Annual Plant Swap

• April 20
• Collaboration with Advocates for Mental Health (AMH) that encouraged campus members to trade plant cuttings and garden seedlings, paint mini plant pots, and talk about mental health.

St. Mary's Academy Mentorship Campus Visit

• April 20
• Students from our St. Mary's Academy High School Mentorship Program were invited to spend the day at CU Anschutz where they got to tour laboratories and learn from campus members.
• More information

Book Club

• January 13
• Discussed imposter syndrome and the book "The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women" by Dr. Valerie Young.

St. Mary's Academy Mentorship Meeting 2

• November 17
• Discussed pathways in college.
• More information

WiSTEM/AIA/LGBTQ+ Hub Career Panel

• November 10
• Collaborated with the Academia Industry Alliance (AIA) and LGBTQ+ Hub to host a career panel with panelists from industry and academia focusing on gender diversity in STEM and bridging the gap between industry and academic careers.

National STEM Day Hot Cocoa Bar

• November 8
• To celebrate National STEM Day and show gratitude to all the amazing scientists at CU AMC, WiSTEM hosted a free hot cocoa bar!

St. Mary's Academy Mentorship Meeting 1

• October 20
• Introduced mentors, mentees, and program expectations.

Free Professional Headshots

• October 19
• Provided free professional headshots and breakfast to over 200 campus members!

Mentorship Program Kick Off

• October 7
• Introduced mentorship program participants and established expectations.
• More information
• Video

Kick Off Picnic

• September 22
• Outdoor kick off event featuring snacks, games, and community building.

WiSTEM 2022-23 Elections

• July 14
• Elected new officers to the WiSTEM board.

Open Officer Meeting

• June 30
• Discussed upcoming officer elections and officer board positions.
• Video

Mentorship Program Pizza Party

• June 10
• End-of-year celebration & networking event for the Mentorship Program.

Undergraduate Pre-Health Program Career Exploration: Graduate School

• June 7
• Graduate student volunteers worked with the CU Anschutz UPP to answer students' questions about graduate school and work through an activity focused on drug development.

6th Annual Symposium: "Combating Biases: Fighting for Diversity in STEM"

• May 24
• Annual Women in STEM Symposium featuring speakers from across campus. Annual awards given out.
• More information.

Earth Day Campus Clean Up

• April 21
• To celebrate Earth Day and give back to our campus community, we collected garbage from across campus and properly disposed of it. Thank you to everyone who helped!

"Getting a Fresh Start" Plant Swap

• March 24
• To encourage self care, we passed out starter kits for garden and house plants accompanied with instructions for care of both the plant and yourself.

St. Mary's Academy Mentorship Meeting 5

• February 23
• Mentors gave virtual tours of their laboratories. Learn more about the SMA mentorship program here.

Book Club: Grit by Angela Duckworth

• February 3
• Guided discussion of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth.

Women in STEM Seminar

• January 28
• Hosted Dr. Tânia Reis (Associate Professor, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes) to share her academic journey, emphasizing the challenges she faced, how she overcame them, and advice on navigating academic science.

St. Mary's Academy Mentorship Meeting 4

• January 26
• Mentors shared their research projects and what their typical day as a scientist looks like. Learn more about the SMA mentorship program here.

New Years Mentorship Mixer

• January 4
• Discussion of mentorship program, opportunity for program participants to meet and mingle.

Holiday Food Drive

• December 16
• Collected 250 pounds of non-perishable food for the Food Bank of the Rockies. Thank you to everyone who donated!

St. Mary's Academy Mentorship Meeting 3

• December 10
• Hosted a question and answer session for the mentees. Learn more about the SMA mentorship program here.

PRA Appreciation Day

• November 18
• Distributed thank you goody bags to Anschutz Professional Research Assistants.

St. Mary's Academy Mentorship Meeting 2

• November 10
• Discussed different fields in science and relevant college majors. Learn more about the SMA mentorship program here.

St. Mary's Academy Mentorship Meeting 1

• October 28
• Introduction of mentors and mentees. Learn more about the SMA mentorship program here.

5th Annual Symposium: Breaking Barriers

• October 27
• Annual Women in STEM Symposium featuring speakers from campus and the community. Annual awards announced at the end.
• More information
• Video

General Body Meeting

• October 18
• Introduction to Women in STEM highlighting our annual events, outreach opportunities, and mentorship program.
• Video

Mentorship Program Kick-Off

• October 7
• Introduced mentorship program participants and established expectations.
• More information

Welcome Picnic

• September 30
• Outdoor kick-off event featuring snacks, games, and community building.

Book Club: The Beauty in Breaking

• June 8
• The Beauty in Breaking by Michele Harper
• Books distributed thanks to grant seed funding from the Graduate Student Council (GSC).

Undergraduate Pre-Health Program Career Exploration: Graduate School

• June 8
• Graduate student volunteers worked with the CU Anschutz UPP to answer students' questions about graduate school and work through an activity focused on drug development.

Picture a Scientist Discussion

• May 10
• Group discussion based on Picture a Scientist documentary. Topics revolved around sexism in academia.

Family Building Workshop 3: PhD Students and Post Doc Benefits

• May 6
• Covered topics related to pregnancy and family building while working as a PhD student or post-doctoral fellow. Featured Rebecca Brannon, CU Anschutz's Student Health Insurance Program Manager to discuss insurance coverage during pregnancy.
• Video

Women's History Month Event with Society of Women Engineers (SWE)

• March 29
• Discussion of women "forgotten" in the history of STEM. Panel discussion featuring Dr. Sujatha Jagannathan (Dept. of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics), Dr. Kate Goodman (InWorks, CU Denver), and Pamela Whitten (Dept. of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, CU Denver).
• Video

Book Club: Inferior

• March 29
• Inferior by Angela Saini
• Books distributed thanks to grant seed funding from the Graduate Student Council (GSC).

Why Aren't More Women in Computer Science?

• February 24
• Hosted Dr. Heather Thiry from the Ethnography & Evaluation Research group at CU Boulder. Dr. Thiry discussed the lack of representation of women in computer science and how women and people of color are often excluded from these opportunities.
• Video

Family Building Workshop 2: Lactation and Lactation Resources on Campus

• February 19
• Presentations and discussions focused on lactation. Dr. Jenifer Monks (Div. of Reproductive Sciences) presented on mammary gland development, Pamela Alvarez (Milk & Cookies) presented on CU Anschutz's lactation support group, Shanna Petersen (Office of Equity) presented on lactation resources available on campus, and Karolina Ochoa, a lactation consultant, shared lactation advice.
• Video

Wellness Series: Dance, Cardio, and Stretch

• February 18
• Interactive dance, cardio, and stretch workout session hosted via Zoom.

Learn to Compost with Wompost

• January 25
• Hosted Carolyn Pace, the owner and founder of Wompost. Information included what is composting, how to get started, and how composting addressed climate change.
• Video

Science Communication Panel

• January 21
• Discussed the importance of science communication across academia, industry, policy, and other fields. Panelists included Dr. Lora Wilson (Pfizer), Alex Witze (freelance writer), Dr. Emily Beck (Micromatrix), and Dr. Hua Huang (National Jewish Health).
• Video

Book Club: The Myth of the Nice Girl

• December 2
• The Myth of the Nice Girl by Fran Hauser

Mentorship Panel

• October 26
• Presentations on mentoring and tips followed by Q&A and discussion. Panel included Dr. Sean Colgan (Dept. of Gastroenterology and Hepatology), Dr. Rebecca Schweppe (Div. of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes), and Dr. Laura Saba (Dept. of Pharmaceutical Sciences).

Family Building Workshop 1: Safety During Pregnancy

• October 16
• Discussion of rights and responsibilities while pregnant including the Family Medical Leave Act and reproductive health hazards.
• Video

Meet the Officers

• September 25
• Introduced officers and upcoming events, played Science Scattergories.

Mentorship Program Kick-Off

• September 17
• Introduced mentorship program participants and established expectations.
• More information here.
• Video

WiSTEM Spring Symposium Speaker Series

• June 16, June 26, and June 30
• Presentations by Dr. Rosario Medina (Associate Dean of Clinical and Community Affairs), Dr. Jennifer Kiser (Dept. of Pharmaceutical Sciences), and Dr. Cathy Bodine (Center for Bioengineering) discussing, "How Far Women Have Come in STEM."
• More information here.

Girl Scout STEM Day: Chat with a Scientist

• May 4-9
• Opportunity for students (2nd-10th grade) to learn from and ask questions of professional scientists representing a wide variety of disciplines. Science disciplines included ecology, civil engineering, medicine, data science, and neuroscience.
• More information here.

Mentorship Mixer: End of Year

• April 22, 3-4PM
• Event to wrap-up a successful year of the mentorship program. 
• More information here.

Self Defense Workshop

• February 26, 2-3PM
• Lesson on the self defense method Tabimina Balintawak with 3 experienced instructors.

Winter Science Day

• February 13, 10AM-2PM
• Hosted Vista Prep High School students for a day of fun, hands-on experiments that simulated STEM careers, such as brain surgeon or biomedical engineer.

Lunch Hour: How's the Water? Awareness and Culture Change in STEM

• January 23, 1-2PM
• Kelley Burns presented on awareness, how to perceive events, and how to practice being comfortable in uncomfortable situations.

Wellness Series: Yoga

• January 8, 8:30-9:30AM
• Group yoga class.

Mentorship Mixer: New Years Edition

• January 6, 12-1PM
• Mentors and mentees gathered for lunch, determined their enneagram personality type, and discussed how to apply enneagram information to work settings and beyond. 
• More information here.

Wellness Series: Yoga

• December 10, 8:30-9:30AM
• Group yoga class.

Lunch Hour: Redefining the Landscape of Masculinity

• November 22, 12-1PM
• Hosted Evan Sticca (Movember Foundation) for a presentation and discussion on "healthy masculinity."

Wellness Series: Yoga

• November 12, 8:30-9:30AM
• Group yoga class.

Craftworking Series: Making a Connection

• October 17, 4-5PM
• Devon Trahan (Academic Industry Alliance) and Bruce Mandt (Career Development Office) presented tips on how to enhance your elevator pitch and how to maintain professional connections. Before the presentation, attendees were taught to make DNA-inspired macramé keychains.

Wellness Series: Yoga

• October 15, 8:30-9:30AM
• Group yoga class.

Lunch Hour: Careers in the Biotech Pipeline

• October 10, 12-1:30PM
• Co-hosted with Academic Industry Alliance (AIA) and the Postdoc Association (PDA)
• Thomas Livelli (Vice President, Promega) presented on various roles and job opportunities in the life science industry.

Diversity Potluck

• September 30, 12-1PM
• Co-hosted with PRISM, AIR, SACNAS, PDA, Milk & Cookies, and others
• Lunch potluck to showcase the diverse groups on campus.

Movie Night: Hidden Figures

• September 19, 5-7PM
• Showed movie followed by a discussion of a paper focused on hidden contributions in research.

Mentorship Mixer

• September 13, 9-10AM
• Opportunity for mentors and mentees to learn more about the program, network with each other, and discuss expectations.
• More information here.

Coffee Kickoff

• September 11, 2:30-3:30PM
•  Introduced officers and upcoming events.

Wellness Series: Yoga

• September 10, 8:30-9:30AM
• Group yoga class.

Wellness Series: Yoga

• July 9, 8:30-9:30AM
• Group yoga class.

Wellness Series: Breathwork

• June 14, 9-10AM
• Breathwork class led by three expert breathwork facilitators; Alexandra Jenkins, Madeline Stephenson, and Taylore Landry.

End of Year Celebration

• June 12, 4:30-6PM
• Officers and members gathered at Ursula Brewery to network and discuss plans for the 2019-2020 year.

Wellness Series: Yoga

• June 11, 8:30-9:30AM
• Group yoga class.

WiSTEM Spring Symposium: Dealing with Imposter Syndrome & Overcoming Barriers

• June 5, 1-8PM
• Featured multiple presentations and a panel. Included two industry speakers, Kaycee Palumbo (GE Healthcare) and Lauren Costantini (Neuraptive Therapeutics), keynote speaker Dr. Sonia Flores (Dept. of Medicine & Microbiology), an imposter syndrome workshop led by Ashley Bourke (WiSTEM co-founder), and a career panel focused on transitioning into a career and overcoming imposter syndrome and other barriers.
• Symposium was followed by Outstanding Women in STEM Networking Reception and Awards Banquet.
• More information here.
• Photos

Wellness Series: Yoga

• May 21, 8:30-9:30AM
• Group yoga class.

Classroom Visits

• May 9 and May 16
• Provided lessons and hands-on experiments for 5th and 8th graders from Soaring Heights Academy. Activities included an iodine clock reaction and an oil spill activity.

Mentorship Program Kick Off Party

• May 7, 4:15-5:45PM
• Opportunity for mentors and mentees to learn about the program, meet each other, and discuss expectations.
• More information here.

Girl Scout STEM Day: 2019

• May 4
• With the help of 40 volunteers, we hosted 149 Girl Scouts for a day of learning and hands-on activities. Included a lunch career panel featuring six women in STEM.
• More information here.
• Photos

Wellness Series: Yoga

• April 9, 8:30-9:30AM
• Group yoga class.

Mentorship Program Interest Meeting

• March 20, 12-1PM
• Attendees completed a survey about mentoring experience and desires. Discussed format of the program, ideas, and next steps.
• More information here.

Wellness Series: Yoga

• March 7, 9-10AM
• Group yoga class.

Craftworking Series: Bath Bombs & Self Care

• February 20, 4-5PM
• Instructions for making bath bombs given. Watched Dr. Guy Winch's TedTalk on practicing emotional hygiene followed by a discussion of self care.

STEM Night at Northridge Elementary

• January 31
• Hosted a booth at a local elementary school's STEM night. Featured a demonstration of an iodine clock reaction.

Craftworking Series: What's the Icing on Your Cake?

• December 13, 4-5PM
• Hosted Dr. Lora Wilson (Pfizer) to discuss how to brand yourself. Attendees decorated cupcakes while discussing personal branding.

Movie Night: The Life and Science of Marian Diamond

• November 15, 6-8PM
• Co-hosted with 500 Women Scientists Denver Pod.
• Screening followed by discussion about diversity and inclusion in science.

Lunch Hour: Mentoring

• November 9, 12-1PM
• Lunch discussion focused on how to find a mentor, how to find mentoring opportunities, desired qualities in a mentor, and how to evaluate the success of a mentoring relationship.

Craftworking Series: Brew Your Own Kombucha

• October 18
• Hosted Dr. Vanessa Phelan (Dept. of Pharmaceutical Sciences) who studies the microbiome. Taught attendees how to brew kombucha at home and provided opportunities for attendees to network with each other.

Diversity Potluck

• September 18
• Co-hosted with PRISM, AIR, and SACNAS
• Lunch potluck to showcase the diverse groups on campus.

Science Trivia Night

• September 5
• Co-hosted with 500 Women Scientists Denver Pod.
• Fun night of science trivia, opportunity for our members to connect with the broader community.

End of Year Party

• June 14
• Party for members of Women in STEM, gave out AWIS membership awards.

Pre-Health Scholars Outreach

• June 4 and June 14
• Interactive activities for both high school and undergraduate students focused on teaching about graduate education and research.

WiSTEM Spring Symposium: Hearing All Voices: Inclusivity and Intersectionality in STEM

• June 8
• Included a keynote session from 500 Women Scientists founders and leaders (Jane Zelikov, Jessica Metcalf, and Beth Bartel), an identity workshop from SACNAS, a privilege and allyship workshop from PRISM, as a presentation on community engagement through communication from Women in STEM officers.
• More information here.
• Photos

Lunch Hour: Meditation & Relaxation

• May 30
• 45-minute meditation led by Daniel Blakeman (CU Anschutz Health & Wellness Center) followed by snacks and networking.

Lunch Hour: Mental Health

• April 27
• Discussion of current mental health crisis, especially relating to graduate students, and what we can do to better support those in academia.
  

Bring Your Child to Work Day

• April 25
• Hosted an opportunity to bring children to work for both employees and the community.

Girl Scout STEM Day: 2018

• April 14
• With the help of over 40 volunteers, we hosted 150 Girl Scouts for a day of learning and hands-on activities.
• More information here.
• Photos

Lunch Hour: Biases Against Women in STEM

• March 30
• Discussion on the current evidence of biases against women in STEM, including literature, general statistics, and pay gaps.

SafeZone Training

• March 14
• Training hosted by PRISM on the LGBTQ+ community, gender, sexual orientation, and how to speak to people, be an ally, and show respect for all.

Parent Support Group 6

• March 9
• Featured professional to discuss health insurance benefits and how they affect dependents.

STEM Career Panel Outreach

• March 2
• Women in STEM volunteers spoke at Hinkley High School on a STEM panel to allow high school students to learn about different careers in STEM.

Lunch Hour: Dealing with Anxiety

• February 21
• Shared tips and tricks for dealing with anxiety, particularly while in academia.

Parent Support Group 5

• February 9
• Informal support group discussion.

Lunch Hour: Enneagram

• January 24
• Attendees took QUEST, an enneagram personality test, and discussed their own personality types. Concluded with a presentation on how different types can successfully work together.

Parent Support Group 4

• January 21
• Social event held at a local recreation center.

Women's March on Colorado

• January 20
• A group of Women in STEM members attended the Women's March in downtown Denver.
• Photos

Demonstration Outreach

• December 14
• Demonstration for students at Denver School of Science and Technology (DSST) Green Valley Ranch High School.

Lunch Hour: Imposter Syndrome

• December 6
• Presentation focused on imposter syndrome and how to overcome it.

Parent Support Group 3

• December 1
• Discussed options and issues surrounding child care for campus students and employees.

Colfax Community Network Outreach

• November 29
• Provided hands-on learning activity for homeless youth (5-15 years old) during an after-school program at the Colfax Community Network (CCN).

Lunch Hour: Professionalism

• November 15
• Round table discussion of what professionalism means.

Boys and Girls Club Outreach

• November 14
• Ran activities related to the circulatory system for 2nd-4th graders at a Boys and Girls Club event at a local elementary school.

STEM Career Panel Outreach

• November 2
• Women in STEM volunteers spoke at Denver School of Science and Technology (DSST) Green Valley Ranch High School on a STEM panel to allow 11th and 12th grade students to learn about different careers in STEM.

Parent Support Group 2

• October 31
• Featured guest speaker Sarah Berg to discuss on campus lactation rooms.

Boys and Girls Club Outreach

• October 10
• Ran activities focused on plants for 2nd-4th graders at a Boys and Girls Club event at a local elementary school.

Lunch Hour: Work-Life Balance

• October 7
• Round table discussion of the importance of and challenges maintaining work-life balance while in graduate school.

Lunch Hour: Launch Party

• September 27
• Introduced officers and discussed potential future events.

Happy Hour

• September 20
• Opportunity to network with Women in STEM members and discuss ideas for future events.

Family BBQ

• September 23
• Co-hosted with PDA. An opportunity for families on campus to socialize.

Parent Support Group 1

• September 5, 4-5PM
• First parent support group meeting to launch the group and discuss potential topics for future meetings.

CareerTrek Outreach

• August 29
• Participated in CareerTrek, an opportunity for 8th graders to get a deeper understanding of career opportunities and begin developing important professional skills, held at the Aurora Public Schools Professional Learning & Conference Center.

Family Planning Panel

• May 17, 2-3PM
• Panel discussion about building your family as an early career scientist. Featured Kristin Dahl (Dept. of Molecular Biology), Dr. Kimberly Kanigel-Winner (Dept. of Pharmacology), and Dr. Michael McMurry (Dept. of Cell and Developmental Biology).

Colfax Community Network Outreach

• May 2, 4:15-5:15PM
• Provided hands-on learning activity for youth (5-15 years old) during an after-school program at the Colfax Community Network (CCN).

WiSTEM Spring Symposium: Empowerment and Inspiration

• April 24, 8:30AM-1PM
• Featured keynote speaker Dr. Brenda Allen (Vice Chancellor for Diversity & Inclusion) presented on EmpowHERment. Other speakers included Dr. Kate Smith (Dept. of Pharmacology), Dr. Vanessa Carmean (Zayo Group), Dr. Allison Porman (Dept. of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics), Dr. Liz McCullagh (Dept. of Physiology & Biophysics), Jessica Ponder (Dept. of Toxicology), and Dr. Christina Coughlan (Dept. of Neurology).
• More information here.
• Photos

Girl Scout STEM Day: 2017

• March 25, 1-3PM
• Hosted Girl Scouts for a day of learning and hands-on activities.
• More information here.
• Photos

Lunch Hour: Imposter Syndrome

• March 7, 12-1PM
• Presentation on what imposter syndrome is followed by a discussion on how to overcome it.

Science Advocacy Town Hall

• February 22, 5-7PM
• Event featuring four lawmakers aimed at teaching about science advocacy and how to better engage legislators as scientists.
• Speakers included Jerry Johnson (member of University of Colorado Lobby Team), Kevin Priola (Republican State Senator representing Adams and Arapahoe counties), Dafna Michaelson Jenet (Democratic State Representative for Adams county), and Chris Hansen (Democratic State Representative for Denver county).
• Photos

Lunch Hour: Invisibility of Women in Leadership

• December 1, 12-1PM
• Discussion of perceived and actual invisibility of women in science and government.

Career Fair Outreach

• November 2, 7AM-1PM
• Presented on careers in STEM at Denver Public Schools (DPS) Career Fair.

Lunch Hour: Gender Wage Disparity

• October 26, 12-1PM
• Featured Dr. Shawna Cox (Assistant Dean of Graduate School Student Affairs) to discuss the gender wage gap and how we can fix it.

Coffee Networking Hour

• September 27, 7:30-9:30AM
• Opportunity to network with Women in STEM members and learn about upcoming events.

Lunch Hour: Career Confidence

• September 13, 12-1PM
• Discussion of how to build confidence in your career.

EmpowHERment Workshop

• April 27, 3-4:30PM
• Led by Dr. Brenda Allen (Associate Vice Chancellor of Diversity & Inclusion) and focused on EmpowHERment.

Women Faculty Panel

• February 24, 11:30AM-12:30PM
• A panel discussion featuring female faculty members.

Interviewing Skills Workshop

• November 20, 1-2:30PM
• An experienced recruiter, Steve Ribbens (Senior Vice President, Woodmoor Group), shared his tips for successful interviewing.

Grant and Funding Panel

• November 9, 12-1PM
• Discussion on how to present yourself and your story when applying for funding and awards featuring Dr. Rachel Friedman (Dept. Immunology & Microbiology) and Dr. Kristine Kuhn (Dept. of Rheumatology). 

Casual Sexism in the Workplace Panel

• October 20, 12-1PM
• Panelists discussed how to recognize and combat sexism in the workplace featuring Dr. Regina Kilkenny (Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic Resources & Services), Nelie Viveiros (Acting Title IX Coordinator), and Dr. Brenda Allen (Associate Vice Chancellor of Diversity & Inclusion).

CV Workshop

• September 29, 1-3:30PM
• Featuring two consultants from the Writing Center who gave a presentation on CVs followed by a Q&A session and time for small group work and feedback.

Coffee Hour

• September 15, 9:30-11AM
• Opportunity to network with other Women in STEM members and learn about upcoming events.

Teen Science Scholars Outreach

• June 5, 11:30AM-3:15PM
• Educational event for local teenagers including a panel on interviewing skills and self promotion and tours of laboratories on campus.