DUNWOODY, Ga. – Young women interested in STEM fields are getting a different perspective on careers and networking opportunities through a new science club called Women In STEM Experience (WiSE).
WiSE aims to encourage professional development and networking among female students studying chemistry, engineering, biology and computer science, said Dr. Janna Blum, assistant professor of chemistry at Georgia State University’s Perimeter College Dunwoody Campus and a club faculty advisor.
“Our school needed a social club for women in STEM majors to encourage them to stay in a male-dominated field and prosper educationally,” said Perimeter student Yareli Marroquin, who founded WiSE and serves as its president. Marroquin started the club with the encouragement of Dunwoody chemistry professor Dr. Antara Dutta, who also serves as one of the faculty advisors.
“Our club focuses on providing knowledge and resources to young women in STEM, while encouraging other students to support our cause as well,” said Marroquin.
WiSE club members can attend career panels, work on 3-D printing projects and go on field trips, such as the fall visit to Georgia Institute of Technology’s Robotarium and biotechnology labs. The next career panel, featuring five scientists working in their respective fields, will be Wednesday, April 11, on the Dunwoody Campus.
Although the club’s focus is on women STEM majors, it is open to all STEM students, Blum said.
Getting students to meet others in their fields is important, she said, especially at a two-year college.
“It is often difficult at a commuter college to build networks,” Blum said. “We started WiSE because we wanted to build better networks for women in STEM to help them assert themselves in their fields and understand how they can bring their ideas to the table.”
WiSE faculty advisors include Dr. Dutta, associate professor of chemistry; Dr. Melody Kelley, associate professor of chemistry, and Dr. Sahithya Reddivari, assistant professor of engineering.
Club meetings are at 4 p.m. Wednesdays in NE 0400 on the Dunwoody Campus and at 11 a.m. Fridays in STEM Lab (CC 1180) on the Clarkston Campus.
For more information, contact Dutta at [email protected] or Blum at [email protected]