SCIENTISTS AND SANDWICHES BRING WOMEN TO STEM

News – The Bengal
Madison Shumway
Staff Writer
When Christina Mottishaw heard about a STEM Mentoring Cafe for women exploring science careers, she jumped on the opportunity.
Area STEM professionals from the Idaho National Laboratory would share their experiences at the sandwich lunch, and the biochemistry student knew she’d receive helpful insight into her future career.
Once Mottishaw shared a room with the group of highly educated and accomplished women, she repeatedly raised her hand, asking about obstacles and resources they had encountered.
“I got a new perspective about the struggles I will inevitably face being in STEM, but I also learned about the community of support that’s available to me,” she said of the experience. “I always enjoy hearing how scientists and engineers accomplished what they did and learning about how I could handle my future, too.”
Such was the goal of the Mentoring Cafe: to inform female students considering careers in science, technology, engineering and math that they had advocates and allies to which they could turn for advice and support.
The event, part of a broader movement by INL, ISU and other organizations to encourage women to pursue STEM careers, aimed to address a gender gap in the field.
Women make up only 26 percent of STEM workers, according to Million Women Mentors, a resource cafe organizers referenced in materials handed out to attendees. Numbers are improving, and so is the environment women in STEM face, said the INL professionals, but both progress slowly.
Mentors who can share advice and provide a positive example help young women interested in STEM build their careers and shrink the gender gap, said event organizer Sonia Martinez.
“We want to be able to create a network and a supportive environment,” said Martinez, who works as ISU’s Diversity and Outreach Coordinator. “We want to provide a bridge of college to career.”
The network created ...


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