Science is for girls: UTSA hosts girls in grades 6-8 at STEM careers workshop
Share this Story(Jan. 29, 2010)--This Saturday, women scientists from the San Antonio area will gather at the UTSA Main Campus to speak with 400 girls in the sixth through eighth grades about how fun science careers can be. One of 11 planned for this year in Texas, the outreach events will encourage girls to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by introducing them to successful female scientists in small-group settings.
This year's guest scientists represent professionals in education, industry, health care, government and the military. Included are a veterinarian, a computational chemist, a registered nurse, an engineer, a plant biologist, a vision scientist, an automotive engineer and others.
"Our goal in offering this conference is to get the girls to take as many math and science courses as they can so they maximize their options following high school," said Betty Travis, UTSA professor of mathematics and chair of the conference. "By meeting scientists and others who work in STEM related professions, the girls should walk away understanding that science careers are both attainable and rewarding. We want them to go home thinking, 'That's cool. I can do that.'"
The UTSA Expanding Your Horizons event begins at 8:45 a.m. with a welcome from George Perry, dean of the UTSA College of Sciences. Mary Pat Moyer, CEO and chief science officer of Incell Corp., a woman-owned San Antonio biopharmaceutical manufacturer and services company, will deliver the keynote address.
For the remainder of the day, the girls will attend 90-minute workshops presented by women who use science, technology, engineering and mathematics in their daily work. Workshop topics will include:
- "Fun with Belugas, The Inside Scoop About Working With Marine Mammals," presented by Heather Hill, St. Mary's University
- "Electricity: A Shocking Reality," presented by Vanessa Lopez, Lackland Air Force Base
- "Does the Flu Virus Oink?" presented by Judy Teale, UTSA
- "Robots, Risks and Candy," presented by Crystal Parrott, Southwest Research Institute
- "What Does It Mean to Be A Cardiovascular Biologist?" presented by Merry Lindsey, UT Health Science Center
- "E-Shopping: How Does It Work?" presented by Sarah Murillo, Valero Energy Corp.
Events
Join the PEACE Center and Wellbeing Services for Denim Day, a day of learning about the importance of consent and why we wear denim on the last Wednesday of the month each April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Stop by our Denim Day display to take a photo in front of our Denim Wall, spin the "Is It Consent?" Wheel, and get a Concha or goodie.
Student Union Window Lounge, Main CampusLearn to use Zotero®, a citation manager that can help you store and organize citations you find during your research. Zotero can generate bibliographies in various styles, insert in-text citations and allow you to share sources with collaborators.
Virtual EventThis event will acknowledge graduating seniors from the McNair Scholars program at UTSA before inducting the new cohort of scholars into the program.
North Paseo Building (NPB 5.140), Main CampusAt this memorable celebration, UTSA graduates will be introduced one-by-one to cross the stage and accept their doctoral degrees.
Arts Building Recital Hall, Main CampusRoadrunner Walk is an event for graduating students to have a memorable walk on campus to celebrate an important milestone and their achievements. Graduates will walk along the Paseo while being celebrated by the UTSA community, friends, and family members.
Student Union Paseo, Main CampusCelebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.
Alamodome, 100 Montana St.Celebrate the accomplishments of Alvarez College of Business, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.
Alamodome, 100 Montana St.
