Zooniverse keynote speaker kicks off virtual Women in Science Conference

Annie Mumgaard, virtual learning coordinator for the University of Nebraska State Museum, gives a virtual tour to more than 120 young students in 2020.  Craig Chandler | University Communication
Annie Mumgaard, virtual learning coordinator for the University of Nebraska State Museum, gives a virtual tour to more than 120 young students in 2020. Craig Chandler | University Communication

Happy Women’s History Month! You can send up to 10 students to the 22nd Nebraska Women in Science Conference, which will take place on April 9-10, 2021, on Zoom.

This conference, sponsored by Nebraska EPSCoR and the Center for Science, Mathematics and Computer Education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, introduces high-school-aged students to women currently pursuing education in the world of STEM, giving them the chance to connect with and find inspiration from these role models. Here are some of our virtual activities, enjoyed from school as a group (recommended) or at home individually:
• A panel of UNL women undergraduates will speak to their experiences in their majors and college life.
• A keynote speaker from Northwestern University who is a national leader in citizen science.
• Two rounds of live workshops and one asynchronous workshop with UNL faculty. A supply list will be provided to teachers in advance, and teachers will be reimbursed.
• A virtual field trip with UNL’s Morrill Hall to further explore the opportunities available to students in the world of science.
• A series of videos that can be watched on-demand to learn more about the UNL women scientists and their research.
• Teachers will also benefit from this experience by being able to choose a set of STEAM Kits from Prairie STEM!

We are delighted to have keynote speaker Dr. Laura Trouille of Northwestern University. Trouille is the VP of Citizen Science at Adler Planetarium and a Research Associate in the CIERA Center for Astrophysics. Her keynote will kick off the conference at 3 p.m. on Friday, April 9. See the rest of the online schedule for April 9-10 on our website. Through this conference, we seek to connect students to women currently pursuing various specialties within science, dispel some myths surrounding science careers for women, and inspire curiosity about all that STEM has to offer women.

Each school may select up to 10 students to attend the conference, and a school sponsor must accompany them online. We encourage you to select students who may not have yet made college or career decisions. Please identify students you believe would benefit from this experience. An additional six names can be added to our waitlist.

Registration is now open online: http://go.unl.edu/scimathapply or http://go.unl.edu/womeninscience and click on Register Now. Registration closes March 11, or when we reach 200 students.

After registration closes online, we will finalize workshop assignments and provide you with additional information. If you have any questions, please contact our office at 402-472-9312, or Stephanie.vendetti@unl.edu. Space is limited so registrations submitted early are important to guarantee you can participate. We look forward to hosting students from your school on Zoom in 2021 – no traveling necessary!