St. Louis Chapter of Graduate Women in Science

Superheroes aren’t just about our imagination, Harris said. They are walking among us. They are teachers and doctors and scientists, they are vaccine researchers ... and you can grow up to be like them, too.

Petition to Support Women Scientists and Scholars We write to express our deep concern as scientists and scholars regarding a recent article in Nature Communications titled The association between early career informal mentorship in academic collaborations and junior author performance (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-19723-8). This study uses highly questionable assumptions (e.g., co-authorship equals mentoring) to suggest that female protégés who remain in aca...demia reap more benefits when mentored by males rather than equally-impactful females and that mentors benefit more when working with male protégés rather than working with comparable female protégés, especially if the mentor is female. It concludes through faulty logic that current diversity policies promoting femalefemale mentorships, as well-intended as they may be, could hinder the careers of women who remain in academia in unexpected ways. If they have discovered anything, the authors have re-discovered the well-documented gender gap in publishing and in citation networks that favors male scholars. They also perpetuate the questionable use of citations as a primary metric of success. The policy recommendations in this paper presented as scientific conclusions are harmful to established and emerging female scholars alike, as they reinforce deep-seated prejudices and inequities that have hindered women for generations and that continue to negatively affect career choices of talented young women. A vigorous and creative scientific enterprise is critically dependent on recruiting and promoting all talented and committed individuals. Remaining beholden to irrational societal biases such as sexism impoverishes the scientific community and discourages half of the population from contributing their enormous potential to science. The undersigned share this open letter in order to reaffirm our commitment to all female scholars. We also wish to underscore that the remedies for the gender gap in citation networks highlighted in this study and in many others are to be found in improved measures to judge the value and impact of scientific output, and not in policy recommendations that discourage female-female mentoring relationships. The biases and fallacious arguments exemplified by this study have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in all science, technology, engineering, and mathematics domains. An unequivocal repudiation of such arguments and recommendations is essential to improve academic culture for all genders and ensure the future of STEM. https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLSfpyLtpNPcxgp1fh/viewform

#steminists golf for science!

This is a great opportunity for undergraduates interested in neuroscience!

Neil deGrasse on how to get kids interested in science

Today is #GivingTuesday, a day focused on charitable giving across the world. For several decades, our fellowships program has been central to our mission of em...powering women in science. In celebration of our 100th anniversary in 2021, we have started a new fellowship fund - the Centennial Fund - that will support scientists into the next century. We ask that you invest in the next generation of bold and groundbreaking women scientists through a charitable donation. Because we are a volunteer-run organization, 100% of your gift will go to the Centennial Fellowship fund. This year, your gift will go even further: an anonymous donor has offered to match donations dollar-for-dollar up to $1000. Please consider making a charitable contribution and be sure to include #match in the donor comments. Thank you for supporting women in STEM!

Are you interested in neuroscience? Attend the virtual 5th Annual UMSL Neuroscience Showcase this Friday, November 13 from 12pm-3pm. Dr. Whitney Postman will be delivering the keynote lecture on the Neural Substrate of Motor-Speech Performance from 12pm-1pm, with flash talks by UMSL faculty and students from 1pm-3pm.

Are you a graduate student or undergraduate student who wants to learn more about careers in industry and government? Consider attending our virtual career panel for a conversation with speakers from industry and government positions including data science, health science policy, geodetic earth science, and medical writing. See the flyer below for more information: