Camila Pereira/Contributing Writer
This Wednesday is the United Nations International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and FIU is getting in on the celebration to encourage women and others who are seeking to pursue a career related to STEM.
FIU’s Center for Women’s and Gender Studies will be hosting the event on February 11th, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Graham Center Pit and Lawns. Attendees can enjoy technology demos and other activities, as well as the opportunity to meet people within this field of study.
Several organizations will be tabling at the event providing telescopes and scientific demonstrations regarding their expertise.
Some professional attendees include the Honors College Edge Lab, the Department of Physics, Biomedical Engineering, the International Forensic Research Institute and National Geographic. Students will have the chance to can talk to the magazine’s explorers and scientists.
There will also be a music and dance performance by Dr. Fiorella Terenzi, a Senior Instructor and Advisory Board Member at FIU, who is an internationally recognized astrophysicist, author, and recording artist with a doctorate in physics from the University of Milan. Her astronomy class will accompany her with the performance called “Let’s Get Astrophysical,” from 2:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
This event will also include many giveaways and freebies such as t-shirts, pizza, donuts, and other big prizes to win. Everyone is welcome to join and celebrate women and girls in science and to learn about the different fields in STEM.
“We want to bring awareness to women in STEM who are going strong, and FIU continues to show and provide that support,” said Dr. Yesim Darici, director of the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies and professor of physics.
The FIU Women in STEM initiative was created under Darici’s direction to give women, both students and faculty, encouragement, and the opportunity to study and explore within the fields of STEM at FIU.
Jessica Bermudez, program coordinator of the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, organized the event in hopes that both students and faculty can come together to celebrate and learn about the many great opportunities women have in STEM.
According to the United Nations, UNESCO researched between 2014 to 2016 and saw that less than 30% of researchers in STEM were women. However, FIU is pushing to change this by providing more opportunities for women in STEM.
“Our numbers are increasing every year, we want to have more women graduates and undergraduates in STEM at FIU,” said Darici.
About Post Author
