#diversity in stem

[stemgirlchic]

we are stem

to the little girl first discovering a love of science on a school trip to the planetarium

to the little boy who dreams of diving into the depths of the ocean and discovering the world at our shores

to the burnt out high schooler wishing their science classes felt more like the theorizing video essays they watch until 1am

to the premed student losing her mind over a lab report

to the grad student standing tall at his first conference

to the programmer fearing she won't be taken seriously in heels

to the biologist afraid to introduce his PI to his husband for fear of being thought of differently

to the doctor whose patients ask to touch her hair and mispronounce her name

to the chemist wheeling up to his lab station

to the artist who is an engineer who is an artist who is an engineer

to the thinkers, dreamers, worriers, gamers, watchers, theorizers, believers

all genders, all races, all religious, all nationalities, all sexualities, all personalities

stem is incomplete without us

#science #stem #women in stem #enbies in stem #stemblr #diversity in stem #academia #engineering #medicine #biology #stem student #physics #astronomy #marine biology

[art-of-mathematics]

#comic #diversity in stem #women in stem #stem #science

[pheministphysicists]

Scientists Don’t Succeed in a Vacuum. Why Expect This of Graduate Students?

Graduate student isolation existed long before the pandemic, thanks to go-it-alone culture in physics programs. Then as now, peer support groups can help.

#mental health #academia #academic mental health #diversity in stem #physics #diversity in academia

[scarcelyodd]

Asking chatGPT for a list of underrepresented physicists:

"There are many underrepresented physicists who have made significant contributions to the field of physics. Here are a few examples:

Chien-Shiung Wu was a Chinese American physicist who played a key role in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II. Despite her important contributions, she was not awarded the Nobel Prize, which many believe was due to her gender and ethnicity.

Rosalind Franklin was an English physicist and x-ray crystallographer who made significant contributions to the understanding of the structure of DNA. However, her work was not recognized until after her death, and she was not included in the Nobel Prize awarded for the discovery of the structure of DNA.

Vera Rubin was an American astronomer who made important contributions to the study of dark matter. Despite her groundbreaking work, she was not awarded the Nobel Prize, which many believe was due to her gender.

Shirley Ann Jackson is an American physicist and the first African American woman to earn a doctorate in nuclear physics. She has made significant contributions to the fields of particle physics and telecommunications, and is the current president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar was an Indian American astrophysicist who made important contributions to the study of black holes and the structure of stars. Despite his groundbreaking work, he faced discrimination due to his ethnicity and was not awarded the Nobel Prize until many years after his discovery.

These are just a few examples of underrepresented physicists who have made important contributions to the field. There are many others who have faced similar challenges and overcome them to make important discoveries and advances in the field of physics."

chatGPT, January 6, 2023

prompt: "Who are some underrepresented physicists?"

#chatGPT #openAI #eduAI #underrepresented physicists #diversity in physics #diversity in stem #chien shiung wu #rosalind franklin #vera rubin #shirley ann jackson #subrahmanyan chandrasekhar

[puffpuffponcho]

I broke down today because i am the only trans person in my program.

I am constantly fighting an uphill battle for half the recognition, constant misgendering, and somedays blatant discrimination. I feel as if my identity inhibits my classmates from collaborating with me because they’re so closed minded to different perceived realities my mere existence goes against their reality.

Atleast i got to cry with 1 geoscience friend about the discrimination I’ve lived with for 5 years. I opened up about how I’m scared i too might leave the field one day like half of trans scientists consider.

At least after 5 years i can say I made 2 ally friends who actively respect me and try to advocate for me too. At least i feel human and not like a gimmick to them.

#Trans scientists are NEEDED for diverse outlooks on the same hypothesis #geology #climate science #stem academia #trans nonbinary #college studyblr #im so tired

[beanstalk-nicholas]

a lil comic based off of my rottmnt spn au

mikey went to college for a bit to study art, and donnie never got the chance to go to college but wish he could so he could study STEM, and is secretly jealous of mikey over it

#rottmnt spn au #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #donnie #mikey #fanart #supernatural #digital art #my art #comics #spn #we do not tolerate art vs stem slander here both are valid #I think mikey studied at a public state school I do not think he could find a way to afford a fancy private art college lmao #and that way he didn’t have only art friends but a more diverse college friend group #still art focused tho #rise of the tmnt #cw smoking

[xpc-web-dev]

Internship Outreachy!

(Please girls read this)

(12/01/2023)

Hi guys, I was and am a bit frustrated and when I get like that I decide to look for job openings/volunteering to motivate myself. And then I went to look at Outreachy's website and I found out that this year they are going to advance the registrations (normally it only started in February) And I thought, "I need to share this with my mutuals."

I'm going to tell you very briefly what Outreachy is, but you can find all the information in more detail on their website HERE.

DEADLINE REGISTRATION:

01/16 to 02/06: Registration open + 1 selection phase

06/03 to 03/04 : If you pass the first phase, you start the contribution period by choosing a project/mentor

04/05 : Finalists announced

05/29 to 08/25: Intership

WHAT IS OUTREACHY AND WHO IS IT FOR?

outreachy is a paid, remote internship program designed for underrepresented groups in technology. They help introduce new people to the practice/world of open source and give a grant of $7,000. You can apply to almost any part of the world (there are some restrictions, take a look at their website, Cuba for example would not be possible)

They have two rounds from May to August and from December to March.

BUT WHO IS UNDERREPRESENTED?

They encourage people who face systemic bias or discrimination, such as us women (cis or trans), trans men, non-binary, genderqueer, people of color and people who have historically suffered from caste or tribe disadvantages.

SOME ELIGIBILITY RULES. (Check THEM ALL out on their website)

You have to be +18 or older by May 29, 2023

You are available for a full-time job, 30 hours a week from 05/29 to 08/25

Outreachy is open to both college students and non-college students. College students must have 42 consecutive days free of classes and exams during the internship period. Students must apply for the correct internship round (see rules).

You have not been an intern for Outreachy, the Outreach Program for Women, or the Google Summer of Code.

Applicants who have part-time or contract jobs are welcome. However, part-time jobs must be approved by the Outreachy organizers. People who want to leave their full-time job can apply. If you cannot leave your full-time job, you are not eligible for Outreachy.

HOW DOES SELECTION WORK?

If you are eligible, you will apply through their website and the first step will be to send an essay (you will answer a few questions, mostly talking about the discriminations in technology that you have experienced or seen occur and also what they are the other discrimination you face in your home country's system. (I recommend using data on this if possible)

Me for example, in addition to being a cis woman, I am part of the lgbtqi+ community in a country that kills the most people in the community (mainly trans), I am fat, poor and I belong to an African matrix religion in a racist country. So besides the discrimination for being a woman in tech (and yes men, it exists) there are other issues that affect me.

If you pass this first selection, you will receive an email and when the contribution period starts you will have to choose a project and get in touch with its community/mentor.

++I've read and heard more than one person recommend choosing 1-2 projects, because it seems like a long time but in reality it's not to make a significant contribution and you'll only move into the program if you make at least 1 contribution.

++ I've also read from former participants that it's good to continue contributing to the project even after the end of the contribution date, mentors evaluate this.

PLUS: 1 .Please don't lie. Be real about your struggles and if they don't exist, be real about that too.

2 .The organization does lives on twitter giving tips to candidates, so if it's your first time I think it would be really cool to hear it, it helped me a lot last year.

BUT Bea, am I experienced enough?

Here's what they say about it:

Outreach organizers often receive questions from applicants such as:

"I'm a second-year college student. I've already done a few projects in the X programming language. Do I have enough experience for this internship?"

"I'm learning Y through online courses. But I haven't worked on a big project with those skills. Do I have enough experience for this internship?"

The answer is "You must complete an initial application, regardless of your experience level."

Outreachy has many different internship projects. Each project will have different skill requirements. There is likely to be at least one project that suits your skills.

+++ My personal comment:

I really like this initiative, mainly because unfortunately technology there are many people (mainly men, cis and white) being prejudiced and / or aggressive with minorities. So having a space like this, with good projects, paid and with the security that they do their best there so you don't have to worry about facing things like that and if you happen to face it (the probability is minimal, but you never know) it will having true and genuine support is a very good thing.

Last year I passed the first selection, but I couldn't contribute to any project because I didn't have the ability to contribute code. *The program is NOT for code only, most projects are, but there are projects you can contribute to with Design/UI/UX, research and writing. In my case, because I'm not native or fluent in English I didn't think it would be a good decision to take responsibility for something that would be used by others using my English proficiency that still needs to be further developed. But this is about me.

I really recommend ALL women and people from other underrepresented groups to participate. It's a great way to get started in open source / gain experience to put on your CV and increase your chances of getting a good job. If you are going to participate, I wish from the heart that you succeed and that it is a good experience.

So,f you have any questions after looking at the site and I know the answer, I will help.

I wish you have a great Day and drink water.

#womanintech #woman in stem #trans woman #open source #junior developer #software engineering #software development #stemblr #studyblog #studystudystudy #science #computers #computer science #full stack developer #diversity #paidinternship #intership

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Carl Campanile

Date: Jan 17, 2024

Asian parents filed a federal discrimination suit against the New York State Education Department Wednesday — claiming their kids are being unfairly kept out of a STEM summer program in favor of black and Hispanic students.

The state-funded Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) admits around 11,000 7th-to-12th-grade students a year for classes at 56 participating colleges and medical schools statewide.

The pre-college enrichment program aims to “increase the number of historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students prepared to enter college and improve their participation rate” in math, science, tech and health fields, according to its website.

But while black, Hispanic and Native American students can apply regardless of family wealth — Asian and white schoolkids need to meet certain low-income criteria, the lawsuit filed in upstate New York federal court claims.

“In other words, the Hispanic child of a multi-millionaire is eligible to apply to STEP, while an Asian American child whose family earns just above the state’s low- income threshold is not, solely because of her race or ethnicity,” the filing states.

The allegedly biased admissions criteria have been in place for nearly four decades, the suit claims, adding: “Thirty-nine years of discrimination is enough.”

Plaintiffs include New York City-based Yiatin Chu of the Asian Wave Alliance, who said she was stunned when she first heard of STEP’s policy a few weeks ago and decided to join the suit, which also names Education Commissioner Betty Rosa as a defendant.

[ Asian parents filed a federal discrimination suit against the New York State Education Department, claiming their kids are being unfairly kept out of a STEM summer program. ]

“This is outright discrimination against Asian-American students pursuing the STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education] field,” said Chu, an advocate for merit-based admissions at the city’s specialized high schools.

“The program should be for all students or for low income students. The state is choosing which race is eligible,” she told The Post.

Other plaintiffs include the Chinese American Citizens Alliance of Greater New York, Inclusive Education Advocacy Group and Higher with Our Parent Engagement.

Attorneys from both the Pacific Legal Foundation and the anti-affirmative action group Equal Protection Project of the Legal Insurrection Foundation are representing them in the case.

The EPP has filed other lawsuits and civil rights complaints with the US Education Department against New York colleges for allegedly promoting discriminatory racial-preference admission policies for academic programs.

[ While black, Hispanic and Native American students can apply regardless of family wealth — Asian and white schoolkids need to meet certain low-income criteria, the lawsuit filed in upstate New York federal court claims. ]

“The time has come to correct and end discrimination against students throughout the state,” said EPP’s president and director William Jacobson, a Cornell Law professor.

The Equal Protection Project (EqualProtect.org) is proud to team up with Pacific Legal to challenge discriminatory standards in the STEP program so that students do not miss out on educational opportunities because of their skin color or ethnicity,” he said.

In 1985, New York lawmakers passed legislation aimed at boosting interest in science, technology, and healthcare among low-income and underrepresented minority students — resulting in the creation of STEP, which earmarked public funds to 56 colleges, universities and medical schools statewide to instruct the younger students.

[ Plaintiffs include Yiatin Chu of the Asian Wave Alliance, who said she was stunned when she first heard of STEP’s policy a few weeks ago which also names Education Commissioner Betty Rosa as a defendant. ]

Colleges host and operate STEP initiatives for 7th-to-12th-grade students that include instruction, exam preparation, hands-on and research training, college admissions guidance and career-focused activities such as field trips and college visits.

But racial-preference programs — aimed at correcting historic injustices or underrepresentation of African Americans and other minorities — have come under the microscope after the US Supreme Court last year struck down college affirmative action programs aimed at boosting minority representation as discriminatory.

“If the government wants to fund educational opportunities for children in need, it can do so. What it can’t do is use economic need as a way to treat applicants differently based on their race,” the Pacific Legal Foundation said in a statement.

“STEP’s expressly race-conscious application process blatantly violates the Constitution’s equal protection guarantee.”

The Education Department had no immediate comment.

==

Just think about that. If Oprah had children, they could apply, no questions asked. But a moderately middle class Asian or white family would earn too much to qualify.

By all means create programs to benefit underprivileged kids, such as those with low-income, or those in poorer boroughs... regardless of race. Or, take off the income test entirely and let any kid apply... regardless of race.

The fact we have to say in 2024 that racial discrimination is wrong shows how broken people's morality has become.

#STEM #discrimination #racial discrimination #affirmative action #DEI #diversity equity and inclusion #diversity #equity #inclusion #woke racism #US Constitution #equal protection under the law #religion is a mental illness

[pheministphysicists]

Thursday, June 30, 2022

Crosspost: The Unwritten Laws of Physics for Black Women

Written by Katrina Miller for Wired

#women in physics #women in stem #diversity in stem #women in science #black women in astronomy #black women in physics #black women in stem #black women in science #blog post

[scarcelyodd]

Another go at learning about underrepresented physicists from chatGPT:

"There are many underrepresented groups in the field of physics, including women, minorities, and individuals from low-income backgrounds. These groups have historically faced barriers to entry and advancement in the field, which has led to a lack of diversity in the physics community.

For example, women have been underrepresented in physics for many years. While the number of women earning degrees in physics has increased in recent years, they still make up a small fraction of the field compared to men. The same is true for other underrepresented groups, such as African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans.

In addition, individuals from low-income backgrounds may face financial barriers that make it difficult for them to pursue a career in physics. This can include the high cost of tuition for advanced degrees and the lack of access to resources and support networks.

There have been efforts to increase diversity and inclusion in the field of physics and to support underrepresented physicists. For example, many organizations and programs offer scholarships, fellowships, and other resources to help underrepresented groups pursue careers in physics. Additionally, there are initiatives aimed at increasing the representation of underrepresented groups in leadership positions within the physics community."

chatGPT, January 6, 2023

prompt: "Tell me about underrepresented physicists."

#underrepresented physicists #underrepresentation in STEM #diversity in physics #diversity in STEM #physics #STEM #chatGPT #openAI #eduAI

[pagan-corruption]

Mythbusters fans insisting despite all evidence to the contrary that the main cast hated each other is like the inverse of irl shipping. It's so funny. I will not explain.

#mythbusters #my theory is STEM people (or people in general really) can be very introverted and I think people read that as annoyance #I don't think they hated each other they just had very different personalities #which is good for shows because you have a diversity in opinions and reactions to stuff

[gwydionmisha]

#Diversity #Giles Oldroyd #STEM

[oversizedbats]

Often times at work when I am the only woman in the room I question my decision to go into a male dominated field. Then I remember if I went into a female dominated field, like I wanted to, I literally wouldn’t make enough money to survive.

#brb screaming inconsolably #no single man has ever given the level of thought into his career path that I did at 17 #it’s not fucking fair and I’m gonna whine about it leave me alone #how I love being a woman #I literally wanted to go into education #also I’m supportive of women going into stem and diversity is DESPARATELY needed but the stupid girlboss shit is useless #bc we cannot and will not ever be able to fix the root problem of women and ‘women’s work’ being undervalued and self sacrificial #it’s well documented that when more women enter a field the salaries go down and vice versa #see: education for the former and computer science/coding for the latter #GAAHHHHHH I hate being aware of these things I wish I didn’t think critically about anything #stem woes