Volume 2, Issue 2
Table of Contents:
Event Updates
Welcome to our second newsletter for the Spring 2021 newsletter! We hope you gain some insight into the women and gender minority community at IIT. Every piece is handcrafted with detail throughout the month by our executive team. Enjoy reading!
This piece covers events that have taken place since our first newsletter as well as our upcoming events for March.
Interviewing 101
Our first event in collaboration with the Career Center this semester offered our members a unique opportunity to ask questions about how to be the most prepared and professional at an interview. Tiara DeGuzman offered a clear insight as to what the most important parts of the interview process are.
To start, employers rated the ability to communicate and problem solve as the first and second most important candidate skills and qualities (NACE Job Outlook Survey 2019). Essentially, the goal is for the interviewee to be as confident and articulate in everything they say. The process begins right when the interviewer asks the individual to “tell me about yourself”. The goal of this is to be as clear and concise as possible, but also make sure to include who you are, what you are looking for, what talents and strengths you hold, and what led you to apply. When asked to “tell us about a time where you…”, Tiara offered the PARS method meaning problem, actions, result, and skills. First, address the problem at hand, but quickly show how you acted on it. Always make sure that your actions led to positive results and make sure to emphasize the skills used during this time.
The best takeaway from this event was to make sure you are always fully prepared for the interview. This includes researching the company, practicing your speaking skills, and looking over FAQs. Practicing questions will help build confidence and prevent delays in answering. At the end of the interview, it was suggested that you ask at least two or three questions and always ask for the next steps. A kind gesture is also to send a thank you note or email to everyone involved in your process.
To find more great tips, check out our website where there is a link to the recording and slides for this event!
Women and Gender Minorities in the Workplace
Next in our career development series was “Women and Gender Minorities in the Workplace''. This event featured a guide on how to handle inappropriate interview questions, find a fitting company, and be aware of your own rights while applying. As some of us may know, there are federal laws protecting discrimination against employing based on gender, race, religion, national origin, or color. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 makes it illegal for companies to pay women less than a male who is paid to do the same exact job. It is essential to keep these things in mind when applying to and/or accepting jobs. Researching the average pay rate for the position in your area is crucial to knowing that you are being represented equally. When it comes to researching the company, one helpful tip would be to find a gender minority worker on LinkedIn and contact them to hear about their experiences in their position.
Inappropriate questions are frequently asked in interviews and sometimes may be overlooked if one is not educated on exactly where the boundaries are. These are any type of questions that can lead to a bias in the hiring process. Questions may include topics like marital status, family planning, national origin, age, and any affiliations. These topics and more should not be brought up and if they are it is important to stand your ground and address your concerns. This can be done by redirecting the question or a simple declination to answer the question. It really all depends on what one is comfortable with doing.
It is important to be open to providing feedback after the interview whether it may be positive or negative. The next step would be to always openly communicate with your employer on your needs and goals for the position. Even asking to be a member of the hiring committee may be beneficial down the line for other individuals in similar positions. There are many things one can do to help make this process less biased in a company setting once a part of it!
The recording for this event is available on our website.
Networking During Covid
The last event for our professional development series was ‘Networking During Covid’. This event was made to help establish one's digital brand and learn about how to build and maintain connections on today’s biggest networking platforms. One’s personal brand is very important for how one presents themselves in the professional world. A brand is established by one’s unique goals, skills, life experiences, and personality traits. It is important to understand the goal of a social media account. In most cases, it is essential to have a fine distinction between one’s personal and professional life. As we all know there are many different social media platforms all for a number of different purposes. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat are more likely to be used for your personal life unless you are promoting a brand or organization. LinkedIn is a strictly professional platform that should be used to promote one’s achievements and skills as well as find job opportunities and networking connections. On all types of social media platforms, it is important to know that who one follows can be a direct impression of your page.
On LinkedIn, it is helpful to connect with those who can directly influence development. This can be first connections, alumni, mentors, or inspirational profiles. When starting a new connection, one should always consider “how can this connection benefit me?” Starting a new conversation might be a little intimidating, but people on LinkedIn will most likely be more than happy to chat. Once the connection is established, be sure to check back in or share content relevant to common interests. To maintain constant contact, support their feed, and engage by commenting or messaging on follow-ups. Doing this with a future employer might show that one has a real interest in the company. As always, make sure to always do research before connecting and stay professional! To learn more about this topic visit our website to access the recording and slideshow presentation.
The Importance of Representation
We were very excited to collaborate with the Undergraduate Research Journal of IIT (URJ-IIT). This event was held as a discussion that was live on Instagram. The speakers included Sana Basheer, the Editor-in-Chief for the URJIIT, and our very own WiSTEM President, Barien Gad. Both of our panelists are heavily involved in research. The purpose of this event was to address the issue of the underrepresentation of all minorities in STEM research.
Initially, the event was meant to highlight the lack of women and gender minorities but after consideration, Barien stated that “this underrepresentation has to do with both gender and ethnicity, so if we were to ignore one, we would be doing the whole topic a disservice.” She also acknowledged that when students learn history throughout their elementary career, there is a strong emphasis on the accomplishments of white men. During the event, Barien and Sana helped us realize that the work of minorities often becomes overshadowed by more highly regarded white, American-born scientists.
The best point made during this event is that underrepresentation in research could lead to young individuals being less motivated to go into a STEM career. This is because they may feel that there is nobody ‘like them’ in the field and they may not have the proper resources to immerse themselves in the opportunity. Sana stated that the balance between minorities in research leaders and participants is ‘life changing’ in the sense that it can skew a whole study if the proper populations aren’t represented especially in research within the medical field.
It was also very interesting to see how some companies may use a template to show that they are ‘including diversity’. Although this may not be the best way to ensure diversity, it does help with some historically underrepresented groups. Overall, there was a lot of information shared addressing how to make research more inclusive. Check out the link on our website to watch a recording of the panel!
Upcoming Events
We hope you join us for our events and we look forward to creating more events that will benefit the Illinois Tech community.
Meet Your Major
Date and Time:
Friday, 3/12, at 12:50 PM CT
Description: Interact with others in your major and build some connections. RSVP by 3/11 to get placed with your major!
Social Responsibility:
Why Should We Care?
Date and Time:
Monday, 3/15, at 12:50 PM CT
Description: Learn about what social responsibility entails and why we should care about it. Presented by WiSTEM and SoReMo.
Letters and Listeners
Date and Time:
Friday, 3/26 at 4:00 PM CT
Description: Register to be a part of a community event where students send and receive emails, speaking about their own experiences. Register by 3/19! Submitting a letter is optional. If you would like to submit one, please do so by 3/19.
An Hour of Empowerment:
Elaine Montilla
Date and Time:
Monday, 3/29, at 12:40 PM CT
Description: Listen to Elaine Montilla speak about challenges minorities face as well as her own experiences as a minority.
Speaker Biography: Elaine Montilla is the founder of 5xminority.com, she is the Assistant Vice President and CIO for Information Technology at The Graduate Center, CUNY, a Forbes Technology Council member and contributor, a TEDx Speaker, and an AMA Women’s Leadership Center presenter.
Featured Woman in STEM: Jamie Griggs
Biography
Jamie Griggs is a third-year civil engineering student. She is very involved in academics, athletics, and is greatly developed in the professional world! Jamie is a coterminal student and plans to graduate in 2022 with her Masters of Engineering in Structural Engineering. She will impressively be obtaining a bachelor's and master's degree in a total of four and a half years.
Jamie is the President of the IIT chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers. She has grown in this club from the secretary to vice president and finally made her way as the president. She is a selected participant in the mentorship program for the organization to professionally develop herself and network to guide her towards success in her future career path. Jamie was a member of the ASCE Steel Bridge and Sustainable Solutions team, where she was involved in a competition where her team was assigned to build a structure to sustain a given amount of force.
She is also currently the Vice President of the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois. Here, she is directly involved in gaining more experience in her master’s specialization.
Jamie has exceptional work experience; she is very well-developed in her different positions. Jamie had an internship experience in the summer of 2019 at Antelope Valley Engineering. She was involved in draft work in AutoCAD and compiling cost estimation for the company’s projects. She is currently involved in the Armour Research & Development Program where she is researching the relationship between human bone density and fatigue fractures. Jamie also has held an impressive role as a teaching assistant for a computer science course, specializing in MATLAB, for two years.
Not only is Jamie highly involved in her academic and career development, but she is also an exceptional athlete. Jamie has been a crucial member of the Women’s Soccer team. Soccer has helped her flourish her communication skills as well as develop herself in a collaborative environment. Her first year she was named NACC Freshman of the Year and First Team All-Conference. Jamie is continuously rewarded as a NACC Scholar Athlete. She is also a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee where she helps with community service projects as well.
Jamie is a highly involved individual who strives in everything she is a part of. Her leadership goes unmatched and is a strong factor in her success. With her remarkable time management skills, she is able to stay highly involved and find success with all her goals.
An Analysis of Jamie's Time at Illinois Tech
As a highly involved third-year student, Jamie had a ton of new advice and perspectives to offer. I enjoyed speaking to her because of her optimistic outlook on all the opportunities at IIT. To start, Jamie can easily say that IIT has shaped who she has become. Her experiences have benefitted her academic, professional, and personal life. It was interesting to hear how all of these topics sort of coincided together. She has thanked athletics for all the cooperative skills she has acquired, as well as having a ‘family away from home’. Having a relatable support group is something very essential to success. Through IIT's challenging coursework, Jamie feels that it has prepared her adequately for all of her recent and future opportunities.
When hearing more about Jamie’s involvement I quickly began to wonder how she is able to balance all commitments sufficiently in addition to maintaining her high GPA.
Jamie focuses on managing her time in blocks. This allows for an equal balance of her academic and personal life. Jamie advises to ‘plan out your schedule days in advance of deadlines so that if something unexpected comes up, you still have plenty of time to pause an assignment and come back to it, or just to take a personal break so that you don’t burn out.’ As college students, we tend to become fully immersed in our academic and professional lives that sometimes we forget about those personal breaks. For Jamie, getting her assignments done during the week and in between classes allows for her to have a more open weekend to give time for relaxation and preparation for the next week ahead! I loved how Jamie suggested always have something to look forward to on the weekends. This can be anything from a big event to a small treat! This can in return provide more motivation for the work ahead.
As IIT students, we face a rigorous course load, but this should not stop us from pursuing our hobbies and personal needs. Being a student is all about finding the perfect balance between all the aspects of your life. Try to evaluate yourself and see how well you are keeping up with your needs!
Being a leader on the executive boards of clubs takes a lot of serious commitment. When asking Jamie what led to her success in securing these positions, she quickly replied by talking about her ability to stay on top of deadlines, while also maximizing communication between other members. Jamie continuously sets goals, so she can check her progress and ensure that she is providing what the organization needs.
Goal setting is a great factor when it comes to involvement with anything. From experience, having a fine set of goals can always push a project goal forward. Even in your personal life, goal setting will allow you to stay on track and be honest with where you are at.
Lastly, I spoke to Jamie about the importance of her research/internship experiences and how they have helped her grow as an engineering student.
Jamie confirmed that research and internship opportunities provide new routes of learning that students can only achieve through hands-on experience. When talking about research, Jamie was satisfied that ‘classes typically involve learning the processes required to repeat what has already been done, research allows me to investigate the possibilities of what has not been done yet without needing to worry about a certain right or wrong answer.’ I think that her statement truly describes the beauty of research involvement. Going for opportunities like this sets an individual ahead of those in the classroom. These unique experiences can only be found in new, exciting research/work opportunities. Working in these subjects allows a student to experience present-day problems and be the fuel for the newest solutions. Jamie feels like she is allowed to fully apply her education when she is working and is able to open herself up to a new method of learning.
Exposing herself to many different opportunities allowed Jamie to become the well-rounded individual she is today. Being a female engineer and athlete, Jamie admits being faced with challenges, but she quickly overcomes the odds with her proven success. By both growing up as female athletes, I can easily say that the grit in academic/professional success stems from the continuous hard work that was put into our sport as youths. Growing up and always being in a team setting directly translates to the ‘teams’ she works with now in engineering. Through her experiences, Jamie has proven to be a powerful role model in the Illinois Tech community.
‘Although being a woman in engineering may come with its own challenges, working hard and succeeding in this field just becomes that much more gratifying. Rather than giving up when faced with hardships, going through the same challenges with women of all different majors has brought us all together and has led to a community of support and encouragement for each other. It is because of all these friends that I am proud to be a woman in engineering’
On behalf of Women and Gender Minorities in STEM, we wish you the best of success in your future endeavors. I have no doubt that you will continue to do extraordinary things in your field!
Editorial: A University with a False Promise to Inclusion
By Barien Gad, Cofounder and President of WiSTEM
“Bad hair day, huh” was the last thing I expected to hear from a person of authority on campus. The meeting I had scheduled with this individual had nothing to do with my appearance or my hair. In fact, I was dressed in slacks and a button-down shirt - polished and professional.
Multiple times have individuals of authority at this university commented on my hair, excusing its presence as a bad hair day. Why is it that people on-campus feel it is appropriate to comment on this aspect of my appearance in a professional setting and how does this speak to the environment the university is promoting?
I’ve been asked if I wear it to my research intern position like “that”, afraid to say the word curly or natural. No, my hair is not messy, it is not shameful, and it is not unprofessional. Everyone needs to be more mindful in how they speak to each other or else we will be reinforcing the same toxic environment that repels minorities from STEM-based fields.
And while I do recognize and accept that everyone is entitled to their personal opinions, the university needs to be more particular about the kind of people they bring into their faculty and staff.
It is not acceptable for faculty to speak to students about their physical appearance, and if I, a 19-year-old student, know that - why does a 40+ something-year-old faculty member not?
Where do we draw the line and excuse the ignorant language?
Just in the previous weeks, there was an incident where a retired professor of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering denied the Uyghur Genocide and requested of the Muslim Student Association:
“Take me off your mailing list. I do not approve of your support of terrorists. Using the word genocide when the population is increasing is an insult to Jews and the indigenous people of North America who suffered real genocide. --Philip Nash”
While it’s difficult to hold the university responsible for the words of its previous employees, I ask why this individual was ever provided the opportunity to work with students, to begin with?
This professor undoubtedly taught Muslim students - did he treat them unfairly or discriminate against them in his time as an educator, and were the students afraid to report?
Why is it that Dr. Nash felt he could respond so aggressively to a group of students looking to shed light on injustice?
Maybe he did not fear the consequences of his hate speech because there is no behavioral expectation established for him by the university, no existing consequences defending IIT’s “commitment to inclusion”?
How many faculty members at this university are making similar comments with impunity, and how can the school shift its expectations to combat hate speech?
Why was Dr. Nash not punished? Why were his destructive words treated as a simple inconvenience to the university, and not met with genuine concern about how Muslim students were affected by his comment.
Why is it MSA’s responsibility to censor the crimes against the Uyghur people to avoid rhetorics like Dr. Nash’s?
I ask that we all reflect on our words, actions, and opinions. I ask that we be more empathetic and respectful when speaking to each other.
There is no excuse for Dr. Nash’s behavior, as he is an educated, privileged, and experienced individual fully aware of the implications of his words when signing his name on his message of ignorance.
The university still denies the raping, forced sterilization, and imprisonment of the Uyghur population as genocide, despite the Trump administration themselves labeling it as such.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, genocide is defined as “the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group.” Over one million Uyghurs are currently detained in concentration camps.
The conversation does not stop there: in the most recent President-Provost Forum, at the forty-nine-minute mark, the Provost spent a few minutes publicly “addressing” this issue on behalf of administration.
They made a scapegoat out of the Muslim Student Association and indirectly blamed them for the words of Dr. Nash by saying, “the ad for the event had some strong language in it and some of our Chinese faculty and students I think were concerned about the forcefulness about some of that language.” In fact, not once did the administration even mention Dr. Nash, he only talked about the MSA.
The flyer that was referred to is titled: The Uyghur Genocide: What can you do to support?
The flyer simply and explicitly lists the known and unquestionable human rights violations the Chinese government has committed. It is a topic that 39 countries in the United Nations have been flagging for years. The Uyghurs are considered to be one of China's 55 officially recognized ethnic minorities.
I was not made aware that this flyer had to follow the same guidelines as American history textbooks in censoring the traumatic experiences of minorities.
Are we not supposed to use “strong language” when talking about such a grave issue? Part of the modern-day problem with addressing social issues is the fear of using terms like racism, rape, Islamaphobia. If we do not define the problems for what they are then how are we expected to address them?
The administration should not be discouraging the use of strong words, because it invalidates the devastating experiences of the community, instead, they should stress how Islamophobia can manifest itself in microaggressive comments.
Their point about the “forceful” flyer triggering Dr.Nash’s response is false because that same flyer was used at Loyola University, Roosevelt University, and Benedictine University.
None of those universities reported Islamaphobic comments in response to the flyer.
What about Illinois Tech’s particular environment allowed a disturbing response to be made?
They spoke about modeling future discussions on difficult topics stressing that it needs to be “civil, respectful, and dignified.” While it might not have been their intention-- their timing and their word choice falsely imply that the MSA was not “civil, respectful, and dignified” in leading the discussion when all they did was send out an informative flyer.
The brutal reality is, in attempting to indirectly defend Dr. Nash’s language, the administration failed its Muslim students. The administration neglected its own promises of inclusion, by supporting an Islamaphobic faculty member.
Considering that IIT’s student population includes members of families of concentration camp survivors, it is extremely insensitive, thoughtless, and disappointing to see the administration go on and dismiss their unjust murdering and trauma as “great challenges.”
They went on to stress that there needs to be a place “Where different people for very good reasons can have different views and discuss these difficult issues.” Again, it is unclear what their intentions were, but with their poor timing it felt that they supported Dr.Nash’s views “for very good reasons.”
And the conversation just continued to deteriorate as the administration stressed “it is an important skill to develop as a student [in] how you talk about disagreeable topics without being disagreeable.”
In itself, that makes no sense. I ask the administration to tell me exactly what about the MSA’s statements was “disagreeable”.
They informed that the administration is letting, “a cooling-off period because emotions were running a little high.” There is no excuse for the lack of sensitivity the administration is ironically displaying by insinuating that the uproar in response to Dr. Nash’s statement was an overreaction.
While I agree that it is important to “try to develop empathy and compassion and do it in a way that is respectful and different people have different points of view” as the provost stated, I disagree that all views are justifiable and acceptable. Especially views that cultivate microaggressions, racism, islamophobia, and hostile environments.
It appears that even SGA’s President Alex Kern was unsure of how to acknowledge the provost’s remarks, awkwardly responding “I really appreciate that, um, sentiment.”
I am not writing this to attack the speaker specifically, I hold all of the administration responsible for the horrible response to the Dr. Nash situation.
The reason I shed light on this is that the SGA meeting is recorded and uploaded for all to view. The administration has left a permanent digital footprint on how the university responds to threats of inclusion. It is all of the administration that we should hold accountable for the failed response, there is no one specific person to blame.
I ask that effective change is implemented at Illinois Tech in educating our educators about how they speak to us.
My worry is, if the university is unwilling to stand by its Muslim students during a blatant attack on their faith and the genocide of the Uyghurs, what will make them defend me on microaggressive comments about my hair?
Because while that professor on campus probably never thought twice about his comment on my hair and most likely does not even remember his flippant remark, I think about it every day and will never forget it.
Update on the Previous Editorial: Diversity Effort Stunt?
By Barien Gad, Cofounder and President of WiSTEM
Since the publication of the previous editorial discussing the DEI committee, multiple individuals reached out, some expressing their support, and others, their disapproval.
Less than one day after the release of the editorial, Mike Horan was no longer the chair of the DEI committee. It is not clear whether he resigned or was asked to resign from the position.
In his place, Alicia Bunton has taken over; there was no formal announcement again. Looking into Mrs. Bunton, she is undeniably a qualified candidate for the position and I am grateful the university gave her the position.
I had the opportunity to meet with Mrs. Bunton and discuss the committee as a whole. I suggested that the committee be more vocal about their plans and include the student body in their decisions. She informed me that students in fact are welcome and all they have to do to join is email Hilary Hudson. This information was not public previously, and I feel multiple students would have benefited from having access to this information.
Continuing the conversation, Mrs. Bunton informed me that a “climate survey” would be released, and has been since, to analyze the current environment at the university. I pushed for data publication on the culture climate survey and she agreed that it could be a possibility. As well, I suggested that meetings for DEI be recorded and uploaded to their website so the community is aware of what projects are currently being pursued.
We concluded the meeting by discussing when we are to expect the New Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion.
We are not to expect a Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion until early Fall 2021, because “the board of trustees” feel it is important that the new President of the university have a say in the hiring, despite there being multiple qualified candidates.
While I understand that hiring a new Vice President should not be rushed, especially one with such an impactful role, I fear that many social issues at the university will be put on pause as well.
I would like to note that I was mistaken in my previous piece. Nate Thomas did not chair the committee, he was instead an advisor.
What's Going on in ITSC?
By Alisha Khan, Cofounder and Vice-President of WiSTEM
Illinois Tech Student Community (ITSC) is a Facebook group that provides a voice to students. It is regulated by members of SGA’s executive board. The following are interesting posts from this group since our last newsletter.
A professor asks students to bring chairs to class since he "got wind that there may not be enough chairs when we get there on Monday."
The comments consisted of students saying that IIT charges us so much a year but they can't supply a sufficient amount of chairs, as well as concerns of people not maintaining COVID capacity.
A student was trying to start a Turning Point chapter at Illinois Tech. A petition was shared.
Turning Point is an Illinois-based right-wing student organization formed by Charlie Kirk.
TPUSA's leadership have made comments that link to extremism and white supremacy.
Charlie Kirk is a terrorist that incites violence and hate against people of color, women, and the LGBTQ+ community.
A student was gauging interest for a 2nd amendment club.
The students who wanted to start the IIT chapter of TPUSA rescinded their application to do so.
Students share stories about staff's attitude, food, and safety in food preparations of the Commons, and this was shared with the Dean.
IIT Maintenance does not clean up the snow; this shows a lack of accessibility.
A student sheds light on issues with food setup on campus.
Campus Reform, a conservative news website focused on higher education releases a piece titled "EXCLUSIVE: Illinois Tech students shut down conservative group before it even starts".
A student reports that their professor is holding classes on a COVID study day.
A master’s student gets charged for both undergraduate and graduate tuition and the financial aid office confirms that this is correct.
A student created a website that allows for students to virtually study together.
Barien, the President of WiSTEM, discusses how her curly hair is not unprofessional and to say so is being racist.
UFarm is approved as a student organization.
A statement from Illinois Tech's Muslims Student Association about Emeritus Professor Nash's disgustingly offensive statement about the Uyghur Genocide is released.
Students discuss the current fees that are being charged such as the lab fees and student service fees. Questions are being raised about why charges are increased and where these fees go.
ACM had a speaker event featuring Vinesh Kannan, an IIT alum that left Google in response to the mistreatment of Dr. Gebru.
Thrift@IIT is a startup where IIT students can buy, sell, and swap items using a community website; the founder is looking for teammates.
A student’s class was recorded in 2017 and contains outdated policies.
Answers to the question “What do computer scientists even do, haven’t we discovered all the computers already?”
Young Americans for Liberty is proposed as a student organization in response to the rejection of Turning Point USA; students discuss.
New in STEM: The Parts of Space You Have Not Heard About
By Elizabeth Karagiannes, Events Manager of WiSTEM
SpaceX has been dominating the conversation in terms of advancement in space exploration and organizations for some time now. Why shouldn’t they? SpaceX is the first privately owned company to launch a spacecraft into orbit and to the international space station (Dragon 2020), the first organization to ever reuse an orbital rocket (Falcon 9), the first company to achieve a propulsive vertical landing, and are currently in the process of refining their spacecraft Starship which would be used for interplanetary travel. All these feats are extraordinary facets to focus on, and the company deserves to be lauded for their legendary achievements, however, they are by far not the only companies in the game of developing the space-traveling world.
Blue Origin, United Launch Alliance, and Virgin Galactic are all companies with extensive plans and momentum heading into this new modern space race. However, the goals of all these companies, including SpaceX, range in scope and undertaking. While SpaceX and United Launch Alliance’s biggest focus is scoring contracts with the government, military, and NASA, as well as space exploration, Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin have chosen to zero in on space tourism and colonization. While their goals are all different, they still require the basic requirement, a vehicle to transport people from earth to space regardless of the destination. What sets this current space race apart from any in the past is the innovation, individualism, and ingenuity that each company has used to create its own unique mode of transportation. All of these variations are done for the sake of promoting reusability in the space industry. Why reusability is so vital you may ask, well the Saturn V, the spacecraft that brought man to the moon, cost 185 million dollars (yes millions), and was never used again. Now Starship, which will travel to the moon and beyond, will cost $216 million and will be able to be reused multiple times. So yes if we want to see a feasible development in the space industry in the future reusability is essential.
Now all these different companies can be seen promoting reusability in different ways. Blue Origin has resulted in using liquid methane as a cleaner option to promote reusability in comparison to the usual liquid nitrogen as well as opting to reuse only certain parts of their rocket. United Launch Alliance chose to focus their efforts in reusability on a project called Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage. That was a bit of a mouthful, but essentially an ACES is the second stage of the rocket (or the part that is used once the booster, first stage, has detached after entering orbit), which will stay orbiting in space for months or years instead of coming back to earth at the end of a journey. The ACES can be used for refueling, exporting other spacecraft, or servicing another spacecraft. ULA sees ACES as the future, for they will become a way for spacecraft to refuel for long distances. Similarly, it has been an aspiration for NASA, Blue Origin, and other companies to set up bases and camps at different locations in space such as the moon and near earth Asteroids to promote longer distance space travel as well as weight reduction for space flight. Proposing stops at these locations would prove beneficial as they house elements for water and fuel, and provide a lower gravitational component to overcome than earth when taking off. As great as it is to envision truck stops like these in space, right now it seems almost a pipe dream as it would be highly expensive to build and develop the technology to not only build and maintain these stations but also develop the techniques to mine for the needed elements.
What I have shared thus far is the very tip of what is an enormous iceberg of pioneering, originality, and advancements in the space industry. While after seeing some of the costs of these projects, they may seem unnecessary or extravagant from the outside look, but before finishing reading, I hope to leave you with one last important piece of information, space travel and exploration are necessary and vital to advancement and salvation of mankind. Artificial limbs, Insulin pump, fire fighting equipment, solar cells, shock absorbers for buildings, water filtration, CAT scans, cameras on phones, freeze-dried foods, air purifiers, memory foam, laptops, 3D food printers, athletic shoes, and so much more have all existed from space travel. If that wasn’t all enough, then remember one thing, the earth is running out of resources, while this is not an imminent threat to us right now, it is for our descendants and the one place that holds the salvation to replenishing these resources is space.
Featured Researcher: Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett
By Savanna Gonzalez, Treasurer of WiSTEM
As we start the month of March, we come to realize that it has been a year since the COVID-19 virus struck the United States and chaos was created.
As vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna start to roll out to every state, there is a need to recognize those who were able to use their knowledge to produce such a vaccine.
In this piece, the focus will be on Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, an African American scientist who has been at the forefront in developing the vaccine.
Dr. Corbett graduated from the University of Baltimore, Maryland, and later enrolled in a doctorate program at the University of North Carolina and received her Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology. Corbett spent many of her summers doing research and learning new skills in many laboratories for many years. Those six years of skills that she obtained were put to good use this past year in trying to create a vaccine. Corbett said, “I felt like it was necessary to be seen and to not be a hidden figure so to speak. I felt that it was important to do that because of the level of visibility that it would have to younger scientists and also to people of color who have often worked behind the scenes and essentially [who have] done the dirty work for these large efforts toward a vaccine.” Corbett doesn’t just represent women across the world, but also women and people of color who are underrepresented in all fields. She is one of the reasons why people all over the country are getting vaccinated, and that should be understood and accepted.
Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett with President Joe Biden
Executive Board Column
How has being part of WiSTEM had a positive effect of you?
Barien Gad- President
“I initially looked to start WiSTEM so I could have an opportunity to work professionally on a shared passion with my closest friends. While the executive board has changed since the beginning I find each new member becomes a close friend of mine within weeks of working together. Importantly, I have boosted my confidence by working on WiSTEM. I am now more comfortable emailing and communicating with authority figures at the university because I have come to learn that while I may work under their supervision they work to serve my experiences as a student. Or at least they are expected to. Constantly I have felt that my opportunities have been limited at IIT, co-founding WiSTEM completely changed my perspective. I now realize that I can achieve the opportunities I desire by creating them for myself, and through WiSTEM providing them to others. Undoubtedly, WiSTEM has made me a more empathetic person. I realize that I do not only fight for my experiences, but for the experiences of others, and that meant reflecting on myself and taking responsibility for my actions. Socially, the interdisciplinary facet of WiSTEM has provided me with the opportunity to speak and work with students I never would have crossed paths with previously because of academic constraints. I am extremely fortunate and grateful to have a skilled and committed team I can rely on.”
Alisha Khan - Vice President
“Being an executive member of WiSTEM is one of the ways that I contribute to improving campus. I had always felt a lack of such an organization and saw the value in having one. I think for sure WiSTEM has allowed me to grow and become more confident. I used to be quite shy and didn’t ask questions or speak up in my computer science classes as it was very male-dominated. After starting WiSTEM and talking to the community of women and gender minorities who are in similar situations as me, I realized that if I become more visible as a minority in STEM, other students would also feel more comfortable and that would cause the culture to change on campus. Being part of WiSTEM also allowed me to talk to professors and administrators that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise. I found faculty and administrators that care about the voices of students and are working to improve the campus. Further, WiSTEM’s events have provided me with valuable professional development advice which I have implemented into my life. I am very grateful that I had the time and resources to cofound such an organization and I look forward to seeing it flourish.”
Savanna Gonzalez - Treasurer
“Being an executive board member of WiSTEM has allowed me to learn and understand so many things that occur on campus. I have been able to understand that there are others who attend IIT who feel underrepresented and not heard. I have been able to help create a community that will hopefully diminish the lack of underrepresentation. WiSTEM has given me a greater sense of awareness, that things do need to change for the better. Being a part of WiSTEM has allowed me to gain access to resources I never knew existed, and it has allowed me to speak to professors who are a part of IIT who actually want to listen and are willing to be a part of the change. With this being our second semester being an active organization, there has been a greater stage to voice our opinions and I can voice my opinion on any topic that we bring up. I have attended events in which professional advice has been given to better develop my profiles and resumes, so even during this time of difficulty I will still be qualified. I have gained many leadership skills and communication skills as well. I am grateful to be a part of an organization that wants to see change and will take action to create a better community for IIT.”
Christina Majercak - Events Manager
“Being a member of WiSTEM has greatly developed my leadership and time management skills. Since being a part of the exec board, I have been assigned with tasks that have caused me to step out of my comfort zone and reach out to individuals from all over. This in return has helped me expand my network and make new connections with professionals inside and outside the university. I have also been able to voice my opinion on gender inequalities that I experience almost on the daily. Before joining WiSTEM, I was unable to address and come to terms with the things that come with being a woman in a male-dominated field. Now, I feel like our organization has provided me with adequate support and resources to feel like I can voice my opinions and bring change to our campus. I love being a part of such an active organization that has made me feel so empowered! WiSTEM has helped me realize that I have many peers that are going through the same things, which in return makes me feel motivated to find ways to support each other and bring out the best in what we do. Overall, WiSTEM has helped me develop in a professional and social setting.”
Elizabeth Karagiannes - Representative Manager
When joining WiSTEM initially I had the preconceived idea that the club was going to just be another way to meet new people at IIT and a chance at adding another club onto the resume. However, now six months in, it has become apparent that being a part of WiSTEM has had a substantial impact on not only my personal views, but also a big contributor to my professional growth. Through WiSTEM I have been able to not only meet new people, but have the opportunity to learn more about the amazing WiSTEM here at IIT, and their personal experiences and struggles. There was so much I had no idea was happening, and I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity to discover this in order to help better support and cater to our small community here on campus. WiSTEM has also provided me with the many resources for growing professionally that I was struggling to develop by myself. I have been able to improve my Linkedin, resume, and interview skills that I know will set me apart in my professional journey from other applicants that haven’t had the many workshops that WiSTEM has provided thus far. WiSTEM has been an unexpected journey so far, and I therefore would like to say a huge thank you to not only the board and the representatives, but the whole general body, for providing a positive space to learn and grow in the ways that I have so far.
Representatives Column
What has contributed most to your current success?
Olivia Hansen- Civil Engineering:
My time management skills have contributed the most to my current success. Without being able to effectively plan time for tasks and events, I would not be a 4.0 student and would not be receiving my masters degree in four years rather than five. Learning to juggle athletics, academics, and student org life is not easy but making sure that I have a planner on which I can see everything I have coming up for the next month helps me to not miss deadlines. Color-coding this planner also makes a huge difference to see the balance of responsibilities that I have.
Cheryl Gardner- Information Technology and Management:
What has contributed most to my success is both having a supportive system surrounding me and being very organized. I would have to say that having good friends around me has allowed me to be very successful. My friends are always there to talk to me and give me advice when needed and always push me to strive for my best. As well, I have taken it upon myself to be more organized, laying out a schedule of all that I want to get done on a given day. This has allowed me to measure whether I have been successful on a given day in terms of what I want to accomplish and keeps me on top of my assignments. If I do not accomplish all that I want on a given day, I then plan the next day to make up for it. This has allowed me to stay on top of both my soccer training as well as all my schoolwork making sure that I have balance in my life.
Caitlin Kenoian- Mechanical Engineering:
Definitely my parents, they always push me to do my best and never give up!
Elle Dils - Architecture:
Having so many womxn as role models in my life helped me to get to where I am today. My aunt is the CHRO of a Fortune 500 company, and is a great example of how hard work and networking with the right people will lead to success. My mom is a similarly hardworking woman who always encouraged me to follow my passions–she was actually the one who suggested I go into architecture, and I love it! Lastly, my oldest sibling taught me how to relentlessly and unapologetically advocate for myself and my identity, as well as those who's voices might not be heard as loudly as mine because of my privilege as a white, cis woman. I'm so proud and grateful to have so many great role models in my family!
Ana Shack - Psychology:
If I had to choose one thing that has contributed most to my current success it would have to be the fact that I am passionate about what I am going into. I am really excited and interested in behavioral neuroscience/neuropsychology, so in the classes relating to it, such as neurobiology or research methods in behavioral sciences, I soak up as much as I can and I don't even notice when time goes by when I am studying. As for my other classes, I always try to think about what parts could be helpful to know in the frame of my passion and concentrate on those parts in class. When there doesn't seem to be anything applicable I just think about the fact that I need good grades to get into grad school, so I need to try my best. With this in mind I am able to push through all my classes, even if they are hard or uninteresting to me. If you are struggling to get your work done, I recommend trying to frame your work in the mindset of how it can help you achieve your goals and aspirations.
Tiffany Wong - Mathematics:
I don't know what my current success is specifically, but I know that to be successful, you need to be comfortable in your own skin and confident in your abilities. I'm working really hard to understand myself better, know my limits. I used to think I can do something just because planning it and thinking about it is easy (for example, in freshman year, I planned for myself to take 18 credit hours every semester). I can compare myself to other people all day and nitpick at what resources I need to be using to get ahead, but at the end of the day, I'm the one who has to do what I set out to do, not other people. It's good to compare once in a while, but knowing that I move at my own pace and not being worried about it is how I plan to get to a place where I'm successful in my eyes.
Alyssa Bragg- Physics:
I owe a lot of my current success to my family. Knowing that I will always have their support gives me the freedom not only to succeed, but to fail. I know that if I ever make a mistake or change my mind about something, they'll always have my back, so I don't have to be afraid to take risks and pursue what I really want to do, academically and otherwise. At the same time, they always push me to be the best I can be and they don't let me underestimate what I'm capable of. They keep me motivated to try harder and to never give up while at the same time giving me a bit of a safety net to fall back on if I ever need help.
Alison Yurchak- Biomedical Engineering:
The fact that my parents taught me that most things people think matter, don't matter. Where you came from doesn't matter, the family you came from doesn't matter, your name doesn't matter, your income doesn't matter, how you look doesn't matter, the language you speak doesn't matter, what school you went to doesn't matter. All that matters is how hard you have worked, the things you have learned and the things you have done. It didn't matter what my grades were, I was taught work just as hard as if I was failing. It didn't matter what I did the day before, I was taught to wake up and work as if it was my first day of school, of work, or of practice. All I was taught was work, learn and do, until you turn around and look back one day and can't believe you did it all.
Angela Petrone - Digital Humanities:
The support of my family and loved ones has been a fundamental part of my journey towards IIT and my future in general. No one exists on their own, so having someone who helps you remember where you belong and what your values are is always a good thing. I also believe being willing to make hard choices has contributed and still contributes to my current success; it was hard to find the right balance between transitioning to IIT and maintaining a healthy lifestyle that doesn't require me to let go of any part of my identity. Lastly, given the difficult time we are living, I realize my passion and hunger for learning is what motivates me to keep doing what I do, no matter the circumstances.
Julia Yu- Biochemistry:
In my experience, making connections with a variety of different people has been the biggest contributor to my current success. I've found that the perspective and open-heartedness of others have been truly valuable to both my personal and professional development. Whether it's connecting with classmates, upperclassmen, professors, mentors, etc, I have found that there is so much to learn from them. The more that I learn and grow, the more I feel driven to also give to those around me as well. Overall, I believe that the people around me have guided me to become a more holistic and developed individual.
Nabilah Siddiqui - Computer Science:
There are several success factors that have helped me move forward in life. By implementing these factors in my everyday life, I know that it is certainly possible to achieve the best life for myself. Firstly, I believe it is education that has played a huge role towards my success. I am so fortunate to be able to attend Illinois Tech as I admire its focus on technology which has driven me to expand my knowledge and live life the best way possible. I also believe that skill has had a positive impact on my success. I believe that the more we work hard towards our goal, the more we acquire new skills. The better that I get at what I do allows me to move forward towards success. Last but not least, I think it is important to make connections with new people. By joining different clubs/organizations, I have been able to expand my social network and I have met amazing people who are willing to help me out if I ever need anything. The possibility of attaining the most success in life can be determined by getting to know the fellow peers around me.
Thank You For Reading
Chief Digital Editor: Barien Gad