Volume 4, Issue 2
A Message From the Founders
We are so humbled to have had another successful year here at WiSTEM. Not only were we able to host a total of nine high quality, high attendance, and high engagement events, but WiSTEM also secured two independent corporate partnerships, and co-founded the Women's Center.
We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to serve the Illinois Tech community for another year by leading WiSTEM during the 2021-2022 academic year. We started this organization remotely and it was wonderful to experience an in-person year. While the transition was difficult, WiSTEM made sure to equally balance virtual and in-person events to not only engage our in-person members, but also remote members.
One of our goals this year was to enhance the professional development of students by pursuing partnerships with top companies. At some point, the thought of receiving financial support independent from Illinois Tech, felt unachievable, in that we had to prove the value of our work to those who did not first-hand experience it. WiSTEM struggled to gain support from the beginning, being approved by only one vote from the SGA. Despite carrying the burden of being another “women in" organization on campus, we successfully differentiated WiSTEM through our consistency in quality of events, newsletters, strong communication, and social media platforms.
WiSTEM is not just an organization we have put our free time towards, it is quite literally a reflection of our very own friendship and our ability to bring out the best in one another as leaders, dreamers, and sisters. WiSTEM was never about money or something to put on a resume or application, it was always about bringing us closer as women in different fields of STEM and helping us achieve our own goals. Securing two sponsorships this semester was an extraordinary reward, in that it reinstated what we already knew about the organization and our very own hard work: it is valuable and irreplaceable.
We are very proud to welcome Virtu Financial and Chase Bank as not only partners but also our platinum sponsors. In attempting to welcome more women in a predominantly male field, WiSTEM has worked and plans to continue to work with Virtu in spreading Quantitative Trading knowledge and opportunities to the Illinois Tech community.
WiSTEM not only strives to provide professional development opportunities, but as well build a community equipped with the skills necessary to prosper. It is our commitment to our community that encouraged WiSTEM to pursue a partnership with Chase to increase financial literacy among our members and community.
In addition, WiSTEM, along with SWE and FEM, co-founded the Women's Center. This was a project two years in the making. It is a secure space on campus created to celebrate women and their accomplishments. More information about the center is available here.
WiSTEM aims to address problems in higher education at Illinois Tech by providing a voice for the community through our newsletters. For our previous issues, we included an editorial that discussed a specific problem at Illinois Tech and what can be done to resolve it. As well, we celebrated members of our community, shared their stories, and discussed relevant topics in different STEM fields.
As well, Co-President Barien Gad successfully launched a pilot program providing free menstrual sanitary products in select restrooms on campus. By securing free sanitary products for students in both women and gender-neutral restrooms, Co-president Barien accomplished a WiSTEM goal of advocating for not just the demands, but the health needs of students.
To conclude, while our executive board has worked tirelessly with our representatives in surpassing milestones we never anticipated early on, our team looks forward to continuing to prevail and achieve our wildest dreams. In WiSTEM we aimed for the moon and through our perseverance and labor landed on the moon.
Event Updates
As an organization, we have pride in the fact that we are able to provide quality events for the students of Illinois Tech. Here are recaps of our events since the last newsletter.
Women's Center Grand Opening
After our first newsletter this semester, I am happy to announce that the Women’s Center at Illinois Tech is officially open. As an organization, we work towards creating a space in which students who are underrepresented are welcome, and that is what the Women's Center is. This event moved in an open house style, where students, faculty, and staff could walk in and explore the space. During the lunch hour, formal speeches were given by Dean Stetz, Provost Kilpatrick, and representatives from each organization. The Women’s Center was planned and put together by SWE, FEM, and WiSTEM.
Barien Gad, co-president and co-founder of WiSTEM, gave an empowering speech to everyone who attended and allowed anyone who felt underrepresented to feel that this was a step forward in the right direction. In creating this space, we have been able to collaborate with the university and other organizations to create a more unified campus. This space is located in McCormick Student Village and requires student ID card access. If anyone has any questions about the Women’s Center or wishes to have access to the space, please feel free to contact womenscenter@iit.edu.
Personal Website Workshop
Our “Personal Website Workshop” was an event featuring our Representatives Manager, Elizabeth Karagiannes, in which she showcased her website as well as gave some insight on how to build your own. It is becoming more and more difficult to stand out in a pool of applicants, and building a personal website is one way to do so. Our workshop displayed why everyone should make a website to showcase their skills and opportunities.
First, Elizabeth went through reasons why a personal website is such an advantage when going into the application process. Having a personal website allows one to show and not tell what they have done. A personal website can include pictures, videos, and links as tangible evidence for past opportunities you have had. Different designs can be used to give your website some personality as well as showcase some of the topics you have the most interest in. A personal website showcases what a resume cannot.
To better showcase how a website should look like, Liz displayed her own personal website. Walking through every aspect of hers, students were able to get an actual example of what a personal website should look like. The walkthrough didn’t just give an amazing example, but it showed how easily it can set you apart from other applicants. After a thorough walkthrough, Liz went through a brief example of how to use Google sites to create your own. Being able to give insight on how to design a website showed students that it is much easier than once believed to create a personal website. The slides and handout presented during this event are posted on our website. The presentation was recorded as well, for those who missed out.
Letters and Listeners
First, we would like to thank everyone who had the courage to submit a letter, speaking about how they are feeling, especially in an environment where it seems impossible to speak your mind. We received many letters, speaking about the stressful environment that is created through courses and life obstacles. To everyone who attended in-person, thank you for being willing to talk about the letters you received. These past two years have been a lot for every person, and we all learned to adapt and handle it all. This year was a year of coming back to in-person lectures and learning how to handle the challenges of actually being in-person and the interactions that come with it all over again. We will continue to host this event as an outlet for others to release what they are feeling.
Quant Trading 101
Our last, and final event of the semester, involved bringing our newest annual sponsor, Virtu Financial. Virtu Financial is a company that provides financial services, trading products, and market making services. Virtu gave a presentation on what quantitative trading is and how Virtu handles the opening and closing of the stock market. Instead of this just being a lecture style event, there were two slides presented and then a longer Q&A session. Three representatives from Virtu came to discuss and answer any questions that students had during the event. We had representatives from the Austin, New York, and Chicago office. Having a representative from different offices in the United States, allowed for those who attended to get different perspectives of the work environment and work lifestyle at each office. Each representative worked in a different field and elaborate on what they do and how they do it. Each representative was able to speak on how they got into trading and the market. All three representatives had their own story, which allowed everyone to understand that you don’t need to go into the career specified for the degree that you received. As Virtu is our annual sponsor, we will be hosting another event in the Fall with them. Virtu is looking to create a more diverse work environment and talk to college students about their experiences.
WiSTEM would just like to say a big thank you to everyone who attended our events this semester, and we are excited for another semester of informational and exciting events. We hope everyone had a great semester and is ready for the summer. Congratulations to the class of 2023, YOU DID IT, and we couldn't be more proud. See you next semester!
Hardworking Girls
Before the spring semester, I scheduled a meeting with an advisor to ask about registration advice and summer internships.
The meeting started as casual and lighthearted as expected.
I told him about the classes I’m planning on taking. He approved and told me what courses to follow up with the following semester.
The topic shifts to summer plans.
I mentioned that I applied to some internships for the summer and I’m looking forward to hearing back from them. He goes on to say, “Yeah, with the pandemic, it’s difficult for students to get anything.”
He continues with, “But you will get something, especially since you’re a girl and all.”
I paused. I looked at his window on the Zoom screen and blinked, hoping for him to go on.
When it was clear that there was no followup, I laughed uncomfortably.
I tried to move the subject along by asking him if he knew other female students getting internships for next summer. He said that more girl students are telling him about their internships more than male ones and that it was good that companies are choosing to accept girls rather than boys.
Does he think female students are only getting internships because they’re female? What about the hardwork and preparation they put into the interviews they scheduled with these companies? Am I exaggerating and getting offended for no reason?
I know many WiSTEMs who make spreadsheets and trackers of their applications.
I myself went through 3 rejections that week already and it was only a Wednesday.
After a moment of silence, he senses my hesitation and continues.
He says “Girls are so hardworking! They put in the additional work to catch up with what they lack from their male peers. It’s so admirable for Illinois Tech to be filled with girls who strive to be like their male peers.”
I looked at the Google Doc I was writing on for this meeting. I had a couple questions left for him, but the conversation was going nowhere.
The trouble isn’t that girls shouldn’t be viewed as hardworking, but the generalization that all girls are simply trying to catch up to be like the boys so they can take their positions in the work field.
I get enough off-handed side comments from my peers about how my gender is a definite boost to my application, but my gender doesn’t put in the prep hours for me, doesn’t think through interview questions, doesn't write my resume for me.
The conversation with the advisor trickled off and I said my goodbyes and exited the Zoom.
Why do I have to prove myself just because I am a female in STEM?
There’s always been this feeling that I should know that I am not good enough and that I am only given opportunities for a program to meet their gender equality guidelines.
Imposter Syndrome.
But the more I seek out advice from those older and more experienced than me, the more I feel like I’m not even an imposter. But rather someone who isn’t even good enough to be an imposter.
Ever since I chose to go into the STEM field, people left and right give unsolicited advice on how to use my gender as a weapon to advocate for myself and get ahead.
Do men in the field use their gender as a weapon?
And if they do, should I stoop to their level to be considered worthy in the field?
I understand the mindset of using your own weakness as a strength, but does this not in turn undermine my credibility and skillset?
To think to myself that I can only get to where they are because I am a gender quota filler?
Being a female doesn’t mean I have to be extraordinary to accomplish the same as a male. But it also doesn’t mean that the only reason I accomplished something is due to my gender.
The next time, I steered clear of asking career advice from that advisor.
Featured Woman in STEM: Andy de Fonseca
While on maternity leave after having her daughter Zoë, Andy de Fonseca witnessed the historic moment of the Falcon 9 rocket landing on the Of Course I Still Love You drone ship. It was from that moment on that she knew that Aerospace Engineering was the new adventure she wanted to pursue. Six years later and Andy is just two months shy from graduating with a bachelors in Aerospace Engineering and beginning her career as a rocket engine test engineer at ABL Space. Countless achievements, awards, and milestones have taken place in those six years, but Andy’s academic and professional journey starts back fourteen years earlier.
When Andy first went to college she had graduated from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale with a B.A. in History, B.A. in Cinema and Photography, and a B.A. in Theater. In addition to the three bachelors degrees, Andy also received several accolades including being a part of the 25 Most Distinguished Seniors of SIU, a couple screenwriting awards, and the history department award for best research paper which was published. After graduating, Andy wanted to join her fellow film friends in pursuing careers in LA working on movies.
Unfortunately at the time the 2008 crisis had hit and thus deeply affected the job market. To adjust to the climate at the time, Andy decided to go into administration work, and creative work whenever she got the chance. However, the jobs and the work she was doing at the time were not satisfying and fulfilling for her. The subjectiveness and gritty details of working on marketing campaigns was frustrating and showed her that the line of work she was in was not where she wanted to continue working in. In fact the only job that she liked in the 10 years before going back to school was working at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago.
Being 10 years out of school and a new mom, starting all over again was a daunting task, but Andy took it one step at a time. For her next venture into higher education, Andy had the end goal in mind of working at a space company that specializes in space travel or habitat. With her fascination for all things space and the enjoyment she remembered having from building theater sets in college, Andy was able to decide on pursuing a degree in aerospace engineering. However she knew the road ahead would not be an easy one. Remembering her past struggles with math in high school, Andy decided to start her journey taking classes at a community college to see her aptitude for this major. It was here that she saw that she could not only become successful in this field, but that she was already doing well. The high grades she received were all the affirmation she needed to fully commit to earning her degree in aerospace engineering. When asked if she was glad she started off in another field first, she said “everything that happened led me to having Zoë and having friends I still have today so for those things, yes.” In addition Andy found herself learning valuable life skills that are hard to develop in the engineering field such as the art of communication and not putting value in the nonconstructive, negative things people can say.
At IIT and outside of IIT, Andy began to flourish and become highly successful. In addition to the many scholarships she received for aerospace engineers, Andy had earned the highly coveted Brooke Owens Fellowship last summer. The Brooke Owens Fellowship is a competitive aerospace engineering fellowship for women in the field. In this fellowship, fellows are connected with a mentor in the aerospace field, and an internship at a space company. Andy was paired up with Rob Meyerson, a former VP at Blue Origin and pursued her internship at Stratolaunch Systems. At Stratolaunch Andy worked on the Hypersonic Testing Vehicle. Her work on the project included developing drop calculators, CG/ weight balancing calculators, and designing the mass simulator. In addition to pursuing fun tasks such as starting her pilot's license and being a safety diver during a chute test at Stratolaunch, the experience was able to show Andy the type of work culture and coworkers that she wanted to be around. In addition to her passion for space, one of Andy’s favorite parts of aerospace engineering is the people, she said “the people are the best. Freakin’ nerds, I love them all.” Being a women in a STEM field often can mean facing competition for opportunities in your major, but in her Brooke Owens experience Andy was able to meet, “a group of some of the best women in aerospace who are so incredibly motivated and brilliant and they have this specific personality of not only pushing themselves to succeed, but helping others succeed as well.” Speaking as someone who has worked closely with Andy, I can certainly say that Andy embodies what she sees in other Brooke Owens Fellows. I’ve never worked with anyone who not only leads by incredible example, but takes her own time out to support and encourage all the women around her individually. One of the best aspects of the fellowship to Andy was being able to be part of a community in the aerospace industry, in which wherever she went there would be a Brookie there. Being able to find someone to connect with is something that is valuable, and Andy’s advice to any women in stem out there is to “keep going, rise above, find another woman in the industry.”
Another one of Andy’s big accomplishments has been founding and chairing the Rocketry Team, Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS), at IIT. After seeing that the IIT curriculum didn’t do anything with rockets, Andy realized that she needed to change that. When asked how she developed and fostered the club in a topic which she had no experience in at the time, she responded with “I knew what I wanted to do for myself and made sure it happened for others as well. It also helps that I don’t take no for an answer.” Andy’s determination and drive is unmatched, it is why the club in its inaugural year was able to successfully launch a 10k rocket. Andy had big plans and ideas for the club, but due to budget restrictions on first year clubs she wasn’t able to see them all to fruition; however, after their success last year, SEDS has gone on to pursue some of Andy’s bigger visions, such as putting on composite workshops and individual high power rocket workshops on for students, and building two rockets an 8k and 30k in one semester! When asked what she wants for the club in the future, Andy said she wanted it to “just keep going. I want students each year to build one lvl3 high powered rocket, get at least their lvl1 individual HPR certificates, and I want them to gain composite layup experience. If at least those three things happen every year, I’ll be happy because those things alone will give students a huge advantage for future internships and employers.” It is evident that Andy lives up to her status of being a Brookie, as she's always looking to empower and provide the skills for those around her and after her to succeed in pursuing their passion.
It is not only in school that Andy is an incredible role model, but at home she is an amazing mom to her daughter Zoë who just turned six years old! It is ultimately Zoë that Andy had made the choice to go back to school for, as she wanted to set a good example. Raising a daughter and going to school is not an easy task, so much so that Andy found she had more free time pursuing three degrees at once, than she does raising a daughter and pursuing one degree. However, Andy wouldn’t have it any other way, as she doesn’t see herself having been as successful in aerospace engineering if she had pursued it originally at 18 years old and she spends all her free time doing activities with Zoë. Some of their favorite activities to do together are math lessons (Zoë’s favorite subject!), piano lessons, and anything and everything that they can do together. Zoë, like her mom, loves space and sees herself working on the moon with her mom in the future.
If it wasn’t clear enough that Andy is an ambitious, caring, intelligent powerhouse, then let me leave you with one piece of valuable advice that Andy recommends to all those in STEM and encompasses the type of peer and coworker she is: “In an industry where everyone is smart, stand out by being kind”.
Featured Researcher: Dr. Janina Scarlet
Ukrainian born clinical psychologist and author Dr. Janina Scarlet is paving the way for upcoming psychologists with her latest contribution to psychology, “Superhero Therapy”. Dr. Scarlet developed Superhero Therapy in order to help patients with anxiety, depression and PTSD. It refers to the process in which characters from pop culture which include superheroes, characters from books, movies, TV shows and even video games are integrated into evidence-based therapy such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as well as Cognitive Processing Therapy. This assists individuals in learning how to become their own version of a superhero in real life, in their own life.
Every individual has their own story and experience that has led them to where they are now and every now and then a character in pop culture has aspects or traits that speak to you, and you are able to relate to. Dr. Scarlet has a story of her own, at the age of three while living in Ukraine in 1986, one of the reactors at the Chernobyl’s nuclear power plant was destroyed. This was only 200 miles away from where her family resided. Unfortunately, this caused many families to be affected and get sick. Dr. Scarlet herself began to suffer from migraines that would turn into seizures and suffered from frequent nosebleeds that had difficulty clotting. In addition, while living in the Ukraine, her family was threatened with violence for being Jewish, the economy was not doing well, and her family was struggling financially. Her family filed an asylum claim and then immigrated to New York when she was twelve years old.
Dr. Scarlet struggled with this transition, she did not speak English, would often wear the same outfits to school and she had only one friend in a different school than hers. Kids would ask her if she was “radioactive” when they heard about where she was from. In an interview with The Atlantic she said, “Looking back at it, I realized I was going through PTSD and depression. There were days that I just wanted to die.” When she was in high school, she was working in a movie theater and on one night she saw the movie, X-Men. Dr. Scarlet felt an intense connection with Storm, the character in this movie that can control the weather. She was also in awe with the introduction of the movie where young Magneto (a character in the movie) shows his powers by bending the gates of Auschwitz after he had been separated from his family. The movie also has many themes that Dr. Scarlet may have related to such as prejudice and being different.
Dr. Scarlet completed her postdoctoral training in psychology at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton near San Diego at the Veterans Medical Research Center. There she treated active-duty members with PTSD. She noticed that the soldiers had a difficult time expressing their feelings and trauma. However, she saw that they did use superheroes at times when expressing how they felt. Superheroes are often traumatized and wounded yet strong which is why many soldiers may have identified with them and used them when expressing pain. She began integrating Superhero Therapy by including these characters from comics and movies into evidence-based therapy in order to help the patients with their depression, PTSD and anxiety.
When an individual is struggling with depression or PTSD it’s often difficult for them to see any solution or way out. Sometimes for individuals, it is difficult to even understand the situation that they are in but being able to recognize what is happening as a character is faced with it can help to begin to understand the situation. Most fictional characters in comics, movies and books are often faced with many obstacles, battles, and challenges themselves. This is helpful because if the patient already relates to or feels connected to the character and if this is paired with evidence-based therapy, the individual may be able to see a possible solution which is helpful with their progress.
In one of Dr. Scarlet’s books, Self, she talks about a patient she saw who liked the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The woman struggled to open up about her own trauma but was willing to talk about episodes in which the character in the show experiences trauma. There was one day where both Dr. Scarlet and the patient watched episodes together and there was a scene where the character said, “Everything I feel, everything I touch, this is hell.” The patient then pointed to the screen and said, “That! That is exactly how I feel. Every day.” The patient was referring to her own experience of sexual assault and the trauma. Dr. Scarlet wrote, “with the help of seeing the parallels between Buffy’s fictional experience and her own reality (the patient) was able to see that our thoughts aren’t always accurate, and by changing her thoughts and her behaviors, her mental-health state began to improve.”
Dr. Janina Scarlet earned her Ph.D from the City University of New York. She is a scientist and a Lead Trauma Specialist at the Center for Stress and Anxiety Management in San Diego. Dr. Janina Scarlet is the recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award by the United Nations Association for her work on Superhero Therapy. Her work has been featured on Yahoo, BBC, NPR, Sunday Times, CNN, CW, ABC, The New York Times, Forbes as well as other media. She also consults on books and shows, including HBO’s The Young Justice. Currently, she offers tele-therapy through video and/or phone and she does accept new clients. For individuals who are long distance or quarantined, she offers phone and video sessions. Her therapy is also intended for all ages. There is currently so much going on in the world and with everything going on in Ukraine, many may be able to benefit from a superhero like Dr. Scarlet.
Meet the 21-22 Executive Board!
Sindhuja Bheesette
Digital Media Officer
Marketing Analytics Master's Student
Why did you join WiSTEM?
I attended a couple of WiSTEM events in my first semester at IIT and above finding the events
to be very interesting and relevant for students in STEM, I thought the organization had great
people who cared about purpose, intent, and conversation. They all believed in making the
organization as approachable as possible for every student at IIT and this drew me to attending
the events that followed. When given the opportunity to join the board, it was a no-brainer for
me. To simply be a part of the WiSTEM community was big but to be on the board and interact
with the other talented members was something I was very excited about. There is simply no
reason why people regardless of their gender preferences get the opportunities they want and
deserve. What drives this group of Women is the shared passion for that exact purpose and
they make every decision keeping that intention at center no matter what.
What is one piece of advice you would give women in STEM?
There’s nothing you can’t achieve as long as you have the drive for it. Join communities, feel
empowered and there are always people who will support you every step of the way.
What are your career goals?
I have always had a specific interest in Marketing and Data Analytics. During my course at IIT and several interactions with peers, alumni and professionals, this interest really solidified and my intent to pursue a career in this field became more certain. For the next couple of years, I see myself exploring the fields of Data Analytics with an inclination to Marketing and Strategy.
Tiffany Wong
Treasurer
Applied Mathematics and Computer Science Double Major, Computer Science Master's Student
Why did you join WiSTEM?
As a commuter, it’s hard to find a community to be a part of when I can only really socialize in my classes. In my first year at IIT, I didn’t feel like I was connecting with people who are similar to me and in general, I had had a few semesters just feeling isolated. Hearing about WiSTEM through a classmate was what really opened my perspective on how I can get involved in campus life. It was an opportunity to meet other women in STEM across different majors and get to take on responsibilities outside my academic ones. It’s important to me that those around me don’t make the same mistakes I did academically and professionally. And WiSTEM strengthens my voice to be helpful for those who are going through similar experiences as I did.
What is one piece of advice you would give women in STEM?
Comparison is the thief of joy, but the best motivator.
What will you be doing this summer?
This summer, I’ll be a data science and machine learning intern at IBM Austin. I’m excited to explore a new city! Further down the line, I do want to look into opportunities that would utilize both math and CS skills from a financial perspective.
Savanna Gonzalez
Events Manager
Biology Major
Why did you join WiSTEM?
When I was first approached and asked to join WiSTEM my initial reaction was do I really want to join the board of an organization. Will I have time? What will come of joining this brand-new organization? I asked myself the questions that anyone would ask themselves when doing something completely new. After asking myself those questions and joining, I was extremely happy with my decision. I decided to join WiSTEM to try something completely new, to learn leadership skills as well as interact with a multitude of new people who attend Illinois Tech. I joined WiSTEM to unite the university I attend and to try and start the difficult conversations that need to happen. WiSTEM was an opportunity for me and the university to try something new.
What is one piece of advice you would give women in STEM?
A piece of advice I wish I was given before I came to Illinois Tech and joined the “real world” is that you have to let go of things that don’t go your way. If you don't get a good grade on the test you have taken, do not dwell on the fact that you could have stayed up for one hour more. Do not dwell on the fact that you shouldn't have taken that 30-minute nap. As long as you did what you could, don't beat yourself up for something that doesn't define you. Exams do not define the person that you are and who you are going to become. Yes, I understand that for some of us grades determine whether we get into a pre-health school or our preferred graduate school, but everything happens for a reason, and we cannot beat ourselves up or else we will burn out so fast.
Elizabeth Karagiannes
Representatives Manager
Aerospace Engineering Major, Computer Science Minor, Aerospace Engineering Master's Student
Why did you join WiSTEM?
I joined WiSTEM for many different reasons as the purposes of WiSTEM span many different areas. One of the reasons I joined was to be able to learn and interact with those from different majors and backgrounds. Most of the work I participate in is centralized around those participating in just my major, and I think it is important and beneficial to learn and hear from others with different experiences. Since my field is almost all male, being a part of this club has allowed me to see the large number of women who are actually in the stem. Over the years I have loved being able to communicate and spend time with people who share the same experiences and problems and therefore are able to understand some of the struggles I have dealt with.
What is one piece of advice you would give women in STEM?
One piece of advice I would give to women in STEM is to shoot and go for whatever goals or opportunities you want no matter how extravagant or big they may be. Don’t ever put yourself out of an opportunity because you think you aren’t smart or experienced enough yet, and more than anything don’t hold back because of what others may have to say or think about you reaching an achievement.
What will you be doing this summer?
This summer I will be an Integration and Test Mechanical Engineer at Northrop Grumman. During my time in Arizona, I will be working with satellites. In the future I hope to continue to work in the space industry!
Barien Gad
Co-founder and Co-president
Biochemistry Major, Applied Mathematics Minor
Why did you start WiSTEM?
I initially co-founded WiSTEM in a time of extreme isolation, it was the beginning of the pandemic and I found myself trying to desperately latch onto the few friends I had made in the few months I was on campus while also addressing issues I had seen in the little time I was there. I created the organization with the intention of connecting students regardless of location, but as well share the resources I had come across. Being a first generation immigrant, I don’t have connections I can rely on, family with experience in my field, much less an endless pile of resources. Everything I knew, I researched myself. But that did not mean everyone in my position had to as well. In creating WiSTEM, I realized I could use the platform to share my resources in hopes of helping other women rise, succeed, and eventually give back.
I come from a culture that values community and focuses on the accomplishments and well being of the community as a whole, versus the traditional American perspective of individualism. Growing up, my parents always stressed the importance of not only supporting yourself, but supporting those around you and this was a core value I have worked so hard to instill in WiSTEM. I desired with Alisha to ensure that this organization will always be involving new and previous members, connecting them to share their experiences, resources, and share .
What is one piece of advice you would give women in STEM?
The more you succeed, the more your hard work will be undermined and the more your ambitions, perseverance, and bravery will be misconstrued, don’t let the jealous misogynistic words of those around you influence how you perceive yourself.
As a woman, your success and actions will be confined to a set of negatively connotated diction.
There have been endless amounts of times my behavior has been described as demanding, because I made a request well within my means, or been called confident for applying to positions early in my professional career.
I remember the first time I was called bossy, but I took it as a leader. The times I have been called a bad influence for standing up for myself in the professional workplace and encouraging others to as well is disappointing.
And the reality is, it will be your own professors, peers, and colleagues calling you these behind your back out of envy. Stand up for yourself, uplift other women around you by celebrating the traits you admire in them instead of minimizing their hard work.
What will you be doing this summer?
This summer I will be partaking in an NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) where I will be researching cancer biology.
Alisha Khan
Co-founder and Co-president
Computer Science Major, Data Science Master's Student
Why did you start WiSTEM?
While I was in high school I was very active in my community whether that was volunteering at my Mosque or helping plan events for the Girls Who Code chapter at my high school. I really enjoyed giving back to my community and I wanted to continue that in college as well.
During my freshman year I was part of organizations like ACMW-IIT which supported women in Computing related fields. But I realized that while some majors have a good amount of women in them such as Computer Science, other majors have only a few for which a "women in" organization is not practical for only around ten students.
As well, it is important to have interdisciplinary connections and not stay in a bubble of just people in your major. During my freshman year I felt that if I had not dormed, then I wouldn't have met non-CS students. Other schools had faculty-supported groups for women in STEM, but it is something that Illinois Tech lacked. I hope that WiSTEM is an organization that prospective female students feel comforted by in that if they choose to come to Illinois Tech, there is a community of women that is there to support them.
What is one piece of advice you would give women in STEM?
Build a support group of people in your field that are outside of your university as well. A lot of the people that helped me in my early career whether that is letting me know of opportunities I should apply to or doing practice coding problems with me are from outside of IIT. I find it really helpful to have this because when I ask for questions I get a diverse range of answers as they all come from different backgrounds.
What will you be doing this summer?
I will be a Data Scientist Intern at Meta. I’m excited to learn a lot and work on interesting data science problems over the summer and I look forward to exploring the Bay Area!
We hope you all have a great summer!
- WiSTEM 21-22 Executive Board
Editor in Chief: Alisha Khan