2008 Conference

The 2^nd Annual Rapid City Women in Science conference was held on March 17^th, 2008 with over 300 girls attending from western South Dakota middle and high schools. The purpose of the event was to help young ladies realize the need to take advanced math and science classes in high school and to consider degrees and careers in science fields.

The Honorable Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, Congresswoman for South Dakota, opened the conference and was followed by the keynote speaker, Marlene Nelson, Boeing Director for Aviation Safety from Seattle, WA.

Throughout the rest of the day attendees rotated through exhibitors and speakers who included archaeologists, meteorologists, engineers, forest managers, botanists, women in various medical fields and many more. Highlights included Melissa Horton and her menagerie of feathered friends from Wildlife Experience, Meagan Holm and Melissa Smith from the National Weather Service who played Weather Jeopardy with the girls and Nancy Bayne with the Black Hills National Forest who set up her room with branches, bushes and logs for hands-on activities.

The day wrapped up with drawings for the girls to spend a day with each of the speakers and for door prizes that were donated by many of the area’s community businesses.

Committee members include Nancy Anderson-Smith with SD School of Mines and Technology, Kelly Whitaker with the National Weather Service, Brenda Mabbs with Western Dakota Technical Institute, Amy Ballard with Black Hills National Forest, Marilyn Montgomery with Skyline Engineering, Dan Bergey with Black Hills State University and Russell Poppen with Tech Prep.

The event was made possible through the monetary support of SD Epscor, the National Science Foundation, SD Space Grant Consortium, GCC Dacotah Inc. and other Rapid City, SD businesses.

Pictures of the conference can be viewed and downloaded at

http://picasaweb.google.com/NOAAkelly/2008WomenInScience