STEM has practically become a household word. You can’t pick up a newspaper or listen to the news on any given day without hearing about STEM education.
More than 100 women attended the third annual Making a STATEment: MSU Women in STEM Conference, Oct. 9 and 10, at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center.
The conference provided an opportunity for alumnae who work in STEM professions to come back to campus, connect and engage with other MSU alumnae and current students, expand their professional networks, and acquire tools and knowledge that can help them further their career objectives.
Alumna Stacie Longwell Hill, program manager for the Michigan Health Council in Okemos, Mich., is on the board of directors for the College of Natural Science Alumni Association and serves on the committee that organizes the conference.
“I think it’s really important to pull women together to talk about things like gender bias in the workplace and professional appearance; because so often, with a mixed crowd, you can’t always hit on deeper issues that really impact women in their careers, particularly in the sciences—a male-dominated world,” Hill said.
The keynote address, “Resilience: How to Power Forward During Challenging Times,” was delivered by Jennifer Hunter, from the University of Kentucky.
Mary Jane Mapes, president and founder of The Aligned Leader Institute, presented “You Can Teach a P.I.G. to Sing: Maximize Your Influence, Your Relationships and Your Life.”
“A conference like this gives women a leg up,” Mapes said. “If I had known back then what I know today, I think of the different choices I might have made in my life.”
Other sessions covered how to present a professional image, understanding communication styles and identifying personal money habits and attitudes.