oSTEM@CWRU September General Body Meeting: Wednesday, September 1st, 6:30pm. Location and Registration link TBD
Mentorship Program Updates: Undergrads and professional / pre-professionals will be paired for a mentorship program. More info will be coming this month explaining the process with a kick-off event in late september.
News and Media:
The olympics this year is gayer than ever! Check out a list of LGBTQ+ Olympians and to learn more from some outspoken athletes. Also, check out the Her Engineering Career podcast by Mary Kinsella!
August Newsletter!
Happy August, everyone!
Welcome to the first ediition of the oSTEM@CWRU monthly newsletter. In this, we'll be posting details for upcoming events, opportunities, interesting LGBTQ+ / STEM news, and more!
With the in-person school year rapidly approaching, we hope you all are relaxing in the last weeks of summer break! We have some exciting events planned for this semester so definitely keep a look out for future newsletters and instagram posts. As per the university guidelines, make sure to get vaccinated against COVID-19 so we can all have in-person events on campus together again.
The slack channel is now up and running, so make sure to check out our General Links below to join the chat! As always, feel free to reach out to any of the exec members on slack, email, or the oSTEM@CWRU instagram for any questions or event suggestions :)
We can’t wait to see y’all on campus in 2 WEEKS!
Much love,
oSTEM Executive Board
oSTEM Nationals Professional Development Summit
This new program is an all-expenses-paid career retreat weekend aimed to empower early career LGBTQ+ professional in STEM. It will include introspective workshops, authentic mentorship, and a supportive community. Attendees will have the opportunity to clarify their career goals, define their vision of success, and extend their networks of peers and mentors.
oSTEM Nationals Poster and Symposium Presentations
oSTEM Nationals is looking for poster presentations and speakers to present their research at their annual conference poster session. The 2021 oSTEM and Annual Conference Poster Session is intended for undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdocs to showcase their research to other conference attendees. Anyone performing academic or industry research is invited to submit a poster for consideration.
We will be having our first General Body meeting of the year on Wednesday, September 1st at 6:30pm EST. Keep an eye out for updates while we finalize the location and registration link.
When: Wednesday, September 1st, 6:30pm
Location: TBD
Registration: TBD
Exec Introductions
To help you get to know this year’s exec team, here are some introductions:
Kameron MacKenzie (he/him): Hi everyone! I’ll be serving as the oSTEM@CWRU President for the 2021-2022 academic year and I’m really looking forward to hosting some of our first in-person events! We’ve got a lot of great professional, social, and advocacy events coming up and can’t wait to see you all there. I’m a senior studying computer science in the BS/MS program focusing on artificial intelligence and minoring in stats. I also play the viola in our orchestra and a few chamber groups. Feel free to reach out if you ever need help with programming, research, or just want to chat!
Aman Shankardass (he/him): Hey CWRU! I will be serving my second term as Vice President of oSTEM@CWRU during 2021-2022. I am so excited to meet everyone in person and host some incredible events with the rest of the exec board. I am a senior studying Biomedical Engineering on the pre-medical track. I will also be serving as the President of Global Health Design Collaborative so make sure to take advantage of all of the clubs at CWRU and I hope to see y’all around! I’ve been doing research at University Hospitals and with Case BME so definitely reach out if you have any questions about getting involved in a lab :) (shoutout to all my POC queers ily)
Alex Kritikos (he/him): Hi friends! I am oSTEM@CWRU’s Public Relations Director for this academic year. Currently, I'm a senior majoring in Biology on the pre-med track and minoring in Classics and Chemistry. I also do research with the School of Medicine, play the Mellophone in CWRU’s Pep Band, and I am an orientation leader. Outside of school, I LOVE rock climbing, plants, cats, and cooking!!!! I can’t wait to meet you all during our in person events, and I am always available to help with anything or just talk, so feel free to reach out!!!!
Maddy Vales (she/her): Hey everyone! I’ll be serving as Mentorship Co-Coordinator with Sarah this year. I’m really looking forward to kickstarting our mentorship program. I’m currently a fourth-year student studying chemical engineering. This fall, I’ll be completing my fourth co-op rotation with Lubrizol, and I intend to graduate spring 2023. Otherwise, I am heavily involved in greek life - I’m the Phi Mu treasurer and a member of Order of Omega. I am also a member of WISER and a campus tour guide. Let me know if you want to chat about co-opping, greek life, being a queer woman in engineering (chemical production), or really anything at all!
Brandon Ferraro (he/him): Hey y’all! I am going to be serving as the Treasurer for oSTEM@CWRU for the 2021-2022 academic year. I am a junior double majoring in mechanical engineering and physics with a minor in mathematics. I do research in the department of mechanical engineering and will be interning remotely at NASA Glenn in the fall 2021 semester. I am also a competitive jump roper and the founder/president of CWRU Jump Rope Club. Definitely reach out to me if you need any help with math, physics, finding internships, or learning to jump rope! :)
Sarah Kohrt (she/her): Hi all, I am serving as Mentorship Co-Coordinator with Maddy! I’m a fourth year Ph.D candidate in the Department of Pharmacology in the School of Medicine. My research is in new therapeutics to treat prostate cancer using genetic and epigenetic approaches. Outside of research, I enjoy Marvel comics, sci-fi movies, and clothing upcycling & sewing. Ask me about applying to grad school or med school, and finding LGBTQ+ communities post-graduation!
Executive Board
President:
Kameron Mackenzie
Vice President:
Aman Shankardass
Treasurer:
Brandon Ferraro
Public Relations:
Alex Kritikos
Mentorship Coordinators:
Maddy Vales & Sarah Korht
The 2020 Tokyo Summer Games has been dubbed the “rainbow Olympics'' by some
With a record 182 out athletes representing over 30 countries. Additionally, this Olympics hosts the first transgender Olympians - including New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard. Together, these LGBT+ athletes have won over 32 team and individual medals!
This podcast, hosted by Mary Kinsella, a career strategist for women engineers, offers practical advice and insights to women who want to make a difference as technical experts and influential leaders.
This fall, oSTEM@CWRU will be launching our mentorship program. Undergrad students will be matched with professionals and pre-professionals based on their answers to our pairing survey. Mentor / mentee pairs are encouraged to connect at least once a month. A mentorship program kick-off event will be held late September. More details and the pairing survey will be sent out later this week.
