• 5 October 2021 @ 7 pm WITS Student Career Series Tech panel.
• 12 October 2021 @ 7 pm WITS Student Career Series Product panel.
• 19 October 2021 @ 7 pm WITS Student Career Series Science panel.
• 26 October 2021@ 7 pm  WITS Student Career Series Engineering panel. 
• 9 November 2021 @ 7 pm WITS Student Career Series Academia panel.
• 16 November 2021 @ 7 pm WITS Student Career Series UX panel.

WITS Update

Welcome to WITSWORDS October 2021

Welcome to all our student members, both those who have renewed your membership and new student members. We're delighted to be with you on your STEM journey.

This month we are running the Student Career Series to share experiences of moving from STEM education to the workplace. Do join us. We're also starting monthly meet ups for students to find out about WITS, meet other student members and hear from special guest. We hope you enjoy them. Other meetings this month include a virtual coffee morning on 7 October and WITS Reads meets on 12 October.

Parallel to our meetings, WITS is working to raise the profile of women in STEM and develop and enhance diversity in the workplace through speaking at meetings and informing policy. Thanks to our WITS Chair, Officers and Executive and all the volunteer members who run WITS. Their effort and committent is what makes WITS.

Thanks for reading WITSWORDS. If you have events, initiatives or just something you think may be of interest to WITS members please email WITS before 1 November 2021.
 

 

Dates for your diary - upcoming WITS events
5 October - 16 November 2021 Student Career Series.

7 October 2021 @ 8.30 am WITS Virtual Coffee morning.

12 October 2021 @ 8 pm WITS Reads meets to discuss Life on the Edge: The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology by Johnjoe McFadden, Jim Al-Khalili. We hope you enjoy the book. As always email WITS to take part.
20 October 2021 @ 7 pm WITS Student Meet up with special guest Amber Higgins. This is the first of a monthly series of meet ups. Do join in.


WITS News

National Skills Council meeting 28 September 2021
WITS Chair Dr Andrea C Johnson spoke at The National Skills Council meeting on September 28 2021. It discussed the challenges facing women and people with disabilities accessing the labour market – challenges which have been made worse by the pandemic. Dr Johnson said “We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity, as we step towards our recovery after the pandemic, having seen seismic shifts in how we work, to re-imagine how we attract diverse talent and how we develop and nurture that talent.”

WITS and Policy
WITS contributed to the Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Higher Education Authority Bill 2021 by the Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. It has now published its report. The report can be found here and the submissions received can be found here. WITS submission is on pp. 149-155.
 
WITS website update
New posts on the WITS website include all the upcoming October events, a request from the Midlands Science Festival for STEM role models and the recently updated IDA Women in STEM Ireland 2021 publication. Student opportunities 2021 and COVID-19 news posts are regularly updated.
 

WITS Student membership open for 2021-2022. 
Students renew your free WITS membership for the coming academic year. Do tell your friends and colleagues about WITS Student membership.

STEM News

• Irish students take top prizes at European Union Contest for Young Scientists. Congratulations to Cormac Harris and Alan O'Sullivan. It's great to see boys exploring gender stereotyping in STEM.
• Bright Club Season 2 new podcast is here. In episode 1 Dr Rose Mutiso  and Anne Gill talk about climate change.
• Climate Crisis - great article from Kevin O'Sullivan The Irish Times. Well worth reading.
• #DiscussAI October Update is out now. Have a look at the Debunked workshop and watch out for the BIAS exhibition at Science Gallery Dublin later this month.
• The Royal Society Science Book Prize shortlist has been announced. Chair of the 2021 judging panel, is Professor Luke O’Neill FRS, Professor of Biochemistry at TCD. The winner will be announced on 29 November.

• Creating Our Future runs until November 2021. It's an opportunity for everyone in Ireland to give ideas on how to make our country better for all. Submit your idea for researchers to explore.
• RTE Brainstorm is a great starting point for finding out about Irish research. It's an unique partnership between RTÉ and Irish third level institutions. If you are an academic researcher or studying for your PhD think about making a submission. 

Gender News

• UL Department of Physics awarded Athena Swan Silver Award - first in Ireland. Congratulations to all at UL Physics.
• Confirm Centre UL has announced its Community Engagement Project to Identify Barriers to Women & Girls entering Engineering. WITS wishes them all the best for a great project.
• UN Women highlights from 2020- 2021 in their annual report. 
• Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals - this gender snapshot from UN Women presents the latest evidence on gender equality across the UN SDG.
• Watch Becoming Aware the recording of the Inclusive Leadership for Action 14 September webinar from Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership.

• Chair to the Governing Body of Stranmillis University College, Belfast. is a Public Appointment Vacancy in Northern Ireland. Applications close 7 October 2021. Information and application form here. 
• The Department for Infrastructure (DfI), Department for the Economy (DfE) and the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) is holding an open competition to recruit 4 Non-Executive Members to their Boards. Information and application forms are here.

• Diversity in Tech Awards 7 October 2021 online at 5 pm Irish time. Register to attend. WITS member Dr Katriona O'Sullivan is one of the judges.
• Inclusive Leadership in Action free webinar series from Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership. The webinars are on October 14 and November 18 @ 12 noon Boston time, 5 pm Irish time.

• Passion & Plight: The Women Who Shaped Ireland' by Nicola Depuis, is now available here. It s includes biographies of 51 inspirational Irish women, including Dr. James Barry, Eileen Desmond, Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, and Edith Wilkins.

• Burnout, leadership, and hope: A year-and-a-half into the pandemic, looking at Women in the Workplace. From McKinsey & Company
• European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) latest newsletter. The Gender Equality Index 2021 is out soon. We'll have it in the newsletter when it is published.

Dates for your diary - Events to look out for

• 5 October 2021 @ 7 pm WITS Student Career Series Tech panel.
• 7 October 2021 @ 8.30 am. WITS Virtual Coffee.
• 7 October 2021 @ 5 pm Diversity in Tech Awards online. Register to attend. 
• 12 October 2021 @ 7 pm WITS Student Career Series Product panel.
• 12 October 2021 @ 8 pm WITS Reads - more here.
• 12 October2021 Ada Lovelace Day online.
• 14 October 2021 @ 5 pm Inclusive Leadership in Action webinar. Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership. Register.
• 19 October 2021 @ 7 pm WITS Student Career Series Science panel.
• 26 October 2021@ 7 pm  WITS Student Career Series Engineering panel.

• 3-5 November 2021 Women in Technology online festival, Tickets available now.
• 9 November 2021 @ 7 pm WITS Student Career Series Academia panel.
• 11 November2021 @ 11 am Women in STEM panel for young women by The Rediscovery Centre. Click on the link to register.
• 16 November 2021 @ 7 pm WITS Student Career Series UX panel.
• 18 November 2021 @ 5 pm Inclusive Leadership in Action webinar. Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership. Register.

Thank you for reading WITSWORDS. Check back for November 2021 WITSWORDS and in the meantime, please send us any news.