One of the most rewarding aspects of my job has been founding and developing an outreach program called Girls in STEM at Tulane (GiST), which I co-direct.

Tulane University’s GiST Program provides fifth through seventh grade girls with the opportunity to meet and work with women role models in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Workshops developed and offered by faculty and student teams encourage and empower girls to inquire, investigate, and discover in a positive environment. Our goal is to open the doors wide and welcome young students to STEM careers by encouraging creative thinking, promoting self-esteem, and increasing awareness of the opportunities that await them.

Since our first GiST event in the spring of 2013 we have hosted hundreds of middle-schoolers from over 50 schools in Louisiana and Mississippi. One Saturday each semester we run 16-18 workshops for 250 girls led by Tulane faculty members and students. Topics include physics, biology, earth sciences, computer science, math, neuroscience, psychology, biomedical engineering, and more.

For more information and to register for the next event, check out our website:

http://www2.tulane.edu/sse/outreach/gist/