The story behind a recent STEM bootcamp in rural Alabama reveals the profound impact of dedicated educators and the power of community, showcasing how a school counselor can be a pivotal change leader in expanding access to computing and STEM education. Kim Crumbley, an Alabama school counselor and an NCWIT Counselors for Computing (C4C) champion, initiated the idea after experiencing a heartbreaking event: A student from a challenging home environment was found salvaging old science materials from the school dumpster, retrieving items to be able to continue engaging in the science and tech that she loved during school hours. This moment spurred Kim to action, realizing that while a nearby summer STEM camp existed, the most vulnerable students in their high-poverty county simply couldn’t access it due to financial and transportation barriers. This firsthand insight is precisely why school counselors are uniquely positioned to identify students’ unique challenges and champion solutions.

When it comes to role models for women in technology, few have had more impact than Stephanie “Steve” Shirley. Not only was she one of the first to prove that women could thrive in computing, she was also decades ahead of her time in championing remote and flexible work. Shirley passed away on August 9, 2025, at age 91, but her story reminds us why NCWIT’s mission, to broaden participation in computing and unlock innovation through diversity, matters so deeply. Born Vera Buchthal in Dortmund, Germany, in 1933, she fled Nazi persecution at age 5 and landed in England, where she was raised by foster parents. Gifted at mathematics, she began her career as a mathematical clerk before discovering the emerging field of software programming. But even as her skills grew, opportunities for women remained limited, so she forged her own path.

Pursuing an academic postdoc or a job in industry after your PhD depends on your interests and career goals. AWIS member Dr. Isabel Lam describes both options to help with your decision.

In transitioning to an international scientific career in New Zealand, Erin Bomati, PhD, had to overcome challenges, including how to navigate a smaller, more interconnected scientific ecosystem. She shares her experience with AWIS member Georgina To’a Salazar, PhD.

This week on SWE Diverse, Melanie Lang - co-founder and CEO of FormAlloy - shares what happens when you leave a stable career in aerospace and defense to chase an uncertain dream. In conversation with FY26 SWE President Inaas Darrat, she opens up about the mistakes she made, the rule she wishes women engineers would break more often, and how a pink feathered suit jacket taught her the power of authenticity. Catch Melanie live on the WE25 stage in New Orleans, inspiring the global engineering community at the world’s largest gathering of women and allies.

The discovery of the antibiotic penicillin by Alexander Fleming is a notable example of a serendipitous scientific discovery. In their AWIS Magazine article, Hannah Fricke, PhD, and Tamara Mestvirishvili explore how such discoveries can lead to transformative breakthroughs.

As a museum educator at the American Museum of Natural History and an independently published children’s book author, Christina Kamerow is passionate about making science meaningful for young minds. Whether she’s comparing millipedes and centipedes in the classroom, guiding a pretend archeological dig, or writing stories that spark empathy for the natural world, Christina uses creativity, connection, and curiosity to empower the next generation of scientists.

Rosalind Franklin, an English chemist and X-ray crystallographer, helped discover the molecular structure of DNA at King’s College. Using X-ray diffraction, she photographed the helical structure of DNA, known as “Photograph 51,” and discovered the density and helical form of DNA. The unpublished photo was secretly disclosed to scientists Watson and Crick, who used the photo along with data to present their final DNA model in 1953, and sadly took most of the credit. She left King’s College soon after, devoting her time to studying viruses and their structure. We can only imagine what more her cutting-edge work would have yielded had she not died at age 37.

Dr. Xueying Zhao is an R&D engineer at Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), where she integrates device innovation with AI-driven health care solutions. After earning a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Virginia, her passion for solving and streamlining health care problems led her to pursue a second master’s degree in computer science at the Georgia Institute of Technology. This multidisciplinary expertise positions her at the forefront of health care innovation, demonstrating the power of continuous learning and interdisciplinary thinking. Dr. Zhao is committed to sharing AI’s profound potential for impact in the health care space and has given talks on AI in health care at WE24 in Chicago and the 2024 WE Local conference in Las Vegas.

NCWIT CEO Terry Hogan joined more than 250 CEOs from companies such as Airbnb, IBM, and Microsoft in urging state leaders to make computer science (CS) and artificial intelligence (AI) education accessible to every student. Their open letter, published in the New York Times on May 4, 2025, launched Unlock8, a national campaign by Code.org and CSforALL to promote policies ensuring that all U.S. students have access to the foundational skills needed to succeed in a world increasingly enabled by AI. The campaign is based on new research from the University of Maryland showing that taking just one CS course in high school can boost early career earnings by 8%, regardless of a student’s college or career plans. Though all 50 states have taken steps to expand CS access over the past 10 years, only 12 require it for graduation, and as a result just 6.4% of students were enrolled in CS courses last year. The Unlock8 campaign seeks to close this gap and prepare students for a rapidly evolving economy. Beyond just an educational issue, the campaign is about closing skills and income gaps that have persisted for generations. It’s also about keeping America competitive. Countries such as Brazil, China, S. Korea, and Singapore have already made computer science or AI mandatory for every student, and the United States is falling behind. Making CS and AI a required part of every K-12 school’s curriculum can unlock $660B in opportunity for everyday Americans, close wage gaps, and ensure that our children are prepared for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.