To help younger women see professional women scientists as role models, Dr. Rachel Roper decided that any time a reporter requested a microbiologist or immunologist for an interview, she would do it. She has now done over 200 interviews. Dr. Rachel Roper is a professor at East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine and a DEI advocate. Here's her story.

So much great advice in this article by microbiologist Dr. Tess Eidem! She shares her journey from not having many science role models as a kid, to academia, to now running her own company. Dr. Tess Eidem earned her PhD discovering potential new antibiotics against bacterial pathogens, owned and operated a fermented foods company with her husband, Derek Staebell, and got her start in the cannabis industry by working in manufacturing and quality management. At her company Rogue Micro LLC, she is motivated to help cultivators overcome microbial challenges by sharing her knowledge and experience in science, food, agriculture, advocacy, and entrepreneurship.

Dr. Annette S. Lee is an astrophysicist, artist, and director of Native Skywatchers. She identifies as mixed-race Lakota. Her tribe is of the Lakota from the Wanbli Luta (Red Eagle) family, and her other Indigenous community is Ojibwe. In 2007, Dr. Lee founded Native Skywatchers as a grassroots effort “to revitalize, regrow, and remember our Indigenous astronomy and connection to the stars.” Dr. Lee is also a professor of astronomy and physics at St. Cloud State University, an honorary/adjunct professor at the University of Southern Queensland in the Centre for Astrophysics, an associate adjunct professor at the University of California-Santa Cruz in the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, and a professional visual artist. Dr. Lee holds a PhD in physics and astronomy, and an MFA from Yale School of Art with a focus on painting.

Dr. Kat Milligan-Myhre is a Native Alaskan microbiologist. With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Milligan-Myhre began her studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. There she earned a bachelor’s in medical microbiology and immunology and a doctorate in microbiology. She made history by becoming the first Alaskan Native to earn a PhD in microbiology. Dr. Milligan-Myhre continues to make academic research more equitable for minorities and women, especially Alaskan Native youth. As an assistant professor in biological sciences at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), she created the UAA STEM Day and UAA STEM EXPO.

Dr. Lamiaa El Fassi is an associate professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at Mississippi State University, and she has an amazing story to tell. Growing up in Morocco, her family lived very modestly. She lost her Dad, the main support of the family, in her second year of college. The family struggled a lot afterward thus her older sister, who quit her education during middle school to take care of her sick mother, had to look for a job to support her studies. She always loved science and chose to study nuclear physics. What could she do as a nuclear physicist in Morocco? Nothing. Still, she moved to the capital, Rabat, to pursue a master’s degree and hoped for something miraculous to happen and it did.

“Go for launch.” Words like these are often uttered when a rocket is seconds from heading to space. Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, NASA's first woman launch director, led the successful launch of the Artemis I mission.

As a woman in the workforce or lab, it can feel challenging to negotiate for yourself. It can be even more challenging for minorities, people with disabilities, or those who are neurodivergent. Learning how to navigate the biases you may face in advocating for yourself, however, is essential to career growth and satisfaction. According to Sara Sanford, founder and executive director of Gender Equity Now (GEN), the first step is knowing what you are up against.Leverage the power dynamics at play during negotiation by following these tips from Sara Sanford of GEN. Learn why and how to use "tactical empathy," ask collaborative questions, and turn objections into opportunities.

Meet Dr. Vanessa Kercher, a clinical assistant professor at Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington. As a clinical assistant professor in the Kinesiology Department for the School of Public Health at Indiana University (IU). Dr. Kercher’s research passion focuses on helping individuals optimize their physical activity experiences through behavioral strategies to promote sustainable, positive health behaviors. At IU, Dr. Kercher serves as the advisor for Exercise is Medicine® On Campus and partners with a worksite wellness program, Healthy IU, to support the well-being of employees at IU. She also serves on the editorial board for the ACSM Health & Fitness Journal and is a member at large for the National ACSM Certification Committee Review Board. Prior to joining the faculty at IU, Dr. Kercher was a clinical exercise physiologist at a medical fitness center in Kalispell, Montana where she led multidisciplinary projects, including evaluation of clinical wellness interventions in multiple remote rural locations, community health needs assessment in complex health care systems, and psychometric development for clinical wellness coaching and cardiac rehabilitation programming.

Meet an inspiring WomanInSTEM! Caroline Guerra, a student at the Community School of Naples, is researching how to transform food waste like banana peels and corn husks into innovative, eco-friendly bioplastics.

SWENext offers a variety of resources for students, educators, SWE members, and adult advocates. It includes recruitment flyers, various outreach resources, books, and presentations for your use. Program support is generously provided by Bechtel Corporation.