2014 Women in Science Conference Photos

The 17th annual Women in Science Conference was held Tuesday, October 14, at the Mabee Center in Tulsa. More than 800 teachers and students from 50 schools across Oklahoma registered to attend.  Photos from the event are available online via our Flickr account.
 
The overarching goal of the conference was to show students in grades six through 12 that careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are exciting, attainable and rewarding. 
 
The free, one-day event immersed students in numerous hands-on science activities, helped them discover pathways to STEM careers, and gave them opportunities to interact with college and university representatives from more than 65 Oklahoma institutions and organizations.
 
During interactive panel sessions, students learned firsthand about the many science-related professions available to them. Women in fields such as climatology, engineering, chemistry, zoology and medicine talked to students about their respective careers. They answered questions like: 
  • What do you really do every day, and what is the best part of your job?
  • Can an average math student be successful in your field?
  • What do you know now that you wish you had known when you were 13?
  • Does it really matter if I take that science class?
Teachers participating in the conference networked with other science teachers, gained strategies for supporting students interested in STEM careers, and learned about funding and summer research opportunities available to them. An important bonus session offered teachers information about the new Oklahoma Academic Science Standards and strategies for implementing them.
 
The 2014 Women in Science Conference was hosted and presented by the National Science Foundation's Oklahoma Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NSF OK EPSCoR). The lead sponsor for the 2014 conference was the Tulsa-based Williams Foundation. Other funding sponsors included the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, Samson Energy, NORDAM, Oklahoma Innovation Institute, Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance, and the Oklahoma IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE).
 
For more information about this or other EPSCoR-sponsored events, contact Gina Miller, outreach coordinator, at gmiller@okepscor.org or 405.744.7645.