WISE words: Advice for women in STEM

Illustration credit: Maren Kranking

I was delighted to be asked to provide some remarks for a gathering of WISER (Women in Science and Engineering Research), a graduate student organization at Northwestern University.

The student-led group works towards building community among graduate women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, promotes & advances women’s leadership in STEM, and sponsors workshops & seminars focused on professional skills development for early-career women in the sciences.

Here is a recap of my talk.

As women in STEM, you are likely to turn up in places where you’re not expected. Know that you deserve to be wherever you want to show up. And you get to feel good about it! Allow your presence to change the space. It's not your job to make everyone else feel comfortable, and you don’t need to be a guest in a world others have constructed. You get to co-create it.

In awkward situations, it might be helpful to use a technique designers call reframing. So when you turn up somewhere unexpected, whether it’s an industrial metal superstore in Chicago like the one I visited last week (where the guy at the desk about fell off of his chair when I started asking for brass tubing with an outer diameter of 0.825 inches), or a Bay Area tech conference, and someone says, “What are you doing here?” you can smile and say back, “You mean great to see you, [your name here]?” Rescript so you don’t emerge feeling small.

The next thing I want to encourage in you is audacity. Designers dream up the future and make it happen, and so can you! Along your STEM journey you may find yourself enmeshed in climates that don’t always feel welcoming or great to you. Expect and believe in your ability not just to fit in but to have a right to shape and change the culture. And decide which projects get done and which don't. The world needs you and your gifts, and they need you as women. Dare to apply your gifts in ways that feel great to you and make the world bend in the ways you want it to go. You don't need to keep playing a game that was never meant for you anyway— have the audacity to change the game.

Finally, support and encourage each other. Be each others’ allies and advocates. When a peer speaks up in a meeting and gets talked over, use your voice and say, “Let’s get back to Zoha’s idea. I think she made a great point.” Ask for help, and expect to get it.

My parting words for you are: Do what you love, do it boldly, and do it together. I can't wait to see the brilliant ways you shape the world to come!