WEST Wisdom Blog

When Worlds Collide: Celebrating International Women’s Day Through Science & Music

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Mar 5, 2024 10:57:04 AM

We often don’t recognize the foundational connection between science and music. Often we consider these opposites that don’t mix, like oil and water. The reality is that the contrary is true. Innovation wouldn’t be possible without both creative and analytical thinking. Science and music connect in a way that allows us to create something beautiful, innovative, and inspiring. Together they provide personal growth, leadership and accountability opportunities, and community support.

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Topics: STEM, Community, Panel, Cambridge, Networking, Upcoming Events, Female, Collaboration, Holiday, #WESTevent, STEM Women, STEAM, The Arts

WEST Leadership's Winter Traditions

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Dec 12, 2023 12:20:27 PM
This time of year many of us are celebrating a diverse range of traditions, with common themes of joy, community, and generosity. Whether your family celebrates one holiday or many, whether you have a single tradition or many, there is a little something to fill each and every one of us with joy during this time. 
 
WEST Leadership has put together a few of the traditions that hold a special place in their hearts at this time of year. We hope you have the opportunity to celebrate your own traditions and take some time to reflect, relax and recharge as the year comes to a close.
We look forward to seeing you in the new year as we kick of our 2024 programming. Click here to learn more and register!
 
 
 
 

 

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Topics: Leadership, Boston, Community, Giving Back, Giving, Holiday, STEM Women, Traditions

Hispanic Women Leading the Way in STEM Industries

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Oct 16, 2023 3:34:25 PM

September 15 to October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month. The WEST community is proud to be diverse and support female STEM careers and female leadership within STEM industries for women of all backgrounds. There are many, many amazing Hispanic female leaders in the STEM industries. Below are a few profiles of Hispanic women that have made major contributions to the STEM industries and are great role models for up-and-coming female STEM leaders looking for experiences they can relate to. 

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Topics: Leadership, Career, Community, Inspire, Culture, Inspiration, Role Models, Leaders, Career Possibilities, Empowerment, Inclusion, Diversity, D&I, STEM Women, STEM Leadership

WEST's 2023-2024 Leadership Team

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Sep 5, 2023 9:00:00 AM

In July, WEST said a heartfelt thank you to the previous leadership and welcomed several new faces. Elena Spencer moved from Vice President to President, Karin von Hodenberg stepped into the Vice President role, Kristen Lorentz joined the leadership team as the Treasurer, and Jen Reilly is returning to the Clerk role. With all these new faces, WEST wants to allow our community to get to know your leadership a little better. Read our conversations with the new WEST leadership members below.

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Topics: Leadership, Team, Community, Leader, Women in STEM, Annual Theme, Board of Directors, STEM Women, STEM Leadership, Strong Women

Could Delegating Be Your Key To Success?

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Jul 5, 2023 9:00:00 AM

When you ask someone the best thing their boss can do for them, the answer is straightforward: “Tell me what is expected of me, present me with growth opportunities, give me clear deadlines, and trust me to do my job.” If you ask them what's the worst thing their boss can do, the number one answer is: “micromanage.” 

What is the connection here? Trust. As Etta Jacobs, MA, PCC, told us: “A boss who micromanages, gives their direct reports the impression that they don’t trust them to do the work.” When an employee does not feel valued for their expertise and empowered to solve problems on their own, they begin to lose interest. This leads to the number one reason employees leave their job: a bad manager.

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Topics: Leadership, Coaching, Success, Leader, Women in STEM, Management, Developing Your Skills, Challenges, Self-Reflection, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, STEM Women, STEM Leadership

Learning to Turn Being Laid Off Into an Opportunity

Posted by Courtney Cyron on May 24, 2023 11:43:52 AM

You know your company is downsizing, your boss calls you into their office. You go in, sit down, lump in your throat, you know what’s next. The conversation is pretty straightforward. Your boss says something like: “I’m really sorry, but as we downsize we’re cutting a lot of positions, and yours is one of them.” At that point, you’re not quite sure what to say or do, whether you expected it or not. The reality of being laid off leaves so much more uncertainty than you could possibly have prepared for. 

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Topics: STEM, Career, Interview, Panel, Job, Professional, Change, Solutions, Career Path, Developing Your Skills, Career Development, New Opportunities, Hiring, STEM Women, Hiring Women in STEM, Experience

Preposterous Stigmas Resulting in Mental Health Epidemic for Women in STEM

Posted by Courtney Cyron on May 18, 2023 1:27:25 PM

Mental health struggles can happen to anyone. Being in a negative situation for too long is bound to have its effects, and sometimes it takes a lot of work to undo that damage. In many cases, mental health struggles are a result of one specific situation, or a toxic boss or co-worker, something easy to pinpoint. In STEM, that can be true, but even more so, women have seen a higher rate of mental health struggles because of more industry-wide issues. There’s still a stigma, in some places, that women don’t belong in STEM professions or that women are not going to be as smart or as well-educated as men. 

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Topics: Gender Balance, STEM, STEM, Gender Balance, Communication, Community, Choice, Resilience, Mentoring, Coaching, Culture, Networking, Discussion, Mindfulness, Change, Collaboration, Emotional Intelligence, Self-Awareness, Empathy, Gender Pay Gap, Confidence, Challenges, Career Development, Empowerment, Mentor, Inclusion, Diversity, Organizational Culture, Corporate Culture, D&I, Gender Parity, Equity, STEM Women, STEM Leadership, Female Representation STEM, Hiring Women in STEM, Strong Women

Women's Past Progress Continues To Encourage Future Progress

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Mar 30, 2023 2:35:48 PM

In 1920, women earned the right to vote. In 1963,
congress passed the Equal Pay Act of 1963, protecting women from being paid a lower rate than men for substantially similar work. As part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it became illegal to discriminate in employment based on race, sex, color, religion, and national origin. It’s now 2023 and women have been making progress towards equality in the workplace for over 100 years now. While there’s still room for major improvements, women have come a long way in the workplace. 

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Topics: Gender Balance, STEM, STEM, Gender Balance, Women, Career, Women in STEM, Annual Theme, Equal Pay, Change, Making a Difference, Gender Pay Gap, Challenges, Career Development, Organizational Culture, D&I, Gender Parity, Equity, Organizational Change, STEM Women, STEM Leadership, Female Representation STEM, Hiring Women in STEM, International Women's Day, Women's History Month, Strong Women, Strong World

Starting Your Career Growth On The Right Track

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Mar 21, 2023 9:10:38 PM

WEST’s Career Possibilities Panel & Speed Networking series has been incredibly popular. Our first Career Possibilities event of 2023 gave around 100 people the opportunity to learn about STEM communications positions from people that were currently working in that area. We’re thrilled to see the turnout for these events consistently increasing, allowing more and more STEM professionals, and STEM professionals-to-be an opportunity to prepare themselves for their next career move. 

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Topics: Leadership, Career, Community, Mentoring, Network, Job, Networking, Career Development, Career Possibilities, Speed Networking, New Opportunities, #WESTevent, STEM Women, Hiring Women in STEM

The Myth of Work-Life Balance & How to Make Time for What Matters Most

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Jan 24, 2023 3:09:30 PM

A life full of pieces that are important to you can be a truly amazing thing, but it can also be demanding, stressful, and draining. So many things in our daily lives are important to us: our physical and mental health, our families, our jobs, our friends and colleagues, hobbies, and communities we are part of, the list can go on. These are all amazing things that enable us each to build a life that we love. We can love our jobs, our families, our friends and colleagues, spending time practicing hobbies, resting and recharging ourselves, but can we balance doing it all at once?

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Topics: Career, Life, You, Self-Awareness, Empowerment, Self-Reflection, #WESTevent, STEM Women, STEM Leadership, Strong Women, Strong World

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