WEST Wisdom Blog

AAPI Women in STEM You Should Know About

Posted by Courtney Cyron on May 30, 2023 12:56:11 PM

The month of May celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. WEST's 2022-2023 annual theme is "Strong Women, Strong Science, Strong World," and these women are a perfect example that science knows no geographic or gender-based bounds. Women of Asian and Pacific Islander descent have made, and are currently making huge strides in their fields of study, and are part of the development and discoveries that are constantly changing our world for the better. These are just a few of the innumerable women of Asian or Pacific Islander heritage that have made a huge impact on our world. 

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Topics: Leadership, Gender Balance, STEM, Gender Balance, Community, Inspiration, Career Path, Gender Pay Gap, Confidence, Career Possibilities, Diversity, D&I, Gender Parity, Hiring Women in STEM

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

Are you the science type? A conversation with women in science

Posted by Jennifer Assily on Dec 6, 2021 4:17:06 PM

On December 9, 2021 at 6:15 p.m., WEST is hosting a free panel discussion to help answer questions like, "what does it mean to be 'the science type'?" and, "how can you recognize your strengths and interests?" Whether you're in high school and beginning to think about your college and career options or an adult pursuing your career as a scientist, this discussion of learning, recognizing your talents, handling adversity, and helping others pursue their own talents will have something for you. You can sign up to join the discussion on WEST's website.

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Topics: Gender Balance, STEM, Gender Balance, Women, Science, Career, Community, Mentoring, Success, Inspire, Women in STEM, Upcoming Events, Innovation, Professional, Discussion, Resources, Interactive, Change, Making a Difference, Tools, Inspiration, Career Path, Leading Ourselves, Self-Awareness, Empathy, Focus, Insight, Personal Branding, Strengths, Values, Support, Storytelling, Impact, Career Development, Own It, Empowerment, Mentor, Learn, Outreach, Advocate, Stereotypes, Inclusion, Self-Reflection, Diversity, #WESTevent, Voice, #WESTorg, D&I, Gender Parity, Webinar, Personality, Grow, goals, Equity, STEM Women, Female Representation STEM

How to Be Inclusive when Differences are Less Visible

Posted by Jennifer Assily on Oct 4, 2021 3:42:21 PM

Join WEST and Ipsen on Tuesday, October 5th for a panel discussion, “How to Be Inclusive when Differences are Less Visible.” Cristina Almansa, the Head of Clinical Development and Medical Scientific Affairs at Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, will moderate this conversation with panelists who have broad and deep experience advocating for themselves and others in a variety of professional contexts. Stacey Brewer, Senior Oncology Educator at Ipsen and Paula Cobb, CBO at Affinia Therapeutics will share insights on how to be inclusive of less visible differences. You can sign up to attend the panel and other upcoming WEST events here on the WEST website. 

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Topics: Best Practices, Leadership, Women, Career, Community, Resilience, Success, Women in STEM, Upcoming Events, Professional, Discussion, Resources, Interactive, Change, Making a Difference, Tools, Leading Ourselves, Empathy, Focus, Insight, Values, Support, Leaders, Impact, Career Development, Empowerment, Learn, Advocate, Inclusion, Diversity, #WESTevent, Voice, #WESTorg, D&I, Gender Parity, Webinar, goals, LGBTQIA+, Disability

Introducing WEST's 2021-2022 Executive Board Team

Posted by Jennifer Assily on Sep 8, 2021 7:15:06 PM

Having just concluded WEST's fiscal year, we would like to thank our 2020-2021 Board Officers: Meena Subramanyam, President; Etta Jacobs, Vice President; Meredith Fisher, Clerk; Eleanor Howe, Treasurer; and Chesley Chen, Advisor & previous Co-Chair. Meredith and Chesley completed their board terms in June and we welcomed a few new Board Members to the team in July. Learn more about WEST's Board of Directors.

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Topics: Leadership, Women, Financial Planning, Wealth Management, Transitions, Career, Community, Work Life Balance, Resilience, Success, Women in STEM, Discount, Upcoming Events, Professional, Discussion, Financial, Resources, Interactive, Lessons Learned, Tools, Career Path, Developing Your Skills, Self-Awareness, Decision Making, Confidence, Strengths, Values, Impact, Career Development, Empowerment, Advice, Learn, #WESTorg, Gender Parity, Grow, goals, Purpose

WEST's 2021-2022 Annual Theme: Reflect, Reimagine, and Emerge Stronger

Posted by Jennifer Assily on Aug 9, 2021 3:56:39 PM

WEST announces its 2021–2022 theme: Reflect, Reimagine, and Emerge Stronger. After working through the unforeseen and unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2021, we know how important it is to support each other. As we collectively reflect on what we have been through, we can reimagine what work and life look like in a world with COVID and emerge stronger.

Join WEST on Tuesday, August 10, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. as we begin to explore this theme with a virtual discussion event, Easing Anxiety in the New Work Environment with Self-Care with tips from Kim Meninger. 

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Topics: Women, Transitions, Career, Community, Work Life Balance, Resilience, Success, Women in STEM, Upcoming Events, Professional, Discussion, Resources, Interactive, Lessons Learned, Career Path, Self-Awareness, Decision Making, Confidence, Strengths, Values, Impact, Career Development, Empowerment, Advice, Learn, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, Gender Parity, Grow, goals, Purpose

Building Financial Resiliency: Lessons from Disruption

Posted by Jennifer Assily on Jun 4, 2021 8:45:00 AM

Join WEST on June 17, 2021 to hear from Melissa Nuñez, a Certified Financial Planner TM and Accredited Investment Fiduciary®, as she shares strategies for building financial resiliency and maintaining level financial footing, especially in the face of the unexpected. Melissa will help us reflect on the challenges and changes we have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and help us plan to meet future financial goals, from paying off debt to buying a home to saving for retirement. Tickets for this event are free thanks to our sponsor, CliftonLarsonAllen.

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Topics: Women, Financial Planning, Wealth Management, Transitions, Career, Community, Work Life Balance, Resilience, Success, Women in STEM, Discount, Upcoming Events, Professional, Discussion, Financial, Resources, Interactive, Lessons Learned, Tools, Career Path, Developing Your Skills, Self-Awareness, Decision Making, Confidence, Strengths, Values, Impact, Career Development, Empowerment, Advice, Learn, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, Gender Parity, Grow, goals, Purpose

Building Your Personal Advisory Board

Posted by Jennifer Assily on May 13, 2021 7:40:32 PM

Join WEST on Tuesday, May 18 at 12:00 p.m. EST as we host Stephanie Lajoie-Lubin to talk about building a personal advisory board to support your professional and personal goals. Lajoie-Lubin is the founder and principal consultant of Lajoie Consulting Group, a firm that works with organizations to transform their workplace cultures through Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and supports early- to mid-career professionals through career transformation. 

Lajoie-Lubin draws on the concept of a personal advisory board, outlined here by Natascha Saunders, to develop a holistic view of her clients’ and her own personal and professional goals. Lajoie-Lubin's talk will outline the key roles to include on your personal advisory board to help you gain perspective, build a career strategy, stay personally grounded, maintain financial stability, engage with key communities on- and offline, and create a vision for who you want to be.

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Topics: Women, Career, Work Life Balance, Resilience, Success, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Professional, Discussion, Resources, Interactive, Balance, Tools, Role Models, Career Path, Vision, Developing Your Skills, Self-Awareness, Decision Making, Strengths, Values, Impact, Career Development, Empowerment, Advice, Learn, Diversity, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, Gender Parity, Grow, goals, Purpose, Equity

All about impact, sustainable investing

Posted by Jennifer Assily on Apr 28, 2021 1:12:59 PM

What’s in your portfolio? Join us on Thursday, 4/29 at 5:30 p.m. EST to hear experienced financial advisors explore strategies for aligning your investment portfolio with your personal values through impact investing.

In this interactive discussion, we will hear from Judith Reed, a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley who specializes in helping women in the Life Sciences industry create financial plans for themselves and their families, and William Gambardella, Executive Director of the Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Global Investment Office (GIO)

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Topics: Women, Financial Planning, Wealth Management, Career, Success, Women in STEM, Upcoming Events, Discussion, Financial, Interactive, Change, Values, Impact, Learn, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, Gender Parity, Sustainability, Investing

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