WEST Wisdom Blog

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?

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

There’s a stigma associated with being an introvert. People say introverts are more often shy, soft-spoken, and stay to themselves; “they” say introverts are not good public speakers, team leaders, or marketers. Sure, people say these things, but how true are they really? If the true definition of an introvert is simply that they are re-energized by spending quiet time with themselves, then what do any of those characteristics or skills have to do with being introverted?

Topics: Career, Interview, Life, You, Mindfulness, Leading Ourselves, Self-Awareness, Career Development, Career Possibilities, Empowerment, Self-Reflection, #WESTevent, STEM Women, STEM Leadership, Strong Women, Strong World, Introvert

Let’s get uncomfortable for a second. Have you ever noticed something about a perfect stranger that made you think a certain way about them? What about when you look in the mirror? There’s so much to say about the things we focus on when we first meet a new person or see ourselves each day. If you stop and think about those thoughts, you’ll notice what’s called your unconscious bias. These are things you think, but don’t necessarily know that often change your perception. Not all unconscious biases are prejudicial, but none of them help you to truly listen and know another person.

Topics: Communication, Coaching, Culture, Discussion, Career Path, Career Development, Empowerment, Inclusion, Diversity, #WESTevent, Change Management, #WESTorg, Corporate Culture, D&I, Equity, Conversations

WEST is excited to continue its Career Possibilities & Speed Networking series with it’s upcoming event focusing on legal career paths. While legal opportunities aren’t the obvious STEM route, there are so many opportunities to grow a very successful legal career with a STEM background. The panelists for this event are prime examples of following a passion for both legal work and the advancing of science and technology in our world. 

Topics: Career, Community, Panel, Networking, Upcoming Events, Career Path, Career Development, Career Possibilities, Speed Networking, Advice, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, goals

On Wednesday, February 16, WEST will be continuing our Career Possibilities Panel and Speed Networking series. In this event, we will focus on clinical, regulatory, patient outcomes, and analytical outcomes of research and discovery. Just as we had done with our last event, we asked thought-provoking questions from our panelists as a confident prequel to the immersive discussion that will be had at the event. 

Topics: Transitions, Career, Career Possibilities, #WESTevent, #WESTorg

I had the opportunity to sit down with certified coach, Kim Meninger in an incredible conversation about women in the workplace, allyship, diversity, equity, inclusion, and the upcoming WEST event that Kim is leading next month. In only a few short minutes it was clear that Kim had plenty of experience in the field with allyship.

Topics: Upcoming Events, Learn, Bias, Inclusion, Diversity, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, Equity, Female Representation STEM, Ally, Allyship, Strategies

On January 19th, at 6:15 PM EST, WEST will be kicking off our Career Possibilities Panel & Speed Networking series with an event on R&D Discovery. The panelists are Daniela Cipolletta, Director of Immunology at Seismic Therapeutic; Dennis Dean, Principal Investigator at Seven Bridges; Kate Henry, Scientist II in the Gene Therapy Accelerator Unit at Biogen; Kristin Horton, Sr. Director Translational at Rubius Therapeutics; Colles Price, Research Scientist at Vizgen; and Lilly Vollmann, Associate Principal Scientist at Merck. The discussion will be moderated by Kristine McKinney, Sr. Director at Moderna Genomics and WEST Advisory Board Member. This panel is designed to help you think about your career path and the different options that are open to you.

Topics: Transitions, Career, Panel, Upcoming Events, Lessons Learned, Career Path, Career Possibilities, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, Research & Development

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.

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

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. 

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

Join WEST on September 21, 2021 from 5 – 6:15 p.m. Eastern time for a free financial planning webinar from RBC Wealth Management Advisors Gabrielle Clemens and Lisa M. Austin. Gabrielle and Lisa will draw on their combined experience in estate planning, family law, and sustainable investing to walk attendees through the basics of planning for an unpredictable future, focusing especially on the risks of cognitive decline. They'll discuss how to approach and understand options for structuring finances to answer the question, "What if something happens?"

Topics: Women, Financial Planning, Wealth Management, Transitions, Work Life Balance, Life, Resilience, Upcoming Events, Relationships, Discussion, Resources, Solutions, Balance, Tools, Self-Awareness, Decision Making, Support, Impact, Risk, Learn, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, Investing