Special to the Village News
In San Diego, new laboratories sprout up on a monthly basis amid a field of stellar universities and research institutes. The San Diego chapter of the Association for Women in Science (AWIS) works to provide students and scientists with the tools they need to navigate the competitive environment of San Diego science.
On Oct. 26, AWIS-San Diego will host its annual Open House from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at local company Biogen Idec. AWIS will celebrate the achievements of current members and invite nonmembers to learn more about the organization.
This year’s Open House will feature three speakers who will discuss how AWIS helped them along their diverse career paths. Karen Arden will talk about her faculty position at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. Jodi Conolly, who started out as an immunologist, used AWIS contacts to become a patent agent. Conolly is currently assistant director at Isis Pharmaceuticals. Also in a management position is Karin Lucas, at Cardinal Health. All three women have been enthusiastic participants in AWIS committees and activities.
The association will also present the AWIS Awards to members who have served AWIS over the past year. Service opportunities abound in many aspects of AWIS. Members of the Outreach Committee work with Girl Scouts and other young girls, leading hands-on science activities. Every other month the Strategy Sessions Committee hosts meetings on professional development. Other volunteer opportunities include the AWIS Board, the Newsletter Committee and planning the local Women in Bioscience conference.
In 2006, eight young women enjoyed the generosity of AWIS in the form of scholarships. These women, all students at local universities and community colleges, were selected based on their academic and extracurricular pursuits. Several of the winners do more that just study science; they also share it. Taylor Debevee volunteers at the Birch Aquarium, and Vivian Gonzales has tutored under-represented college students in physics. Each year, the volunteer-run Scholarship Committee chooses winners and awards them with funds from AWIS-San Diego’s corporate sponsors.
“AWIS provided a sense of place and introduced me to many tools that have been essential to my career development,” said Siobhan Malany, who joined AWIS when she moved to San Diego. “Now AWIS has become an opportunity for me to build networks, to seek out leadership opportunities, and to increase my awareness of topics related to the advancement of women in science and engineering.”
Women and men, members and nonmembers, scientists and others are invited to attend the event.
QuickInfo:
AWIS-San Diego Open House
Oct. 26, 5:30-8 p.m.
Biogen Idec
5200 Research Place
http://awissd.org