posted by CCChainey on March 17, 2013
Nerd Girls Founder, Dr. Karen Panetta will be testifying before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Monday, March 18, 2013 (2:00 p.m. ET) as part of a hearing on “How Comprehensive Immigration Reform Should Address the Needs of Women and Families”. Karen will be representing the needs of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, and is one of five witnesses scheduled to testify at the hearing.
You can hear Karen present her prepared testimony on Monday afternoon at:
http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=491999b7f6e49deb61219d9b93ba3454
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posted by CCChainey on February 05, 2013
[Official Press Release]
Microsoft Research, National Center for Women & Information Technology, Association for Computing Machinery Council on Women, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Women in Engineering, Microsoft Imagine Cup and Skype are pleased to support the first annual International Women’s Hackathon.
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posted by CC Chainey on October 31, 2012
On Oct. 20th, 350 girls - mostly in 5th grade - got their Nerd Girl on at the “MathMovesU” event at Middlesex Community College, supported by Raytheon. As part of a day full of science and technology-related activities, our very own Dr. Karen Panetta gave a presentation on why math and science are so important, how it’s useful, and what you can do with it that connects to your own interests. A message that really resonated was that you don’t have to be perfect at math to pursue these types of careers, as long as you pass! Even engineers make mistakes sometimes. That’s why they work in teams.
Dr. Karen brought along a pair of Nerd Girls from Nigeria and China, who were thrilled to work on some programming and robotics stuff with the girls because they don’t really have this kind of outreach in their countries.
In other cool news, BU Today just released a new article on Dr. Karen - check it out!
http://www.bu.edu/today/2012/nerd-girls/
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posted by CC Chainey on September 24, 2012
I was always a fan of Robert Munsch’s kids books, but I think my all-time favorite was Stephanie’s Ponytail (from which I have adopted the title of this blog, and am proud to quote often its mantra of self-confidence).
Ponytails are awesome. They’re easy. They’re cute. They’re safe.
But have you ever thought of the physics of ponytails?
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posted by CC Chainey on August 24, 2012
Photo by Joshua Kelly http://orangehatphotos.com/
Not only was Sabrina Odah the Project Manager of the UC Berkeley team that took home first place at the nationals for the 2012 ASCE/AISC Student Steel Bridge Competition, but she also performed in show choir with me for three years in high school :) When I saw this photo, I had to ask her for the story behind it…
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posted by CCChainey on June 14, 2012
by Kaitlyn Webster
Dr. Bonnie Bassler of Princeton University wants to change the way you think about bacteria. The very word probably makes you grimace and search the depths of your purse for hand sanitizer, but I believe Dr. Bassler can help you overcome this prejudice. Step one is accepting that you are, by her calculations, only about 10% human. The rest of you, inside and out, is a bacterial world, and you are a bacterial girl… so to speak. Sound unbelievable? Trust her—she’s a scientist! If you still need some convincing, check out her recent TED talk on the secret social lives of bacteria.
L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science thinks Dr. Bassler has some bright ideas—not just about bio-luminescent bacteria, but about being a pioneering scientist and an inspiration to women in all walks of life. “Professor Bassler is passionate, energetic and has the uncanny ability to make bacteria come to life in a way that even this English major can understand,” says Rebecca Caruso, EVP of Corporate Communications at L’Oréal. While Dr. Bassler has more scientific accomplishments under her belt than you’ve got resident bacteria on your pinky finger, she was chosen by L’Oréal-UNESCO as this year’s North American Laureate not only for her work, but for her character, charisma, and love of life (biologically speaking, and not). Caruso adds, “The respectful, collegial relationship she has with her students is wonderful to see, and I can’t think of anyone who would be a better role model for future scientists than Dr. Bassler.”
I wholeheartedly agree, following a session of nerd girl talk I was lucky enough to have with Dr. Bassler. After we agreed on Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park being the greatest fictional scientist, I can definitely say she is my new favorite real one. A few questions into our Q&A and I have no doubt you will find her as charming and motivating as we do. She certainly has the power to transform what we think of bacteria, and ourselves as female scientists… and if bacteria ARE ourselves, I think we’ve just made a breakthrough.
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posted by CC Chainey on April 26, 2012
Nerd Girls have self-confidence. We know what we want. We dare to go against the normal social strictures, but we also tend to be social creatures. Even though we love to spend time with others, I realized lately that there is really something to be said about dining out alone. I’m not talking about Chipotle, but getting a table at the kind of place where they put your napkin on your lap for you, or at least have interesting décor or big windows with an awesome view (if you ever find yourself in Southampton, hop the Hythe Ferry and check out The Seagull—I spent hours there).
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posted by CC Chainey on March 20, 2012
Let’s talk about hobbies. The things we do for enjoyment often require a lot of discipline and are an important part of the well-rounded Nerd Girl.
Take dance, for example. This article “What Scientists Can Learn From Ballet,” by scientist-ballerina Sylvie Leotin, describes the similarity in aspiration, dedication , and process that exists between those two disciplines. She points out how the beautiful “physicality and geometry of dance… have parallels in the physical interactions that occur in every science, from astronomy and physics, to chemistry and biology.”
This is a time in which universities are embracing interdisciplinary studies because they have recognized that having multiple passions gives people unique approaches to their work. In my film school interview the question they asked most eagerly was about how being a dancer influenced my style. When you watch dance, you see movement. When you dance, you experience depth, air, and energy, things that people might otherwise take for granted. I have learned to attribute my passion for 3D technology to my dancer’s appreciation for depth.
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posted by CC Chainey on February 15, 2012
How often we find ourselves not realizing how sleepy we really are… what if there was a test that could identify sleepiness before we noticed it ourselves?
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posted by CCChainey on February 10, 2012
Gentlemen & boys, we welcome you too. Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and if your sweetie is a Nerd Girl, we know she deserves a gift that stands out. You are probably discovering right about now that all the really cool things like the picture frames made of recycled motherboards are kind of hard to find in stores, and it’s too late to order online. But fear not, there is one place where you are sure to find something she’ll love.
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