iCons Students to Moderate Women in STEM Event

Emma and Abby will coordinate with five other student moderators from schools and colleges across campus to moderate questions from event guests and facilitate discussion during the social hour.

"This program is an amazing way to encourage women of color to pursue careers in STEM and to close the diversity gap in multiple areas of study. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to participate in this program and to get the chance to speak with Dwana Franklin-Davis," says Emma Lovett.

The event is part of a series of "social hours' hosted by the Institute of Diversity Sciences that bring together students and professionals from a variety of STEM-related fields and diverse backgrounds who work in private industry, government, or non-profit sectors. Students learn about STEM career paths, receive advice and mentorship on charting successful pathways, and learn how they can advance social good in/through their STEM career. During the International Women’s Day for a STEM Career Social Hour, students will learn how to navigate a tech work environment and hold their company and co-workers accountable for equity and inclusion at work, and how to persist and move up in their careers.

Dwana Franklin-Davis will share her experiences regarding:

• Building your brand and bringing your whole self to work
• Landing internships, your first job, and beyond
• Building your support team (before you need them!)
• Microaggressions in the workplace

Emma Lovett '21 (Astronomy and Physics) is currently working with Professor John Silverman at the University of Tokyo and the Kavli IPMU in Japan to conduct extragalactic research remotely. The goal of the research project is to determine a correlation between the mass of the dark matter halo that galaxies reside in and the individual galaxy morphologies. After graduation, Emma hopes to attend graduate school to earn a PhD in Astrophysics. She wants to focus her career and research on exo-planetary studies and the search for life in the universe. She also wants to spearhead outreach programs to make astronomy more accessible to Black, Indigenous, and Latinx POC.

Abby Guinan '22 (Biology and Natural Resources Conservation) is interested in studying restoration ecology and invasive plant species management. Currently, she is conducting a literature review in the Stinson lab to compare management options for Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) and Dame's Rocket (Hesperis matronalis). Beyond her independent research, Abby is working in the renewable energy track of iCons 3 to optimize energy usage for the low-temperature hot water system being implemented on campus. In the future, Abby hopes to continue her work in restoration ecology with a focus on invasive plant species management and to encourage public engagement in restoring native ecosystems.

About iCons:
The Integrated Concentration in Science (iCons) Program is a signature program at UMass Amherst, with the mission to produce a diverse generation of leaders in science and technology with the attitudes, skills, and knowledge needed to solve the inherently multi-faceted problems facing our world. Established in 2010, iCons is a 4-year, 20-credit interdisciplinary certificate program for undergraduates majoring in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). In iCons, diverse teams of students work collaboratively to study and solve real-world problems using the distributed expertise they bring from their individual STEM disciplines. iCons graduates go on to impactful roles in research, industry, and public service, where they apply the specialized skills developed in the program as emerging leaders in their field.

More about the UMass Institute of Diversity Sciences:
The Institute of Diversity Sciences is a multidisciplinary unit that brings together faculty and students from UMass and the Five Colleges, Massachusetts educators from K-12 and community colleges, business leaders, and practitioners to:

• Promote multi-disciplinary research that involves science, engineering, and technology where the research questions target equity concerns
• Nurture the success of diverse students as they enter the STEM workforce through mentored research experience and opportunities to engage with visiting scientists from underrepresented groups
• Connect scientific research to social impact through public engagement and outreach in order to serve local, national, and international communities

Affiliates of the Institute promote equity in health, learning, and work and mitigate the impact of climate change on communities.