WEPAN Newsletter April

Changing STEM Innovation at the WEPAN Synergiiize Summit

On April 4-5, innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, and intellectual property and technology transfer professionals came together for WEPAN’s inaugural Synergiiize Summit, an intensive and community-centered professional development conference on innovation and entrepreneurship.

Supported by funding from the Small Business Administration and Qualcomm, the Synergiiize Summit was co-hosted by the Empowered STEM Entrepreneurship Collective, a partnership among WEPAN, the American Association of Colleges and Universities, AISES: Advancing Indigenous People in STEM, and Graduate Fellowships for STEM Diversity. It also acted as the kick-off event for the Synergiiize Innovator Program, with twenty-nine innovators participating in the 2025 cohort of the eight-month program uniquely designed to empower and support undercapitalized innovators on their entrepreneurship and commercialization journeys.

To foster greater access to and transparency around the critical resources, support, and knowledge needed for success, the Synergiiize Summit featured sessions on topics like values and vision alignment, personal branding, customer discovery, strategic fundraising, mentoring, and networking. In addition, the AISES Rematriation Gathering for Indigenous Womxn in STEM was held as a pre-Summit event and rematriation was a theme throughout the Summit. The keynote address, supported by the Women of Color in Engineering Collaborative, was delivered by Dr. Brooke Coley, Assistant Professor of Engineering at Arizona State University.

“The intentional community that we are building together with our partners, members, and participants is my favorite part of the Synergiiize initiative,” said Dr. Heather Metcalf, WEPAN’s Managing Director of Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship. “Having a community of mutual support offers so much room to dream big and reimagine the world together.”

Multiple WEPAN members and board members were engaged at the Summit, including past WEPAN presidents Ms. Beth Anne Johnson and Dr. Jamie Huber Ward. Huber Ward, a research associate at University of Colorado Boulder, is also participating in the Innovator Program.

“The Synergiiize Summit was an amazing experience packed with actionable information and insights, as well as opportunities to create authentic connections with new and seasoned entrepreneurs. I left with so many new and exciting ideas to explore. I look forward to continuing to grow my knowledge and foster relationships throughout my time in the Synergiiize program,” said Huber Ward.

News

Free Program to Help Move Your Small Business Forward

WEPAN is partnering with Verizon as part of their Small Business Digital Ready program, a free program designed to give small businesses more tools to succeed. It’s personalized and easy to use, with all the information online in one place.

Sign up for the platform and engage with a combination of two free videos or events to become eligible for $10K grant opportunities offered at least four times per year.

The videos and events cover topics like branding, cybersecurity, managing money, legal essentials for small businesses, and more. The events also include opportunities to connect 1:1 with business coaches and experts for feedback on areas where you could use some extra guidance. Plus, the platform has a growing database of external funding and financing opportunities. Sign up through our link, and you also help WEPAN!

Coming Soon - the WEPAN Academy

Despite our country’s continued need to ensure a robust engineering workforce, for decades we have asked why so many women leave engineering. It has been well demonstrated that we can and should do more to retain women in our engineering workforce.

Over the past 35 years, the dedication of WEPAN’s leadership and community has resulted in amassed knowledge critical to advancing cultures of diversity and inclusion in engineering spaces. How do we make this knowledge more accessible and adaptable?

Coming soon - WEPAN Academy! Providing workforce development and retention education and training to ensure women can thrive in a robust engineering workforce.

Summer Intern Opportunities for Women

Lena Furci from the HER Academy is currently recruiting and screening candidates for Drive Capital's summer internship program as a Software Engineer, and is seeking to fill a STEM internship with Mission Essential.

Please share this Columbus, Ohio opportunity with any college candidates you know and have them send Lenda a resume and cover letter. They can reach out to Lena directly at lena@theheracademy.org. She is looking for a cover letter that describes the applicant's leadership, speaks to teamwork/collaboration, and can share any projects where they built/created; and a resume.

Assistant Program Director, Penn State Millennium Scholars Program

The Penn State Millennium Scholars Program seeks an innovative, energetic professional to fill the position of Assistant Program Director (Student Advocacy Specialist).

This position provides academic coaching and support to about 150 undergraduate students participating in the Millennium Scholars Program, with a special focus on second-year students and their unique needs. The mission of the Penn State Millennium Scholars Program (MSP) is to cultivate a diverse group of undergraduate scholars who are highly motivated to ultimately pursue doctoral degrees in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields.

The Assistant Program Director assists all MSP students in meeting program requirements through specialized counseling and instruction regarding professional development, obtaining research experience, participation in professional conferences, and preparing for strong academic outcomes.

Free Resume Critique with the WEPAN Career Center

The WEPAN Career Center is a premiere resource to connect career opportunities with qualified engineering industry professionals. Whether you're searching for jobs or finding candidates, the WEPAN Career Center offers a wealth of resources to help members achieve their career goals.

One of these resources is a FREE resume critique service, which offers a resume review by a resume-writing expert.  While it's important that a resume is current and complete, it's also important that it stands out.

Within a few days of submitting a resume, an evaluation is sent outlining strengths, weaknesses, and suggestions to ensure best chances of landing an interview.

The process is simple:

1. Click "Manage Resumes" under the Career Center Job Seekers tab
2. Click "Upload Resume File"
3. Choose the file to be uploaded
4. Click "YES" next to "submit my resume for a free evaluation from a trusted resume expert at TopResume”
5. On the pop-up window, click "Evaluate My Resume"
6. Proceed with the upload by clicking "Upload Resume"

Stand out to employers with a polished resume and increase your chances of landing your dream job! There are currently over 500 employers on the WEPAN Career Center, and over 1300 job openings.

WEPAN Listserv

Do you have something to tell the WEPAN community? Remember that subscription to the WEPAN-L listserv is a member benefit! Share announcements, post publication opportunities, and collaborate with colleagues from different institutions and organizations on special projects.

To subscribe to the WEPAN-L listserv, visit: lists.purdue.edu/mailman/listinfo/wepan-l

Resources

Publications, reports, or communications relevant to women in engineering and STEM equity. All resources listed below are available in the ARC Network online resource library. If you need help accessing the library, please contact ARC Librarian Bethany Farmer at bethany@wepan.org.  

• "Women in Interdisciplinary Engineering: Building a Foundation for Success in STEM Through Community and Curriculum" by M. Georges

"This study explores the factors influencing women's enrollment, experiences, and retention within the Applied Science Engineering (ASE) program at Rutgers University. Amidst the broader context of women's underrepresentation in engineering fields, this research aims to elucidate the complex interplay of personal, familial, academic, and social dynamics that shape women's participation in this interdisciplinary engineering program."

• "Fostering Persistence in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): Creating an Equitable Environment That Addresses the Needs of Undergraduate Students" by J. Louten

"Student retention is a critical issue for universities, and nearly half of the students who start degree programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) do not complete them. The current study tracks the progress of STEM students taking part in an entry-to-graduation program designed to build community, provide academic and social support, and promote engagement in academically purposeful activities."

Institutional WEPAN Membership

Want to encourage your institution to deepen its commitment to equity and excellence?

Consider becoming an Institutional Champion Member. At this membership level, institutions have unlimited member representatives who get to dive into critical diversity, equity, and inclusion issues through custom workshops. These members also get the opportunity to strengthen their inclusive leadership capacity as part of the Equity and Excellence Council. Additional Institutional Champion member benefits include:

• Professional Development
• Decades of resources in the WEPAN Knowledge Center
• Professional development webinars, including one featuring an invited speaker from your institution
• Free and discounted workshops, including one customized for your institution
• Free and discounted access to WEPAN’s Program Days
• Three annual convening registrations
• Communication & Networking
• WEPAN-L listserv
• Slack
• WEPAN member directory
• Social media spotlights of your institution
• Workforce
• Free and discounted job postings for your institution in WEPAN’s Career Center

For more information on how to become a WEPAN Institutional Member, please email membership@wepan.org.

WEPAN Slack Channel

Please join us on Slack to drive that connectivity across our membership during a critical time for connection. Join our Slack community today!

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