Biologist Dr. Sarah Hird shared advice on resilience, mentorship, and navigating male-dominated fields while speaking to young women in STEM at a campus event Feb. 11.
“Heroes have advanced skills. They have cool outfits, they attack monsters, and I think that is you, right? That’s me, that’s us, that’s women in STEM every day going out and kicking ass,” said Hird.
Hird is an associate professor in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Connecticut.
The Women in STEM Mentoring Program at UConn hosted an event in recognition of National Women in STEM Day, celebrating undergraduate women pursuing STEM-related fields.
Hird received the STEMist of the year award, given to the professor whom women in the mentor program think has made the most impact on them.
“She reminded us that our path is not linear, and that you’re allowed to change,” said Allied Health Sciences major Kayla Njoh-Sam.
In graduate school, Hird started to feel different in her classes. She noticed many upper-middle-class people who were not like her, specifically men. That is when she said she first sought out Women in STEM.
“My favorite part of my job is working with the women in the math, science, and engineering community […] I am inspired every day by the diversity of interests, attributes, and skills these young women have,” said Hird.
During her speech, she said that when she teaches, she tries to focus on the four pillars she conceived to support women in STEM, those being academics, community, yourself, and opportunities.
Facilitator of WISTEM and first-year graduate student at the UConn School of Pharmacy, Marilyn Oly, said that the main mission of the WISTEM program is to make sure women on campus are seen in their academic fields and to provide resources.
“We try to pair up mentors with the mentees, making sure that they know they aren’t going through their STEM journey alone,” said Marilyn Oly.
Oly said, events and speakers like this are important and inspiring, so WISTEM will continue planning and organizing them throughout the academic year.
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