NEWS

The Louisiana Tech University College of Engineering and Science (COES) will host Women’s Week, a week-long celebration of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields from March 20-24.

The COES Office of Women in Science and Engineering (OWISE) invites students, faculty, and staff to participate in weekly activities that increase awareness of women’s successes in STEM and provide women students and faculty opportunities for professional development.

In coordination with OWISE, the student-led Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) have created activities to honor successful women in STEM and help female students and faculty in professional development and community development building.

Most activities will occur in the Integrated Engineering and Science Building (IESB), where visitors will be treated with decorations set up by SWE and WiCyS, including posters of women in STEM, a balloon arch, and a backdrop.

On Monday, March 20, WiCyS will kick off Women’s Week with a booth that students can visit for information and candy. SWE will hold Science Night at 7 p.m.

Other events throughout the week include a scavenger hunt with WiCyS (Tuesday, March 21), an opportunity to donate to DART through the SWE Freshman Leadership Initiative’s Coin Wars (Wednesday, March 22), National Puppy Day with SWE and a Women in STEM Panel at Prescott Library (Thursday, March 23), and Girl’s Night hosted by both SWE and WiCyS and featuring various booths for nail painting, hair tinsel, shower streamers, karaoke, and tea blends (March 24). The College of Applied and Natural Science is also participating in Women’s Week through their Women in STEM student organization, which is inviting everyone to plant flowers in Centennial Plaza on Tuesday from 12:30-1:30 p.m.

“Women’s Week is an amazing collaborative effort that is driven by the creativity and ideas of our female STEM students,” Dr. Krystal Cruse, OWISE co-director, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, and program chair for the College of Engineering and Science Freshman Living with the Lab, said. “It is amazing to see these come together and celebrate what they are accomplishing at Tech and the accomplishments of those that came before them. Working with these female students and their organizations has been so encouraging. I am continually impressed with their creativity and the ideas they have brought to the event. The community of support that we have built here is incredible!”

 “With women being minorities in many STEM majors, it is crucial we form a community where one can receive support and encouragement,” Dr. Allie DeLeo-Allen, OWISE co-director and lecturer of Instrumentation and Control Systems Engineering Technology, added. “What better way to strengthen our community of women in STEM than by having a full slate of events that have been organized by our outstanding student leaders? I am continuously impressed by these ladies’ creativity, drive, and determination to foster a welcoming environment for all women in STEM.”

OWISE wants incoming first-year female COES students to know they are supported through their OWISE community. As a welcome, OWISE will be inviting these students to introduce themselves. Check the OWISE Instagram account (@LaTechOWISE) throughout the week to see these incoming students featured and entered into a chance to win an OWISE scholarship. Prospective students can submit their information until Friday. OWISE will hold a drawing for the scholarship on Saturday.

For more information about Women’s Week, go to the OWISE website.