Author Archives: Editor

Third Annual Innovator Award (2009)

2009 Innovator Award Winner Dr. Tijana Rajh (right) and AWIS Chicago Chapter President Sandra Pearce (left)

3rd Annual AWIS-CAC Innovator Award: Capturing Life at the Interface.
Dr. Tijana Rajh was honored as the 2009 AWIS Innovator Award winner.
Dr. Rajh is a chemist at Argonne National Laboraties. She gave a brief talk at the dinner about her career and experiences as a female scientist. *Support for Northwestern University students generously provided by the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University Integrated Graduate Program.

Want to keep yourself up-to-date on AWIS Chicago activities? Follow AWIS Chicago on Twitter! You can request to be added to our listserve by clicking here, and join the AWIS Chicago group on LinkedIn and Facebook by clicking the icons on the bottom right of this page.

2008 Past Events

Effective Negotiation of Employment Contracts (Part I)
Join Kristi Nelson (Chen Nelson Roberts Ltd) and Noelle Brennan (Noelle Brennan & Associates Ltd) for a workshop on effectively negotiating employment contracts. How and when to negotiate as well as common terms of an employment contract will be discussed. View the Bios of the speakers.
Follow-up sessions are planned for next year that will address negotiation in academic and industry environments. In addition, on November 13th the AWIS National Coaching team will be hosting a tele-seminar on Negotiation Skills entitled “Interviewing as Part of the Opportunity Creation System”.

AWIS regional career development workshop: What Works Workshop, From the Bench to the Boardroom
The goal is to provide early to mid-career women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with the personal and practical tools they need to be successful in their professions. The one-day seminar will offer workshops focused on skill-building and work/personal life integration as well as networking opportunities.
Date: Saturday, October 11
Location: Eli Lilly Headquarters, Indianapolis, IN
Time: 7:30am – 5:30pm

Old Town Oil Social Event

Fall kick off event
Old Town Oil tasting
Old Town Oil provided beer, wine, bread, pesto, cheese, olives and all the oil & vinegar we could taste. They gave a brief lesson on Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegars. Guests were able to sample from the 25-30 oils and vinegars “on tap”. The store also offered a 10% discount on purchases made that night.
Date: Tuesday, October 7, from 7:00-8:00pm at Old Town Oil, 1520 North Wells, Chicago

In addition, past president Heather Behanna passed the torch to our new president for 2008-2009, Sandra Pearce.

AWIS-CAC Past President Heather Behanna (left) with President Sandra Pearce (right)

AWIS Chicago Past President Heather Behanna (left) with President Sandra Pearce (right)

Solar Photography

Using nothing more than the sun and basic cyanotype materials we will explore the science of early printmaking and the techniques used in this beautiful art form. Cyanotype photography uses the sun to develop images on chemically treated paper. Participants will use tap water, hydrogen peroxide, and sunlight to develop and expose 8×10 photographs. The final activity will be to make four huge cyanotype prints (the size of queen bed sheets), on which participants can expose images with any number of items, including their own bodies. Chemistry is an important part of the artistic process, and participants will be able to discuss chemistry, chemical reactions, and the interplay between chemistry and art with the instructors. Participants will create photographic images that can be brought home and put on display as well as contribute to a large multi-exposed canvas for permanent display in the city. You are welcome to bring items that can lie flat and fit in an 8×10 space to create images of your choosing!

This event was co-sponsored and held at Harold Washington college.

Dr. Theresa Woodruff (left) being presented the award by AWIS-CAC VP for Membership Joy Ramos

Innovator Award Dinner and AWIS-CAC 30 Year Celebration
Schedule of Events:
6:30pm Appetizers and cash bar
7:00pm Presentation by Teresa K. Woodruff, Ph.D., Innovator Award Winner and Dinner (Choice of Cedar Planked Salmon, Nick’s Prime Sirloin, Little Italy Penne or California Chicken Marsala)
8:00pm Dessert buffet
Date: Monday, June 23
Time: 6:30 – 9:00pm
Location: Prairie Moon 1520 Sherman Ave, Evanston

More information about Dr. Woodruff and the Innovator Award can be found under the Community tab.

Girls in the Game

Girls in the Game outreach event
AWIS volunteers to assisted in meeting and greeting the young girls, ages 9-12, played a few outdoor games and overall were a positive influence on the girls and shared their background in science. The main event of the morning was a speaker from the Stritch School of Medicine, Dr. Elizabeth Kovacs, who is the Director of the Alcohol Research Program. She discussed the negative effects of alcohol on the body with the girls and included some interactive examples which the volunteers helped execute by getting the girls involved. This event was a fun, positive way t0 share science with local youth!

Learn to Golf
Join AWIS for Womens Golf lessons, offered through the Skokie Park District. All skill levels are welcome!
Dates: Saturdays, May 3, 10, 17 and 31 (no classes Memorial Day weekend)
Location: Weber Park golf course (first class) and Sports Park Driving Range (all other classes), Skokie
Time: 10-11am
Cost: $100 for nonresidents, $80 for residents
Equipment: Putter and 9 iron or wedge

Bring a Friend Wine Tasting event
Meet members of AWIS and find out what we and other Chicago organizations are doing!
Date: Monday, April 14
Time: 6:30-8:00pm
Location: Kafka Wine Company, 3325 N. Halsted, Chicago

2008 Science Fair Judges

Give an AWIS Special Award at the 58th Annual Chicago Public Schools Science Fair!
This science fair features the best projects from all over Chicago and is the last stage before students advance to the international INTEL Science and Engineering Fair in May to be held in Atlanta, Georgia.
Be a part of this momentous occasion and volunteer as a judge at this year’s Science Fair and help AWIS-Chicago choose which young girls show the most promise and deserve an AWIS Special Award.
Date: Friday, March 28, 8am-12pm
Location: Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago

Diverse Careers in Science Panelists

Diverse Careers in Science panel

This panel was organized by AWIS and Thy Nguyen at Northwestern University Career Services, and was part of the Chicago Science Career Forum, a job fair for graduate students in the sciences. The following speakers from the areas of consulting, forensic science, medical writing and scientific affairs were represented:

Cynthia Wallner Ph.D, Senior Consultant, Sg2
Karl Reich Ph.D, Chief Scientific Officer, Independent Forensics
Jennifer Hepker Ph.D, Account Director, Prescott Medical Communications Group
Kara Johnson Ph.D, Scientific Affairs Area Manager, Abbott Laboratories and AWIS board member

Chicago Scientists Practice Networking

Networking and AWIS Program Planning
Date: Wednesday, February 20
Location: Illinois Science and Technology Park (4901 Searle Parkway, Skokie, IL 60077)
Schedule of Events:
6:30-7:00 pm: AWIS Planning Session
Interested in future events? Looking to help bring science to youth across the great Chicago area? Looking to bring high profile speakers to Chicago? Want input on various social and career building events? Join us for our planning session!
7:00-8:15 pm: Networking Seminar
What is it, and how can I do it well? Learn the basics and put your new skills to work in a structured format. Heather Sevener, Assist.Dir. Grad. Services, Biological and Physical Sciences, U. Chicago will be our speaker.
8:15-9:00 pm: Reception
Stay for a reception and some unstructured networking!

Outreach meeting
Date: Monday, February 11
Location: Prairie Moon, 1502 Sherman Ave, Evanston
Time: 7:00pm
RSVP to Jen Crawford at JCrawford@kforce.com
Refer to the Meeting Minutes page for the minutes of this event.

Outreach Planning Meeting
AWIS has been given the opportunity to be part of planning a citywide event geared at engaging young people in science by helping them to see the fun and excitement of science in everyday life. If you have ever had an idea for outreach programming, now is the time. Some of these programs have potential to be funded, and collaborations are possible with everyone from the school systems to the Art Institute to the Shedd Aquarium.

Second Annual Innovator Award (2008)

2008 Innovator Award Winner, Dr. Teresa Woodruff

Dr. Teresa Woodruff is the Thomas J. Watkins Memorial Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine. In addition, Dr. Woodruff is the Executive Director of the Institute for Women’s Health Research and Division Chief of the newly created Division of Fertility Preservation, and Professor of Neurobiology and Physiology, Weinberg School of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Woodruff serves as Associate Director for Basic Sciences in the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, the Associate Director of Center for Reproductive Science, and the Director of the Center for Reproductive Research.

She is also pioneering interdisciplinary research in an emerging new field in cancer and reproductive biology, which she has termed “oncofertility”. In fact, in addition to her many current positions, she is also the Director and Founder of the newly-formed “Oncofertility Consortium”, a national, interdisciplinary initiative designed to explore the reproductive future of cancer survivors and funded by an NIH roadmap grant.

Dr. Woodruff is definitely an innovator in many academic and clinical research areas but perhaps just as importantly, she has also been a supportive and enthusiastic mentor to students and colleagues both within her own lab and outside of it. It is for these key leadership roles as well as innovative science that we have selected Dr. Woodruff as the recipient for the 2008 AWIS-CAC Innovator Award.

July 2008 Scientist of the Month: Heather King

Heather King is a first year graduate student in the Department ofOrganismal Biology and Anatomy at the University of Chicago.Jameela Jafri and Gabrielle Lyon nominated her in recognition of herinvolvement with the Project Exploration program Sisters 4 Science.

Heather King developed an interest in animals at a young age growing up in rural Washington state. An introductory science program at a local community college in which a biologist gave a talk on wolf populations further piqued this interest. She subsequently took more science courses at a community college while in high school and then moved to Chicago to attend the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). Collaboration across multiple science disciplines has always interested Heather and she participated in IIT’s Interprofessional Projects Program with other scientists to generate an oscillator of protein levels to identify protein switches. At IIT, her mentor was a woman with a family and career who Heather admired for her ability to balance both aspects of her life.

After graduating from IIT with a Bachelor of Science degree in May 2007, Heather applied to the Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy Ph.D. Program at the University of Chicago. She was drawn to the collaborative environment and learning opportunities the program offered. The faculty in this program cover multiple disciplines, providing ample opportunity for Heather to explore many aspects of organismal biology and animal behavior research in an interactive environment. At the time of this interview, Heather was rotating in the laboratory of Dr. Melina Hale. She was using a comparative interdisciplinary approach to study gait transitions in fish with high-speed videography.

Heather first became involved with Project Exploration at the suggestion of Dr. Hale. Heather is a mentor in the Sisters 4 Science program, which organizes science-based leadership activities for 11-13 year old girls in the Chicago area. Heather wanted to share her excitement about science with young women. She developed and utilized a project on the scientific method where the girls would set up an experiment to determine what you would want to know about an M&M candy if you had never seen one. Through her outreach activities, Heather tells girls that communication is key to learning and to never be afraid to ask a question. Her collaborators at Project Exploration, Jameela Jafri and Gabrielle Lyon, nominated her as scientist of the month for her work as a mentor with their organization.

Heather is excited about the opportunities available to female scientists in Chicago. She enjoys the “small” global community feeling of the city and the communication fostered because of this diversity. In terms of her career advancement, Chicago provides a lot of resources for evolutionary biologists that are not available in other areas including access to Lincoln Park Zoo and Field Museum zoologists. We wish Miss King the best of luck in completing her Ph.D. and in all her future endeavors.

Heather King working with young women from Sisters 4Science on a project using M&Ms to explore thescientific method.

For information about Project Exploration and its programs, please contact Jameela Jafri.

2007 Past Events

Beauty Bar at Elm Street Liquors
Date: Thursday, December 6 from 7-10pm
Location: Elm Street Liquors, 12 W. Elm St, Chicago

Emily Kadens giving pointers

Public Speaking for Women: Learning through Critique

Presented by: Lisa Bernstein, Wilson-Dickinson Professor of Law and Co-Director, Institute for Civil Justice, University of Chicago, Emily Kadens, Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Texas-Austin

Date: Sunday, November 18 at 6:00pm
Location: La Vita Restaurant, 1359 W. Taylor Street, Chicago
Cost: $20 students, $30 AWIS-CAC members, $35 Non-members
Price includes dinner at La Vita (antipasti, insalata, pasta, entree, dolce)

Midnight Yoga
Date: Friday, November 2, 2007 at 10:30pm
Location: Yoga Bloom, 4663 N. Rockwell, Chicago

Book Club
Discussion of the book “Women Don’t Ask” by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever
Date: Thursday, October 4th at 7pm
Location: Ethel’s Chocolate Lounge at the Old Orchard Shopping Center (253 Old Orchard Shopping Center, Skokie, IL 60077)

Beauty Bar

Beauty Bar at Elm Street Liquors
12 W. Elm St, Chicago
Thursday, August 30th, 7-10pm

Cocktail Hour
Thursday June 7th, 2007
Place: Iguana Cafe, 517 N. Halsted
Time: 6:30-8:30pm

Dinner with Speaker
Monday, May 14th, 2007 6:30-8:30pm
Prairie Moon, 1502 Sherman Avenue, Evanston, IL
Guest Speaker: Holly Falk-Krzesinski, Northwestern University
Developing a Career Path in Sciences and Engineering

Book Club

Book Club
April 12th 2007 Downtown Chicago, at the Starbucks at 42 East Chicago (cross street is State street), , 6-7:30pm
April 17th 2007 Evanston, at Kafein at 1621 Chicago Avenue , 6-7:30pm,
April 23rd 2007 University of Chicago, at the Starbucks at 1174 East 55th Street , 6-7:30pm,
Our first selection is: “Every Other Thursday” by Ellen Daniell

Women Chemists Committee
Open Meeting and Celebration of 80 Years of Women in Science: panel discussion and poster session
Saturday, March 24, 2007 – From 5:00pm to 6:30pm

First Annual Innovator Award (2007)

AWIS-CAC President Heather Behanna (left) and award recipient Dr. Holly Falk-Krzesinski (right).

The recipient of our inaguaral Innovator Award was Dr. Holly Falk-Krzesinski. She is currently the Director of the Office of Research and Development at Northwestern University.

2006 Past Events

Entrepreneurship: The challenges of starting a company and working for a startup
November 6, 2006, 6-7pm
ITEC Building, Evanston

Wines of the World
October 26, 2006, 6:30-9 pm
Lurie Atrium, Northwestern University, Chicago

Science Cafe
September 22-30, 2006
Borders and Starbucks in the Chicagoland area