Category Archives: Events

AWIS-CAC Annual Awards & Networking Event

Join AWIS-CAC at Midwest Coast Brewing Company for our Annual Awards and Networking Event on Thursday, December 7th from 6 -7:30 PM . This year, we will be celebrating the winners of our 2023 Innovator and Motivator Awards with an in-person event featuring networking and happy hour. All are welcome, but space is limited! Food will be provided.

Click here to register for the event!

Event schedule:

6 – 6:15 PM: Opening cocktails
6:15 – 6:25 PM: Welcome speech by Sasha Prokuda, Executive Director for the Chicago Council on Science and Technology
6:30 – 6:45 PM: Presentation of 2023 Innovator and Motivator Awards
6:45 – 7:30 PM: Networking

Innovator Awards

2023 Innovator Award – Mid/Senior Career: Shivani Garg, Ph.D., Project Manager, Strain Engineering, LanzaTech Inc.

For her research applying synthetic biology to engineer anaerobic acetogen for the production of fuels and chemicals.

2023 Innovator Award – Early Career: Sruti Dammalapati, M.S., Scientist, AI & Computational Biology, LanzaTech Inc.

For her research on high-performing biocatalysts using computer-guided methods and applied machine learning techniques to model systems.

2023 Innovator Award – Early Career: Ashwini Bedekar, Ph.D., Research Scientist, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

For her research contributions to environmental biotechnology and bioprocess engineering. Specifically, for her research on the biological conversion of methane through the use of methane-eating bacteria to mitigate climate change and utilize waste gases.

Motivator Awards

2023 Motivator Award – Mid/Senior Career: Marilene Pavan, Innovation Manager, LanzaTech Inc.

For her development of the first-ever mentorship program at LanzaTech, along with her continued dedication to mentoring women in STEM through her participation in AWIS-CAC’s Summer Mentoring Circles, Northwestern University’s scientific internship program, and the iGEM Uganda Team.

2023 Motivator Award – Mid/Senior Career: Hilary Kenny, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor, University of Chicago

For her demonstration of continued dedication to the support and mentorship of women in STEM disciplines.

2023 Motivator Award – Early Career: Lucille Ray, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Illinois Chicago

For her dedication to mentorship and education for women and LGBTQIA+ persons in STEM through her participation in ComSciCon 2022’s “Advocating for Science” and IIT’s “Queer in STEM” panels, in addition to her continued support of aspiring research scientists in her positional as a postdoctoral fellow.

Lead a STEM Workshop at the Expanding Your Horizons 2023 Conference!

Expanding Your Horizons is a one-day STEM conference for girls in grades 6-8 living in the Chicagoland area. Through the conference, we hope to excite participants about the opportunities available to them in STEM by engaging them in fun, hands-on workshops. The conference will be held in person on a Saturday in mid-to-late March 2024. They are currently recruiting individuals to design and lead workshops that will excite middle school girls about topics in STEM.

Each workshop should plan to host 10-15 girls and be about 45-60 minutes long. While we require that the primary leader for each workshop identify as a woman or nonbinary individual working in a STEM field, we welcome male members of the community to be workshop co-leaders. To get a sense for what workshops have looked like in the past, please take a look at workshop descriptions from 2023 here. 

If you are interested in hosting a workshop, the application can be found at this link. Applications are due by November 10, 2023. If you know someone who may be interested in leading a workshop, we would greatly appreciate your help in spreading the word.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email eyh.chicago.workshopcommittee@gmail.com, and thank you for considering our request!

Volunteer with Arise Firebird at the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association Annual Conference!

Arise Firebird is looking for volunteers to help at this year’s Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association Annual Conference!

Location: Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk, 301 East North Water Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611 USA.

Tuesday, 7 November 2023 – 12:30 PM CT to 2:00 PM CT
Tuesday, 7 November 2023 – 3:00 PM CT to 4:30 PM CT
Wednesday, 8 November 2023 – 10:30 AM CT to 12:15 PM CT

Volunteers will help decorate the exhibition table/ area and be there during these hours. Engaging with attendees directly to maximize the impact of Arise Firebird’s presence.

Want to volunteer or have questions? Reach out to community@folajimiworldwide.com !

Click here to learn more about Arise Firebird!
Click here to learn more about the HBA and their annual conference!

AWIS-CAC is looking for volunteers!

AWIS-CAC is currently recruiting volunteers to help with a variety of different initiatives within our organization. All are welcome! We are currently looking for help in areas such as :

  • Event planning (i.e career development panels, speed networking, skill development workshops, events promoting diversity in STEM, our annual award ceremony, etc.)
  • Interviewing, writing, and editing for our Scientist of the Month series
  • Recording and editing our Innovators & Motivators podcast

Are you interested in volunteering for AWIS-CAC? We’d love to hear from you! E-mail us at awiscommunications@gmail.com to volunteer or for more information about volunteer opportunities!

AWIS-CAC October Membership Meeting

Join us for our monthly AWIS CAC meeting to socialize and discuss upcoming programming. The next meeting will be on Monday, October 30th, starting at 7:00 PM CT. Join using this Zoom link!

Can’t make the meeting but want to ask the board a question or propose a suggestion? E-mail us at awiscommunications@gmail.com!

2023 Innovators and Motivators Awards

AWIS-CAC is currently seeking nominations for our annual Innovator & Motivator Awards. In order to recognize the achievements of individuals at both early and mid-senior career stages, each award can include two winners, one from each career stage. Nominations are open to non-AWIS members and self-nominations!

Nominations are due October 8th!

Click here to submit a nomination!

Innovator Award Criteria:

  • A woman scientist with innovative contributions to fields of science, technology, engineering, math, or medicine (STEMM)
  • Geographically located within Illinois
  • AWIS membership is not required
  • Must be no more than 10 years from the date of highest degree earned to be  considered Early Career
  • Anything beyond 10 years from the highest degree earned is considered Mid-Senior  Career

Motivator Award Criteria:

  • An individual with demonstrated service, support, and mentorship of women in  science, technology, engineering, math, or medicine (STEMM)
  • Geographically located within Illinois
  • AWIS membership is not required
  • Must be no more than 10 years from the date of highest degree earned to be  considered Early Career
  • Anything beyond 10 years from the highest degree earned is considered Mid-Senior  Career

If needed, Winners will be chosen by a vote taken by AWIS-CAC chapter members after evaluating all submitted nominations and selecting top nominations by the AWIS Chicago Executive Board.

Presentation of the awards will take place this fall at the annual AWIS-CAC Awards & Networking Event. Details will be announced soon!

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to awiscommunications@gmail.com.

AWIS-CAC September Membership Meeting

Join us for our monthly AWIS CAC meeting to socialize and discuss upcoming programming. The next meeting will be on Monday, September 25th, starting at 7:00 PM CT. Join using this Zoom link!

Can’t make the meeting but want to ask the board a question or propose a suggestion? E-mail us at awiscommunications@gmail.com!

AWIS-CAC August Membership Meeting

Join us for our monthly AWIS CAC meeting to socialize and discuss upcoming programming. The next meeting will be on Monday, August 28th, starting at 7:00 PM CT. Join using this Zoom link!

Can’t make the meeting but want to ask the board a question or propose a suggestion? E-mail us at awiscommunications@gmail.com!

Summer Mentoring Kick-Off

Save the date in your calendars for AWIS-CAC’s 2023 Summer Mentoring Circle Kick-off!

We will be kicking off Summer Mentoring Circles on Friday, June 23rd, 2023, at 7 PM. Click here to access the event on zoom now!

Meeting Agenda (1 hour):
Introduction (10 min)
Guidelines (10 min)
Mentor Introductions (5 min)
Breakout Circles with Mentoring Group (30 min)
Wrap-up (5 min)

Please feel free to reach out to us at awiscommunications@gmail.com or laurabeth185@icloud.com with questions about the mentoring program.