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

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.

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.

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 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

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 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

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.

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.