UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Graduate Women in Science State College Chapter will host its 18th annual Empower Conference from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Graduate State College. Online registration is open until Sunday, Jan. 29, at 11:59 p.m. (EST). Registration fees are $5-$15 (PSU students), $16 (non-PSU students, post-docs, or chaperones), and $25 (professionals or faculty). Day-of registration will be available the morning of the conference.
Empower is a professional and personal development conference with a focus on learning and networking for people working, studying, and interested in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. The 2023 conference theme “Catalysts for Change” aims to show participants the potential in each and every person to have agency over their future so we can create a kinder, more inclusive world. The schedule includes speakers, interactive break-out sessions, and a book signing event.
Renee Horton, the keynote speaker this year, is a hearing-impaired Black physicist, NASA engineer, and author. She actively advocates for disabled folks in the sciences and supports girls interested in science. She has also published a children's adventure book series, "Dr. H Explores," about space exploration.
“We are very excited to have speakers this year who are all actively making change in their communities, while utilizing their scientific expertise and platform to guide public communication. The presence of BIPOC excellence is of note as well. The conference is bound to be filled with catalytic energy, and our hope is that attendees will not only feel inspired themselves but have the tools to inspire others after the event,” said Xiaoling Chen, Empower Conference co-chair.
Other speakers will include Kristy “Browngirl Green” Drutman, environmental activist and Green Jobs Board Founder; Gina Noh, Penn State assistant professor of Chemical Engineering and catalysis researcher; Hollie Kulago, Penn State associate professor of Education and indigenous educator; Theodora Dryer, historian, policy analyst, and contributor to the AI Now Institute; and Tierra D. Williams, Ferguson Township Supervisor, community leader, and yoga instructor.
Previous attendants have enjoyed the opportunities for networking and development from Empower. One previous attendee said she was “So glad I attended! It went above and beyond my expectations, and [it] really renewed my faith in good and respectful people and how much support I have as a woman in STEM.”
Contact the Empower Conference Planning Committee with any questions at empower.gwis@gmail.com. For more information about the Empower Conference, visit the Conference Website. To learn more about the GWIS State College Chapter, visit our chapter’s website, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.