The sold out Nebraska Women in STEM Conference on April 3 & 4 was full of energy, connectivity, and insight.
A range of topics were covered by conference speakers including negotiation, imposter syndrome, and telling your story. Keynote speaker Dr. Raven Baxter, aka Raven the Science Maven, shared her journey into a STEM career that emphasized authenticity and leading with your values. The highly popular extended networking break gave women time to network, build community, and enjoy exhibitors and hands on activities.
One participant shared: “I just love the comfort of being someplace where there is such a large presence of women. It was comforting to feel like I didn’t need to be anything but myself. I witnessed many moments of women supporting, praising, and encouraging one another. It was a beautiful sight to see.”
Other observations from participants included:
“The conference inspired me to start thinking about pursuing an additional degree.”
“I really enjoyed talking to other women in STEM. It is good to hear about their experiences in the field. It is also awesome to hear about their work and the awesome things they are doing!”
“It was great to hear the different stories of women and their struggles that we all may share in. To hear their solutions and the paths they took was inspiring.”
“I want to come back next year, and I want to seek out more opportunities like this. My biggest personal takeaway from the day was that women aren’t often told to take the leap or take the risks, and that we really have to create these opportunities for ourselves and champion others in to do the same.”
“So much to think about and so grateful to be in this community!”
The conference would not have been possible without this partnership between Bio Nebraska and Nebraska Cures, the conference planning committee, and generous sponsors.
Work has already begun on planning the 2025 conference.
