WITS Online May 2020

WITS Update

Welcome to WITSWORDS June 2020

From Julie Hogan WITS Chair:
Welcome to the June edition of WITSWORDS. You’ve heard often enough about unconscious biases, the habits of thinking that we use to make snap decisions about the world around us. One positive aspect of the disruption caused by Covid-19 is that we have been jolted out of old certainties and patterns of thinking, forcing us into finding creative and imaginative new ones. Perhaps being at home more has reminded you of an idea that’s always been at the back of your mind. Maybe a strange Covid dream is your subconscious trying to tell you something. Coming soon, June 15th, WITS and Enterprise Ireland will be hosting “First steps to bringing your concept to life”, a free webinar with tips on how to develop your idea into a viable opportunity. It’s always good to shake up your assumptions and see if they’re still true. At least your unconscious biases will now be conscious ones. Please register when the webinar email arrives.

Thank you for reading WITSWORDS. Our next issue will be in early July 2020. If you have events, initiatives or just something you think may be of interest to WITS members please email WITS before 24 June 2020 and we'll include it in the next issue. 

 
 

Dates for your diary - upcoming WITS events

WITS and Enterprise Ireland webinar 15 June 2020 time tbc
Save the date! First steps to bringing your concept to life is an EI/WITS seminar that will address the practical steps you need to take to bring your business idea to life, including how to develop the idea and how to assess the business viability.  We'll set up the booking link with the date and time as soon as it it confirmed and you can book your place as soon as you get the email.  
 

WITS Reads 23 June 2020 @ 8 pm
WITS member Jane Morgan is hosting WITS Reads on Tuesday 23 June at 8 pm via Zoom. Lab Coats and Lace is the book to be discussed and it's available as an ebook. More here about WITS Reads and email WITS to join in.


WITS News
WITS website update
Click on News to see any new posts. We continued the WITS news experiment in May with website posts on Monday 11, 18 and 25 May. For June we hope to post WITS News on 8 and 22 June. We hope you enjoy the posts. Feedback and comment welcome to info@witsireland.com.

WITS 2020 Membership is still open. Thanks to the members who have already renewed, we appreciate your support.

STEM News

• Myths of COVID-19. This is a good read busting many of the myths about COVID-19.
• What is the impact of the pandemic on gender balance? Read Anne-Marie Taylor's thoughtful summary of the research and opinions: Building balance in the next normal.
• Risk and communication strategies at this stage of pandemic. Read Barbara Gormley of DCU on RTE Brainstorm on communication during a pandemic.

Inspire a love for technology and science in your kids!
Marinara Marcato tells us about her education start up:
SMART Edu Challenge is a STEM activity programme composed of 5 fun and educational STEM activities on Technology, Robotics and Astronomy. This wonderful FREE resource is perfect for exposing 7+ yo kids to topics that complement traditional education while inspiring a love for learning and sparkling their interest on technology and science. This initiative was created by SMART Edu Club, a start-up founded by Marinara Marcato, a STEM Teacher and PhD Student at Tyndall National Institute/UCC. Their mission is to inspire and educate the next generation of leaders. Therefore, SMART Edu Challenge was launched to help many families by supporting children's education during quarantine. Check out SMART Edu Club’s website for more information. 

Gender News

• Dr Anne Kernan: trailblazing Irish physicist. What a surprise to read the obituary of Dr Anne Kernan UCD graduate who led US team on Nobel-prize winning experiment at CERN and had an amazing career in Ireland and the United States.. From The Irish Times. Read why she went into science in an American Scientist 1986 article, Anne is #50. Image: American Scientist 1986. 

• Why does medicine treat women like men? Important article about how male & female bodies differ from the cellular level onwards, yet medical knowledge is gleaned from male cells, animals & humans, leading to dangerous gaps. From The Observer
• Women in STEM: Trends to watch in 2020. From Women Love Tech.
• Descriptions of men and women affects their leadership careers. How the language used affects our perceptions of leadership. Good reading from CEO Magazine.
• 5 ingredients for great leadership. From The Scope @ Silicon Republic.
• 5 Gender Balance Myths Most Men Still Believe. From A Wittenberg Cox at Talent.

Dates for your diary - Events, closing dates to look out for

• 10-12 June 2020 Women Tech Global Conference 2020. Apply for a free invite.
• 15-17 June 2020 Diversity Reboot 2020 The Future of the Inclusive Workplace. Read about it, tickets are free. From Power to Fly.
• 18 June 2020 Why Research Matters – Video Presentation Competition closes.
• 23 June 2020 International Women in Engineering Day. This year's theme is Shape the World.
• 26 June 2020 Virtual Tech Conference from WeAreTechWomen.
• 30 June 2020 Female only PhD scholarship at Nimbus Centre CIT and the Confirm SFI Research Centre for Smart Manufacturing closing date for applications. 

• 11 July 2020 Soapbox Science Dublin online. Watch out for Soapbox Science Galway and Cork. . 
• 16-19 July 2020 The Festival of Curiosity, Dublin’s annual international festival of science, arts, design and technology runs. The programme will be available at the end of June. 

Thank you for reading WITSWORDS. Check back for July 2020 WITSWORDS and in the meantime, please send us members' news or any STEM or gender news.