Peer Research Summary
The topic that interests me most from the research this week is Society and STEM. This topic deals a lot with women and minorities in science, which is something that I am very connected to. For one, I am a woman in STEM. As I worked toward my Biology degree, I encountered some prejudices and stereotypes, though I consider myself lucky that I wasn't held back by any of these. The first situation I encountered in college was the fact that a majority of my professors were men. It was difficult to have so few women as science mentors, though the few I had were excellent. Another situation that I have encountered is something little, but it shows some of the preconceived notions that students have about science. One of my favorite parts of biology is doing dissections, and as I've worked with peers and students, many have the same, shocked reaction when they find out. This stems from the stereotype that all girls think things like that are gross.
Another reason that this topic interests me so much is that I was involved in a program in college for minority students and women. High schoolers who participated in the program took a college class over the summer, and myself and another college student mentored them and planned STEM-themed field trips and activities. The purpose of this program was to help girls and minority students experience college and become more exposed to STEM. This program also fit in with our "community involvement" topic, as we toured several different businesses where the students got to meet individuals working in STEM fields.
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