Reinvented Magazine Issue No. 12 - Title IX Special Issue

REINVENTED SUMMER 2022

Ann

ISSUE 12

rsary o f ive

E TITL

IX

KRIS BROWN Empowering Students to Reach for the Stars

Team Credits EDITOR IN CHIEF Caeley Looney

WRITING Officer: Aparna Rajesh Director: Meghana Krishna

MARKETING CMO: Varija Mehta Director: Ayushi Kumar Manager: Anika Garg Manager: Hansa Sreemanthula Amelie Tran

Manager: Madeline Day

Aysia Torres Emily Zakkak Isabel Powell Lavanya Sharma Luyang Zhang Madeleine Bloomer Rachel Lynn Mason

Ella Kang

Selena Cao

Karen Velderrain-Lopez

Sophia Stefanakis

Kristina Lian Leah Marie Baluyot Shamailah Haque Shakaani Nasakar Vaishnavi Venuturimilli

VOLUNTEERS Manager: Allison Maurice Manager: Sravya Nagalakunta Avika Patel

DEVELOPMENT

Brittany McFarland

FINANCE Manager: Niyati Patel

PUBLISHING Officer: Laura Peckyno Laurel Ferguson

OPERATIONS

Director: Caroline Dinh Director: Christine Ao Director: Megan Jacob

Amy Loveless

COO: Aly Trevino

Anna Below

COO: Renee Becker-Blau

Anoushka Shrivastava

Director: Crystal Huynh

Dani Freire

Director: Divya Sharma

Faith Lam

Director: Kendall Hoes

Jada Hunter-Hays

Erika Torkildsen

Jolie Miller

Erin Mitchell

Joyce Zhao

Jacleen Nardiello

Maria Fernanda Sagastume

Sharafa Mohammed

Nithya Guduri

Shayna Weinstein

Reyna Morales Lumagui

Yessenia Lopez

Rimi Chakravarti

ASK GLORIA Gloria Kimbwala

Chantelle Faria

Amy Zheng

Jessica Paul

GUEST CONTRIBUTORS

Ankita Sundar

Madeline Estey

Allison Hill

Avantika Samanta

Madeline Chang

Mary K. Pilant

Risha Bhat

Nithya Parepally

Natasha M. Mejias- Ramirez

Rachel Weeks

Rachel A. Doty

Sindhu Sivasankar

Lavendar Spaceship Project

Yashvi Patel

2 | Team Credits

CCO: Niamh Murphy

Manager: Sarah Bargfrede

Director: Palak Mehta

ISSN 2770-6672

CREATIVE

The U.S. Department of Education provided technical assistance in the creation of this special edition magazine.

Sowmika Yeturu Vrinda Bansal

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LETTER Dear Reader,

from the Editor

I feel like a lot has happened in the last few months since our last issue, so let's take a minute to catch up!

Women’s History Month was great: we got to feature some really amazing initiatives and women in STEM in our last issue and on our social media pages. Thanks to our Issue 12 feature, Kimberly Fiock, we were able to mail out another 350 cards to students in STEM and raise their spirits during the dreaded final exam season. Plus, we sent our princesses from our Princesses with Powertools program to three more events in Pennsylvania, New York, and Florida.

On top of it all, Reinvented celebrated its 3rd birthday! Honestly, this is a huge milestone for us and we couldn’t have made it this far without you. In just three short years, our volunteer-run organization has been able to reach nearly 150,000 girls all over the world with our programs and magazine content. We have so much more in store for this year alone, and we promise you that we don’t have any plans to stop making this magazine anytime soon.

Now let’s chat about what you’ll find in this issue of Reinvented. It’s a bit different than our usual content, but I think this is one of our most important issues yet. With a little help from the U.S. Department of Education, we worked to highlight and amplify the progress that has been made to diversify STEM fields (along with many others) as a result of the Title IX legislation. For those of you who are unfamiliar with what Title IX is, let me add a little background for you. Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in any education program or activity receving federal financial aid. This includes protection against sexual harassment, failure of schools to provide equal athletic opportunities, and, of course, sex-based discrimination in schools’ STEM programs. I’m sure many of you have been impacted by this legislation, even if you weren't previously aware of it.

In this issue you’ll hear from Department of Education leaders such as Secretary Miguel Cardona and Assistant Secretary Catherine Lhamon. You’ll also learn more about the intersections of athletics and STEM and hear from women who work in or have experiences with both of those fields. As you know, Reinvented constantly aims to show you that women in STEM are more than just that, and I truly believe that this issue illuminates unconventional STEM careers and multifaceted women while sharing their story as a whole rather than focusing only on where their jobs come into play.

To Infinity & Beyond, Caeley Looney Letter From the Editor | 3

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f o e l b Ta

CONTENTS 8 Intro to Title IX 12 Everyday Changemakers 22 Prosthetics x Athletics 26 STEM x Olympics Feature!

31 Kris Brown 40 About Title IX 46 VR x Athletics 49 Advocating for Gender Inclusivity 53 DIY: Coding Tutorial

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INTRO TO

!

IX TITLE

BY: SECRETARY MIGUEL CARDONA

DEAR READERS, We are approaching an incredibly significant time in our history as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Title IX this June. Congress' landmark promise in Title IX is that no person will be subject to discrimination on the basis of sex while in or seeking to attend schools receiving federal funds. It is the most powerful legal tool we have to protect every student’s access to educational programs and activities free from discrimination based on sex, and it has helped our nation make tremendous progress in expanding access for women and girls to pursue sports, careers in STEM, and access scholarships and research grants. Title IX reminds schools that every student is entitled to a fair shot. That means, for example, that girls should be encouraged—not discouraged—from taking the math and science classes that can be the foundation for STEM careers and for fully contributing their talents to the future of our nation.

The progress we’ve made since the passage of Title IX in 1972 has been nothing short of profound. In high schools, the number of girls playing on their schools’ athletic teams has increased from just 295,000 in 1972 to more than 2.6 million today; in universities, from 30,000 to over 150,000. Outside of sports, Title IX has contributed

8 | Intro to Title IX

contributed to the decline in the high school dropout rate for girls and has increased the number of women who pursue and complete degrees in higher education. All students deserve equal opportunity to participate in all aspects of schooling and no student should be excluded.

Title IX does just that by opening doors, removing barriers, and creating environments where all can thrive. Look at Pamela Melroy, Candace Parker, and Nikole Collins-Puri—champions in sports and STEM! The changes Title IX has made in my lifetime, as a teacher, a parent, and a human being, both inside the classroom and the professional world outside of it, have been tremendous.

There is still so much work to do, beginning with creating awareness. We need to ensure that more schools, teachers, faculty, students, parents, and families know what Title IX is and the rights and protections it provides. Too often, we still see schools fail to offer educational programs and activities on an equal basis to women and girls.

By age 14, girls are dropping out of sports at twice the rate of boys and have 1.3 million fewer opportunities to play high school sports than boys. Recent statistics also show that women only account for 33 percent of total STEM degrees and certificates. We need to do better.

Title IX is a crucial tool to protect every student’s access to an education that’s free from sex discrimination. My vision is that we reach a point discrimination.

Intro to Title IX | 9

where every student has the chance to see themselves and be themselves in their own element, including every girl and woman who today might have wanted to become an athlete, astronaut, or an engineer but walked away because of social pressure, lack of opportunity, harassment, or other barriers to participation.

Title IX plays a crucial role in undoing discrimination and making all schools responsible for providing equal opportunity on the playing field as well as in the classroom.

While we’ve made great progress, we have much more work to do to achieve equality in education.

As the federal agency responsible for enforcing Title IX, the Department of Education is committed to continuing this progress in the years to come.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

SECRETARY MIGUEL CARDONA

10 | Intro to Title IX

Q&A with

Dr. Katie A. Siek, Ph.D. Q: Tell us about your journey into education and informatics?

I am a first-generation college student, so most of my career has been influenced by what I see immediately around me. When I went into college, I wanted to be a high school math teacher and basketball coach because my favorite coach was a math teacher and I was decent at math. But I was also interested in computers—my uncle married a computer programmer who worked at IBM and it seemed like a pretty nice life. I also have a large extended family (my mom was one of seventeen), so I knew if I wanted to have enough time to dedicate to my studies, I would need to move further away. My mom set some ground rules—I could only go to colleges in the same time zone that did not have a Greek system and that she could get to in four hours—that really narrowed my school options.

scholarship, so I had to get stronger, faster, and outwork some people so I wouldn’t get cut. I fortunately did make the team and played basketball for three years as a starter and was captain for two years, but had to end my basketball career early because I had too many concussions. I also got involved in the Ford Apprentice Scholars Program, which aims to encourage students to become college faculty. In this program, I got to do research in computing, help teach a class, and spent two years with a cohort of students learning about academia. By the end of college, I wanted to be a computing professor at a small liberal arts college like the faculty I got to work with.

I was fortunate to get a National Physical Science Consortium fellowship (now Graduate Fellowships for STEM Diversity: https://stemfellowships.org/) that would fund my graduate education for 6 years.

My parents were concerned—how could I turn down industry offers that were more than double my parents’ combined income for a graduate fellowship that was less than what one of them made. How could I have all of this college knowledge and not be able to do simple math? But I continued on to graduate school, working at Sandia National Labs in the summer, and received my graduate degrees at Indiana University.

I decided to go to Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida (my mom meant, but didn’t say, she had to get to me by car) on a basketball and academic scholarship.

When I first arrived at Eckerd, I realized that I was one of the smaller post players and that they recruited a few too many women, so they were planning to cut some of us. I didn’t travel all this way to lose my Photo Credit: Andreas Bueckle

12 | Dr. Katie Siek, Ph.D.

Indiana University.

For my first three years, I did research in supercomputing, but while at IU as a grad student, my mom got a rare cancer—she was diagnosed on Halloween and passed away in mid July. After the spring semester was over, I got to spend the final summer with her. Based on her medical experiences, I realized I didn’t want to do supercomputing anymore. I wanted to make technologies that would empower everyday people to manage their health, and I needed to make them yesterday so that people wouldn’t go through what my mom and family went through. So, I went back to IU and changed my research direction, which felt a bit like when I learned my college team planned to cut some women. I only had 3 more years left of my fellowship, so I had to go all out to change research areas and finish while I still had funding. I wasn’t aware of it at the time, but applying computing in the domain of healthcare to solve problems was informatics.

Q: What role did sports play in your journey to where you are now?

I would not be where I am today without sports. As a first-generation college student, I was not aware that there was anything other than sports scholarships (for fellow first gens, there are many types of college scholarships available that can fund your education). I wanted to go to college, and I knew my parents did not have funds for me to go to college, so I set out to get an athletics scholarship to go to college. I often use the skills I learned playing basketball in my career. For example, similar to preparing for games where I would study everything from a player’s dominant hand and favorite move to who was the weakest free throw shooter on the opposing team, when I was interviewing for faculty positions, I researched every faculty member I met with—I read a paper and had a couple of good questions about their work. I even stud

studied who else was interviewing for the position so that I could highlight my own strengths in relation to the candidates and what the school needed. Playing sports also made me understand that sometimes you have to do hard things, but those challenging situations will not last forever, so you just have to get it done and stick it out a bit.

Q: What does a typical day as Informatics Chair at Indiana University look like for you?

I start my day around 5 a.m. because I need to get out and exercise in the morning to be a decent human the rest of the day. Every other day, I help get my kids ready for the day and off to school. The other days, I’m responsible for picking them up. After that, I start working. I have a lot of meetings, so I have a quick huddle with my administrative assistant to discuss my day or week, figure out what needs to be addressed quickly, and coordinate who she needs to reach out to so we can represent and help the faculty, students, and staff. Then, I either run between rooms on campus or Zoom with meetings with administrators, research assistants, faculty, committees, or students the rest of the day. I have even more emails than I do meetings, so I triage email in three different accounts: my personal account that is typically about research or service, my class account that my students reach out to for questions about class and assignments, and my chair account where anyone, including administrators, students, parents, and faculty, can email requesting assistance with various issues. My favorite parts of my workday are teaching classes and meeting with research teams to discuss ideas. I finish my day around 6 p.m. and then head home. My husband and I take turns cooking each night. Sometimes we have to hustle to a sporting event for a kid or pick up a kid late from robotics team practice.

Q: What is it like to work at the intersection of computing and education?

It is super fast-moving because I'm always learning new technologies. I can prepare to teach a class tomorrow and review all the coding interfaces and then walk into class and begin to live demo what I want students to do only to find that the interface has changed overnight with an update. Then I have to model for students what I do when I’m not sure what to do.

Fortunately, with my experiences in sports, I am okay when things don’t work out as planned and can adapt fairly quickly.

Q: What advice do you have for girls looking to forge a similar career path?

Figure out who you need to talk to, research them so you are prepared, have a list of questions, and then go talk to them. Figuring out who you need to talk to most likely will require you talking and asking questions to a lot of other people, so practice this as often as you need to. I also wish I had known there were academic scholarships. I should have talked to my school counselor and my high school teachers more. Fortunately, I learned and talked to my professors often (attend office hours—you paid for them, and it’s like getting tutoring from a world expert!), and they helped me get research

opportunities, identify fellowships, and select a graduate school.

Q: Has the Title IX legislation impacted you during your time in college? If so, how?

(Bonus question since this issue is spotlighting the positive impact of Title IX legislation) Title IX has given me the opportunity to get a college education and become a professor—from being considered for admissions to acknowledging I have the right to an education without harassment or assault to ensuring I can be a pregnant employee and working mom without fear of discrimination (well...in theory). My mom talked about getting ready for games in broom closets when she was a teen. I was fortunate to get ready for games in locker rooms thanks to Title IX. One of my favorite examples of Title IX working is when I started playing college basketball: when we traveled, we had four athletes to a hotel room with two beds. Then, I heard that the men’s team had two athletes per hotel room. When I asked why we were assigned four to a room while the men were assigned two to a room, I was informed that women did not mind sleeping with each other, but men did.

Even though I explained that women would benefit from their own bed, it didn't change, so I spoke with our campus Title IX rep and we did not have to share beds anymore.

Photo Credit: Andreas Bueckle

Dr. Katie Siek, Ph.D. | 13

Tell us about your journey to work at the Last Mile Education Fund.

My journey to work for Last Mile Education Fund is a bit unique in that I was somewhat recruited by Ruthe Farmer herself. I actually started my career as a high school social studies teacher in Baltimore City, as my degrees are in secondary education, including a master’s from Johns Hopkins. While teaching I was made witness to how so much of the success of students in the classroom is dependent upon external factors such as food and housing security. Because over 90% of my kids were from a low-income background, I faced so many challenges in ensuring that my students were able to focus on their studies and grow their skillset. It was at this moment that I decided to build my career around supporting marginalized students and creating access to opportunities in education and tech. Eventually I f ound myself working to recruit marginalized students into engineering roles at Google and quickly learned that the economic empowerment afforded to students who launch careers in tech was a life-changing opportunity that changed the trajectory of the lives of my students, their families, and their communities.

After a very public exit from Google for being a whistleblower exposing the biased hiring practices in place at Google and across tech, I heard from Ruthe Farmer, who learned about my story and wanted to work together to create more opportunities for lowincome students pursuing degrees in tech.

What role did sports play in your journey to where you are now?

Throughout middle school and high school I tried my hand at everything from tennis to track and field.

While my hand-eye coordination and speed weren’t my strongest skills, above-average ability in strength and rhythm were what ultimately led me to the amazing world of competitive cheerleading.

Throughout high school and college I became a decorated competitive cheerleader with accomplishments in competition placements and individual skills awards from the National Cheerleading Association. In my time as a cheerleader, I learned some of the most important lessons and

14 | April Christina Curley

with

APRIL CHRISTINA CURLEY subsequently adopted the core values that I now live by on a daily basis. As a teammate, I learned how to be supportive and encouraging, as a captain I learned how to be an effective leader and work across lines of difference to influence strong outcomes, and as an athlete, I learned perseverance and grit which allowed me to work through challenging circumstances with integrity. I also learned how to operate in respect and humility, especially as I became a stronger competitor. The foundation of these skills and lessons in values has absolutely impacted the way I operate in my career and has played a significant role in where I am now.

What does a typical day as Engagement and Partnerships Manager for a nonprofit organization look like for you?

A typical day as the Engagement and Partnerships Manager for Last Mile Education Fund is usually packed with meetings, project planning, and overall strategizing of long-term organizational priorities. My

job is sort of split in three ways, including coaching undergraduate students pursuing tech degrees, working with affiliate partners to better support lowincome undergraduate students in tech, and building relationships with universities and colleges to evangelize Last Mile grant opportunities. I also get to work with interns and volunteers of Last Mile who are diligently working to continue the great work of our mission.

What is your favorite part of your job and why?

My favorite part of the job is definitely working closely with undergraduate students who are working hard to launch a career in the tech industry. Talking to students and hearing their stories, passions, and vision for the future is what keeps me going in this work. I am so inspired by all of the students I get to work with and often feel incredibly lucky that I get to be a part of their overall journey. I also really love my colleagues and feel empowered to be myself and do excellent work alongside them.

Why did you choose to study history and education in college? How do those degrees benefit you in the work you do now?

I chose history and education because I am a huge advocate for civic engagement and wanted to inspire my students to feel empowered and equipped to change the world through the power of grassroots organizing and/or democratic engagement no matter what their chosen profession is. My degrees are actively at play when it comes to inspiring students to think critically and broadly about their impact on the world through their future careers in tech. I have been able to influence students to consider the impact of ethical and unbiased uses of technology that they will one day be responsible for creating and managing.

As we move into new iterations of the tech experience such as with cryptocurrency and web3, we are creating a world where eventually technology will be the underpinning of our future workforce, no matter the industry. I believe that in order to prepare our students for this future, we have to approach K-12 education through a lens of technology education.

Research shows that computer science education offered in K-12 positively impacts critical thinking and problem solving skills. Working at the intersection of technology and education allows me to have a unique perspective on how to bridge the digital divide starting as early as primary school.

What advice do you have for girls looking to forge a similar career path?

My advice to girls looking to forge a similar career path would be to learn what you LOVE by exploring any and everything you can (I love school and I love technology), learn what you’re good at by trying your hand at any and everything (I’m really good at teaching others a new skill and problem solving), and then merge those two things to create your dream career. Also, ask yourself how your current uses of technology can play a role in your chosen career path.

Oh, and start learning how to code!! Even basic skills in coding will take you a LONG way in the future.

Has the Title IX legislation impacted you during your time in college? If so, how? (Bonus question since this issue is spotlighting the positive impact of Title IX legislation)

Title IX impacted my time as an undergraduate student because it allowed me to be the kind of student-athlete and campus leader that ultimately set the foundation for my successful career. I am who I am because of the courageous women who came before me and fought for access to opportunities in whatever path a girl wants to pursue. I am grateful for their bravery and perseverance.

What is it like to work at the intersection of technology and education?

April Christina Curley | 15

Q&A with

DANA MCGRAW Q: How did you get into the role you’re in today? What was your career path?

My career path has been a bit of a winding road. I coached college basketball for a number of years at the beginning of my career. Even though it seems like there wouldn’t be much of a connection between basketball and a career in data, coaching prepared me in so many ways for the work I do today and certainly taught me many lessons about leadership. When I decided to move on from coaching, I started out with a job in search engine optimization (SEO) that evolved into analytics, and I discovered very quickly that I wanted to pursue analytics and data science long term. I eventually was hired to manage analytics for Yahoo! Sports, which gave me so many opportunities to grow and learn and ultimately led me to The Walt Disney Company. I have been on this road ever since!

Q: What role did sports play in your journey to becoming SVP, Data Science and Audience Modeling at Disney Advertising?

Sports have played an enormous role in every aspect of my life. I started playing soccer when I was about 3 or 4 years old, followed by basketball

16 | Dana McGraw

shortly thereafter, and eventually I had the opportunity to play basketball in college. Some of my closest friends throughout my life have been people that I first met through athletics. Sports provide an amazing opportunity to navigate failures, big and small, in a safe space.

Understanding how to manage both success and failure is critical to the kind of growth that can impact the trajectory of your career. The social and emotional impact of sports is incredibly important; knowing how to be a part of a team, cheering for the success of others, and having opportunities to lead are critically important along any professional path.CLOSE Q: What does a typical day at work look like for you?

A great part of my job is that no day looks exactly the same. My job is focused on creating innovative ways to activate and determine insights from data in our advertising business, so one day I might be presenting to the Chief Marketing Officer of a major brand to highlight our predictive modeling and targeted advertising capabilities, and the next day I could be in a meeting to brainstorm ideas with our team of data scientists to build out a new set of machine learning models.

Q: What is your favorite part of your job and why?

There are so many parts of my job that I love, I don’t think I could pick just one favorite! I love the opportunity I get to be curious and innovate every single day. People don’t often associate data or math with creativity, but they are very much connected and combining those things is one of my favorite parts of the job; I get to use math to find creative solutions to interesting problems!

Q: Why did you choose data science?

What sparked your interest in that field?

My senior year in high school, I had an amazing math teacher, Mr. Godbold, who believed in me in ways that I didn’t believe in myself quite yet. He brought math and statistics to life in the real world; because of him and that class I started to “see” math everywhere in everyday experiences.

Statistics obviously play an enormous role in sports, which was something I immediately gravitated towards during my coaching career.

Until that class, I would never have considered a career in math or thought I was good enough at math to even think about making it my career.

This discovery within my own professional journey is a reminder that you can find opportunities to expand your worldview or expertise through a little creativity and remaining open minded.

Q: How do your Bachelor’s degree in philosophy and your MBA benefit you in your job? It’s such an interesting combination with data science.

The great thing about studying philosophy is that it really forces you to think deeply and to evaluate situations from multiple perspectives. Philosophy includes plenty of classes in logic, which have direct implications on the work required for data

scientists. The MBA really reinforced real world applications of the more theoretical approach to philosophy. My diversity of degrees really allowed me to combine the foundational elements of organizational management, marketing, and economics with an underlying curiosity that my degree in philosophy ignited. They really paired together perfectly!

Q: What advice do you have for girls looking to get started in analytics and data science?

Don’t fall into the trap of focusing too much on the things you haven’t done or the things you don’t know. When you are curious and ask questions, you can always fill in the gaps. Be open to being a lifelong learner and you will always be able to acquire any specific skills that you might need.

There is no single way to get to a destination and sometimes having a bit of a non-traditional path can enrich your experience!

Q: Has the Title IX legislation impacted you during your time in college? If so, how?

Title IX definitely had an impact on my college experience. For so long, so many colleges and universities didn’t even offer the opportunity for women to play sports at a collegiate level, and if they did, the experience was nothing like that of their male counterparts. There is definitely still work to be done in terms of equitability of the college sports experience and inclusivity across the board in athletics, but in my case, Title IX likely played a pivotal role in my school even having a women’s basketball team. As it turns out, I played on the first women’s basketball team to compete for Loyola University New Orleans, which is something I will always be incredibly proud of.

Title IX made that possible and it was a lifechanging experience for me.

Dana McGraw | 17

Q& A Would you like to share how being “passed the torch”

by Linda Kekelis to lead has been pivotal for the organization?

with Nikole CollinsPuri Our founder, Linda Kekelis, courageously began Techbridge Girls as an afterschool program just for girls that gave them the space to explore their interests and talents in STEM. During those after school hours, girls were able to connect with role models from companies such as Chevron, Pixar, Google, and Facebook to see for themselves the infinite possibilities that could come from a career in STEM! Fast forward 20 years (yes, 20 years!) and Techbridge Girls is still opening up the world of infinite possibilities in STEM to our girls. Now, we have expanded our reach beyond after school hours and brought our mission from a direct service model to equipping Out of School Time (OST) educators and STEM professionals with our curricula and rigorous training, allowing them to reflect on their biases and power imbalance, gain confidence to implement culturally relevant practices in their environments, and learn strategies for centering marginalized identities in STEM. Through our programs we are improving STEM pedagogy and the experience of STEM education by re-engineering the way STEM is taught!

I also say that I am trying to “work myself out of a job” because it is my goal that organizations like TBG will no longer need to exist. I hope that the systems that currently restrict access to high quality STEM learning and career paths for BIPOC girls will one day no longer need to be challenged on their gender, racial and class bias in STEM fields.

What role did sports play in your journey to where you are now?

Sports played a very defining role in my journey to where I am now in my personal and professional life. I was a Division 1 athlete, and during that experience I had opportunities and circumstances that enabled me to navigate and push past the barriers that I came up against. As the only Black girl in my entire secondary schooling and the only Black athlete on my track team, I wasn’t just a leader on the track but was ultimately positioning myself to lead in a “life race.” I had to confront what it’s like to be the only one and having to navigate a system that inherently excluded me from pursuing and succeeding in certain pathways. I learned from sports not to be distracted by what was on my left or right. I could not afford to look left and right but rather had to run my own race because what was to the left and right did not reflect what I believed was possible for me and my future.

18 | Nikole Collins-Puri

What advice do you have for girls looking to start their own organization or business?

My advice to the young ladies wanting to start a business or organization is to dream big and then dream bigger than that! Use your brilliance to shine and set forth a path that can open doors not only for yourself but for others as well. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself and the status quo because you deserve to fulfill every dream and goal you set to attain!!

What does a typical day as CEO of a nonprofit organization look like for you?

No day is typical. I am a part of a STEM revolution that requires me to show up, evolve, innovate, and problem solve to ensure the brilliance of our girls is not left out of the equation. That is what motivates me every day to get up and do this work. I lead a team of dynamic professionals at TBG, who themselves are mothers, partners, advocates, and so many other significant titles, who are dedicated to our mission of equipping and galvanizing OST educators and STEM professionals. We have set a bold goal to reach one million girls by 2030 by working with educators and advocating to eliminate the barriers girls face to persist in STEM.

What is your favorite part of your job and why?

The reason why I come to this work is my background—I’ve spent 10 years in the STEM industry with AT&T leading initiatives in diversity, equity, and inclusion, and also led education reform initiatives at the College Board. What I’ve learned is that the driving force behind my work and ultimately the most fulfilling aspect of my job is being able to provide equitable opportunities for individuals that are often left behind or left out of the economic opportunities that STEM provides and having representation for BIPOC girls as they pursue their STEM aspirations.

Why did you choose to study political science in college? How does that degree benefit you in the work you do now?

GO USF! My political science degree was certainly a springboard for my career as I’ve dedicated my professional life to political and social change. As a Black woman who knew I wanted to be a leader as early as the night that I told my mother at the age of 5 or 6 that I wanted to be the President of the United States. That one dream literally stayed with me through college, moving me forward, keeping my eye on the prize (I mean this was before social media, but I wouldn’t dare show up to a party because I did not want to give anyone a single thing to doubt my ability of being in a position like the President). Although I’m not the President, that’s how steadfast and determined I have been to root myself in the seat of change, advocate for under-represented populations and social equity, and change existing systems and processes for the better.

What does it mean to be a ‘social justice visionary’ and ‘master collaborator’?

Oh yes, you’ve read my bio for certain, but those are not just filler words. Those are phrases that I live by in my everyday professional life. As a young girl, I had so many dreams and aspirations and was supported dearly by a single mother who stressed the importance of education to both myself and my sister. However, as I got older and embarked on my own STEM journey, I encountered a lot of “no”s, and “not now”s. That ultimately fueled me to commit myself to unleashing the potential of untapped communities and empower girls who looked just like me to pursue STEM careers and achieve economic mobility and financial independence. I unapologetically advocate for equitable resources for BIPOC girls striving for greater equity so they can thrive and pursue their aspirations without barriers, constraints, and bias.

My work in social justice philanthropy within a community foundation in California and my lifelong skill to collaborate and work efficiently with teams toward a common goal are some of the attributes that allow me to show up to the work I do day in and day out.

Nikole Collins-Puri | 19

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Across the world, over 30 million people need prosthetic devices, although enormous economic, scientific, and access barriers prevent most people from receiving sufficient care.

There are three primary types of prosthetic devices: bodypowered, motor-powered, and myoelectric. Body-powered prostheses are attached by cables to a limb, and motion in this limb activates motion in the attached limb. For example, a prosthetic hand attached to the shoulder is moved by the shoulder’s motion. Motor-powered prostheses are controlled by pre-programmed buttons or switches.

Myoelectric prostheses are controlled by the body’s own electrical signals, increasing the range of activities possible.

The prosthesis reads signals from electrodes placed on the skin and tells the limb how to respond.

Prosthetic limbs have three essential components: the pylon, the socket, and the suspension system. The pylon is a light, carbon-fiber, internal skeleton that provides the structural support and shape of the limb. The socket is designed to precisely fit into the existing limb.

Photo Credit: Austin Thomason, Michigan Photography

Photo Credit: Austin Thomason, Michigan Photography

It is important that the socket does not cause irritation or damage to the skin tissue and therefore must be adapted to each patient. Finally, the suspension system ensures that the limb stays securely attached to the body, either using physical straps or an airtight seal.

For athletes, prostheses have to be designed differently. For runners, blade prostheses act like springs, storing energy under the runner’s weight and then releasing it suddenly as the runner pushes off. The prosthesis weighs substantially less and is designed to be more aerodynamic than a biological leg. In a study at Rice University’s Locomotion Laboratory, blade-prosthetic legs used 17% less energy than professional non-prosthetic sprinters and required 21% less time to swing legs between strides. Interestingly, not all blade prostheses demonstrate the same results: runners with left leg prostheses are about 4% slower than right leg prosthesis runners.

Prosthetic Engineering | 23

women in prosthetic engineering At the University of Michigan, Dr. Deanna Gates and Susannah Engdahl are working to transform the world of engineering and make prosthetic limbs more natural, comfortable, and useful. Gates is the director of the Rehabilitation Biomechanics Laboratory, part of the University of Michigan Rehabilitation Robotics Group. Here, she is working to address the issue of muscle fatigue. Most prosthetic devices require 10-30% more energy to use than non-prosthetic limbs, increasing muscle fatigue and decreasing the amount of exercise a person can perform.

Gates’ current work, a lower limb prosthesis called BiOM, is a motor-driven prosthesis that decreases the energy needed for activity.

Doctoral student Susannah Engdahl was herself born without both hands and missing parts of both feet. Her myoelectric prostheses have enabled her to complete otherwise impossible everyday tasks, from drinking a cup of coffee in the morning to opening the door to the lab.

Still, her prosthetic limbs are a bit awkward and can only move in particular directions. Her work at the Rehabilitation Biomechanics Laboratory seeks to quantify prosthetic motion in order to improve the devices.

Engdahl shares her story and research each year at the Females Excelling More in Math, Engineering, and the Sciences (FEMMES) events, teaching young girls how to construct prototype prosthetic limbs and to understand the science behind the devices. Engdahl’s persistence, resilience, and unwavering commitment to scientific advancement are clear: "Although it did take me a while to figure out all the tricks of the trade, I've found that most of the things I need to do in daily life can be accomplished with patience and creativity. I don't have a reason to feel intimidated by physical barriers because I'm usually able to find solutions. Admittedly, sometimes my solutions aren't ideal. But self-sufficiency is important to me, and I'd rather get a task done slowly than just not do it at all."

24 | Prosthetic Engineering

STEM X

Athletes are often only remembered for their accomplishments on the field, but when you take a closer look at some of our favorite Olympians, you’ll find there is much more than what meets the eye. They set all-time records while earning their Ph.D.s, act as global public health advocates, and become successful media personalities.

BY: CAELEY LOONEY

STEM x Olympics | 25

ANNA KIESENHOFER Anna Kiesenhofer made history last year in Tokyo when she became the Olympic Road Race Champion. Leading up to her gold medal victory, her story starts with a passion for mathematics and a love for the outdoors. Growing up, she saw her bike as nothing more than a means of transportation. It wasn’t until she began studying mathematics in Vienna that she started running and cycling competitively.

She notes that she quickly fell in love with the mental and physical challenge that comes with endurance events. In an interview with CyclingTips, Anna stated, “I started with running but like so many endurance freaks I ended up with an injury and then discovered the bike. The bike had always been a means of transport to university, for example, so it was natural that when I couldn’t run any more, I would ride more. It changed from a means of transport to a competitive goal.”

After studying physics and mathematics at Vienna Technical University, she continued her academic career by earning her Master’s in Pure Mathematics at the University of Cambridge in 2012, followed by her Ph.D. in applied mathematics at Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña in Barcelona where her thesis was titled Integral systems on bsymplectic manifolds. It wasn’t until 2016, while she was pursuing her Ph.D., that she won her first elite road race.

In interviews post-Olympics, Anna states

26 | STEM x Olympics

that science played a big role in her Tokyo training. She notes that winning a race is a mix of science and listening to her body, and that approach to balancing the two is always analytical. However, in sports, she notes, much of her learning was done via trial and error.

While it’s unclear whether Anna will continue cycling full-time, she has made it known that math will always be a part of her story. In April 2022, she posted a photo of her new bike to Instagram with two mathematical equations she used in her Ph.D. thesis etched into it. In an interview with Road.cc, she mentioned, “I chose to put these two equations on my bike, not because they are of tremendous importance in mathematics in general, but because they reflect the main topics that my personal research was focused on.

I didn’t want to just put some random fancy equations on my bike, I wanted to tell my story.”

she also began to work alongside politicians in Washington D.C. as an activist for sports and fitness opportunities for America’s youth. She served five terms on the President’s Council for Physical Fitness and Sports and was appointed to the Presidential Commissions under Ford, Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and Bush.

DONNA DE VARONA In 1960, Donna De Varona qualified for the Olympic swimming team at the young age of 13. However, it wasn’t until the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo that she finally took home two gold medals, the first in the women’s 400-meter individual medley and the second as part of the world-record-setting U.S. 4x100-meter freestyle relay team. After her Olympic success, De Varona went on to become a sportscaster and activist.

At 17, she appeared on ABC’s Wide World of Sports, becoming the youngest and one of the first women sportscasters for a national network. Her career earned her an Emmy and two Gracie awards in addition to an induction into the Museum of Television and Radio’s first class of fifty “She Made It” pioneers in media in 2006.

While pursuing her career in television,

She served as a consultant to the United States Senate, at which time she took a leave of absence from her sportscasting career to help pass the 1978 Amateur Sports Act, which restricted how Olympic sports are governed in the U.S. She was eventually called back to the Senate to consult on amendments to that Olympic legislation, and she worked to promote and safeguard Title IX of the Equal Education Amendments Ac,t which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any institution receiving federal funding.

Her activism certainly didn’t end there, as she joined Billie Jean King in the mid1970s to establish the Women’s Sports Foundation. She then continued on to chair the organizing committee for the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup in the 1990s, which was recognized as the most successful women’s sporting event in history. Finally, she has been awarded five honorary doctorates, and in 2003, the National Collegiate Athletic Association Honors Committee awarded her the Theodore Roosevelt Award.

STEM x Olympics | 27

GABRIELLE THOMAS Gabrielle Thomas is making waves on and off the track. She is an American trackand-field athlete who took to the Olympics for the first time last year in Tokyo, where she won an individual bronze medal in the 200 meters and a silver medal as the anchor for the U.S. women’s 4x100-meter relay team. Leading up to the Olympics, she became the second-fastest woman of all time in the 200 meters with a time of 21.61 seconds at the 2020 U.S. Olympic trials. Despite her victory in athletics, Thomas didn’t think the winner’s block would be where she was standing today.

Thomas originally started her undergraduate studies at Harvard University, where her first priority going into college was academics. In an interview with Boston.com she mentioned that her family’s history of developing neuroatypical conditions led her to major in neurobiology. She graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in 2019 despite becoming a professional runner and signing a sponsorship deal with New Balance just one year prior.

the University of Texas in Austin while continuing to train on the track. In her interview with Boston.com, Thomas states that her original plan after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was to graduate with her MPH and start looking for jobs within public health. However, after nearly setting some records, she plans to conclude her studies and keep running full-time for a while.

She said, “I definitely do want to pursue public health afterward and maybe simultaneously. But for now, I’m pretty focused on making these world teams and medaling. But we’ll see where it goes.”

The Tokyo Olympics occurred during the height of the pandemic, which put Thomas in a position to become a public health advocate. She now had the platform and she certainly had done the research, so she began to shed some light on the healthcare disparities experienced by minorities, especially Black Americans.

She began her Master of Public Health at

“One thing that I just really hope the next generation takes from my career and who I am is that you can be whoever you want to be and do whatever you want to do. Just own it and have confidence in it and you’ll find success in that…” -Gabrielle Thomas, Boston.com Interview

28 | STEM x Olympics

LISA LESLIE Lisa Leslie made a name for herself both on and off the court. During her time playing in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WBNA), she was a three-time WNBA MVP, had eight All-Star selections, and won two championships over the course of eleven seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks. Just to add to the already impressive athletic resume, she is also a four-time Olympic gold medal winner, playing for Team USA in 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008 before retiring in 2009.

The WNBA was incorporated in 1996 and began playing in 1997. Leslie was drafted on January 22 by the Los Angeles Sparks as part of the initial allocation phase of the draft. In 2001, the team took their first WNBA title and Leslie was named the 2001 Sportswoman of the Year by the Women’s Sports Foundation.

In 2002, Leslie became the first woman to dunk the ball in a WNBA game, and her list of records just kept piling up from there. In that same year, she became the first WNBA player to score over 3,000 total career points and then just two years later she reached the 4,000 career point milestone. She remains the Sparks’ career scoring and rebounding leader, and is the 4th highest rebound leader of all time.

Not stopping there, in 2009 she became the first player to score 6,000 points in a career before retiring at the end of that season. In 2011, she was voted by fans as one of the Top 15 players in the fifteenyear history of the WNBA and became the co-owner of her favorite team, the Los Angeles Sparks.

Her accomplishments certainly didn’t stop there. Since then she’s been on ESPN, has served as a guest commentator for “Sports Zone” on KABC-TV/Los Angeles, and has even signed modeling contracts landing in publications like Vogue and Newsweek.

Right after her retirement from the WNBA she earned her Master of Business Administration and began working as a sports commentator and analyst for several major sports networks, including NBC, ABC, and Fox Sports Net. In 2018, she joined Fox Sports Florida as a studio analyst on Orlando Magic broadcasts.

STEM x Olympics | 29

# | TITLE

KRIS BROWN Empowering Students to Reach for the Stars BY: CAELEY LOONEY

TITLE | #

Building Up to STEM

Leading Up to Liftoff

Kris Brown grew up in a small, rural town in Pennsylvania. One of only two girls in her neighborhood, she found herself hanging out with boys fairly often. Together, they would design roads and play with trucks in their backyards. Eventually, Brown developed a passion for building and creating coupled with a love for drawing and the arts.

Brown started her career at NASA as a mechanical systems engineer, where she spent most of her time working on flight programs, leading the development of structural and mechanical systems on spacecraft for earth and space science missions. Moving into engineering leadership, Brown led endeavors devoted to advancing state-of-the-art systems and capabilities. She was appointed Project Manager for NASA’s Integrated Mission Design Center, where she led a team in the creation of a new collaborative design capability for spaceflight mission design, and led the design center from its inception through development and operations. At the request of NASA’s Chief Engineer, Brown led the Advanced Engineering Environment program, dedicated to building NASA’s next generation of engineering capabilities and infrastructure.

Continuing on the path in engineering management, Brown served as the Head of Systems Engineering Services and Advanced Concepts, where she led the creation of the organization charged with delivering systems engineering services and leadership in the conceptualization of future NASA missions.

Brown was the first person in her family to go to college. She began undergraduate studies in Architecture. “My parents didn’t go to college, but I knew that I may be able to do that, and I may be able to have a career in STEM one day.” Along the way, she began to realize that engineering might be a better path for her. She transferred into engineering, and graduated with a B.S. in Civil-Structural Engineering from Virginia Tech.

After just a few years working at a large construction company after graduation, she took on a gig at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

32 | Kris Brown

A pivotal moment in Brown’s career was when she was asked to support Goddard’s Center director in his leadership of an agency team

in drafting NASA’s response to the Columbia Accident Investigation Board’s report in the wake of the space shuttle Columbia disaster. After that work was completed, she became responsible for leading a number of strategic initiatives as NASA Goddard’s Special Assistant for Strategy and Development. In this role, she led several efforts focused on education and public engagement, including spearheading a collaborative team involving both industry and government leaders in investigating the feasibility of a new Goddard Space Flight Center visitor complex. While Brown devoted many hours over the course of her engineering career to mentoring others, speaking to student groups and participating in public outreach efforts, this project was instrumental in helping her affirm her passion for inspiring the next generation, and launched her to shift her career path on that trajectory.

Communications, and then moved into her current role as Deputy Associate Administrator for STEM Engagement.

In this position, she leads NASA’s efforts devoted to creating unique opportunities for students and the public to contribute to NASA’s work in exploration and discovery and to building a future STEM workforce by engaging students in authentic learning experiences with NASA’s people, content, and facilities.

That’s just her job description, though. Brown states that this job has allowed her to come “full circle.” “I get to bring my in-depth knowledge of the technical work that NASA does,” she explains, “because I did that work and am able to translate my experiences and the expertise that I’ve built into how I can reach students and support educators in order to build that next generation workforce.”

Connecting Communities As Deputy Associate Administrator for STEM Engagement, Brown engages with people across NASA and outside the agency. She finds that each interaction energizing and fulfilling, as NASA’s STEM engagement community is highly dedicated to making a difference each day in reaching and engaging students. Her department is responsible for NASA’s efforts in engaging students, educators, and educational institutions with science and technology resources. Though it can be challenging, Brown finds the collaborative work immensely fulfilling.

Inspiring via Communication Her passion for engaging young people to pursue STEM led her to a number of jobs, including serving as Deputy Chief of NASA Goddard’s Office of Communications, where she led the team devoted to strategic communications and public engagement. She eventually moved on to NASA headquarters, where she first served as a member of the leadership team in NASA’s Office of Kris Brown | 33

Through her role, she is able to connect and partner with other organizations that help NASA grow its impact in engaging students and educators: “We recognize that in the big scheme of things, we have a pretty small footprint in terms of what we can do with the resources that we have. So, we really want and need to do our work in partnership with others.” NASA has built large, ongoing partnerships with several entities that aspire to bolster the work the STEM Engagement team does. By leveraging this widespread network of organizations who are all working towards a similar goal of inspiring students, particularly girls and underserved communities in STEM, they are able to reach more individuals than NASA can do alone.

Brace for Impact Brown leads a team of nearly 200 people across the agency and is responsible for executing a budget of $137 million in the form of collaborative agreements and grants to educational institutions.

Brown cited the incredible efforts of the STEM engagement team in making a strong, positive difference in the lives of students all over the U.S. She states, “NASA has a unique stance to be able to engage young people and to be able to inspire them through our people and their work in earth, space, and aeronautics.”

Brown loves this role because of the impact she’s able to make in engaging students in STEM and building the next generation STEM workforce: “There is so much potential to reach students and inspire them to dream big. We want students to see themselves doing the work that NASA scientists, technologists and engineers are doing. And it’s important they see people who look like them and they can relate to doing exciting work that makes a difference in society and for our nation.” A favorite part of the job is when she gets a chance to interact with the students her programs are impacting: “There is nothing better than connecting with students and helping them shape their journeys… and those moments when you’re able to see that you’ve sparked some curiosity.”

there is

REAL POWER

IN GIRLS

LEARNING TOGETHER

Reaching Back from the Stars Her advice to readers looking to forge a similar career path?

Put your exploration hats on!

“Think about exploring new experiences and opportunities that can help shape your thoughts about who you are and what you want to do,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to try on some new hats.”

She advises students to look for hands-on experiences outside of school that they can get involved in. She also encourages girls in particular, to seek opportunities in STEM learning with other girls, as “there is real power in girls learning together.” Brown also suggests students look for people who can help guide them” “Girls on STEM pathways really benefit from having a support system that can help them through challenges.” She says that by finding these role models and women who have already experienced the things students might be going through, they can learn from their insight and guidance.

Finally, Brown says that there are tremendous opportunities out there for really exciting and fulfilling work in STEM fields. She invites students to look for role models who look like them and are doing things they think are cool, and then connect with them. She suggests learning about different careers and leveraging opportunities at local libraries, museums, after school clubs, as well as the web and in social media, to explore what it’s like to work in these different fields.

36 | Kris Brown

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B O A U L L T A

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All About Title IX | 39

Q&A with

Assistant Secretary

Catherine Lhamon

Q: What are you most proud of during your time with the Department of Education?

I am proud of the careful spade work done by myself and the nearly 600 staff with whom I am privileged to work in the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). We sift facts and determine whether students’ federal civil rights are violated, ultimately ensuring comprehensive relief where necessary. Families bring their deepest hurts to our office, seeking relief where they believe their students need it and trusting the Federal government to realize Congress’ promise of equal access to education in students’ lives. OCR works to ensure that students with disabilities are effectively served, including through compensatory services where pandemic barriers prevented their access to services. OCR reviews allegations that LGBTQI+ students suffer harassment for not conforming to gender stereotypes and helps school communities fulfill their nondiscrimination obligations. OCR protects pregnant and parenting students from exclusion from high rigor course access. OCR evaluates allegations that schools operate racially hostile environments for students and where needed assists schools to redress student experiences. In these among other examples, it is our job to make sure that all students have equal opportunity in school. I am proud, and grateful, to wake up every morning with the opportunity to serve students and make justice more real for kids in school.

Q: How does the Department enforce Title IX? Congress charged the Department’s Office for Civil Rights to enforce civil rights in education programs, including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. We both respond to the many thousands of Title IX complaints we receive each year and initiate our own proactive Title IX investigations. In doing this work, we evaluate school data, interview students and families and school staff, review school records and visit and assess school campuses. Allegations we investigate include equal access to high rigor course work including science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and career advising; sexual harassment including sexual violence; student participation in athletics; nondiscrimination for LGBTQI+ students; and equal educational opportunity for pregnant and parenting students, among other examples.

Anyone who believes that an educational institution that receives Federal financial assistance from the Department has discriminated against someone on the basis of sex may file a complaint with OCR. OCR staff evaluate every complaint we receive to determine whether we have jurisdiction to open an investigation.

40 | Title IX Q & A

Q: What does the Title IX legislation mean to you?

Why is it so important?

Title IX means for me what Congress directed it must mean for all of us—that all students have the right to equal access to educational opportunities free from sex discrimination. It means that no person may be excluded from education programs or activities, whether on the sports field or in the classroom, among other places related to education.

Title IX’s importance is its core protection from harm.

Before President Nixon signed it into law, women and girls profoundly lacked equal access to educational opportunity, in higher education as well as in P-12 education. I grew up with Title IX – it is one year younger than I am – and its promises opened my world. We know that millions more girls and women now play on sports teams, attend college, become scientists, and receive the education they crave than would have been true but for the law. I am grateful to continue that forward progress in OCR’s work, investigating and resolving discrimination where we find it, to safeguard students’ Title IX rights.

Q: What are the top things you want everyone to know about the Title IX legislation?

Signed into law on June 23, 1972, Title IX promises: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” Congress was explicit about its broad protection against sex discrimination in Title IX – and still over the past 50 years we have witnessed nearly constant efforts to constrict Title IX’s reach.

Upholding its transformative power and its simple promise that no person shall experience discrimination in school requires ongoing vigilance, which we in OCR are proud and privileged to perform. In addition, each of us in all our communities across the United States can advocate to secure Title IX’s promise, including through ensuring school offerings are comprehensive and equal for all students. School leaders can review their data and talk with students and families about students’ interest in course access and athletics, survey students and staff regarding their views of the educational climate, and promote equal learning environments. Parents and students can share their interests and concerns, if any, with their school leadership.

Congress’ guarantee that no person shall experience sex discrimination obligates every school community that receives federal funds to take steps necessary to fulfill that promise—and that empowers each of us to use the tool the law gives us to advocate for equality.

Title IX Q & A | 41

TITLE IX RESOURCE GUIDE BY: CAELEY LOONEY

42 | Title IX Resource Guide

What is Title IX and who is covered by this legislation?

Title IX is a federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in any education program or activity receiving federal financial aid. This includes protection against sexual harassment, failure of schools to provide equal athletic opportunities, and sex-based discrimination in schools’ STEM programs.

What are some examples of sex-based discrimination?

Under Title IX, sex-based discrimination can take many forms, such as: (1) denying admission of a person into an educational or training program on the basis of sex, (2) disqalifying a person from a research position on the basis of sex when it’s irrelevant to their ability to perform the job, (3) providing unequal educational resources to students of one sex compared to another, and (4) engagement in gender-based or sexual harassment such as making unwelcome sexual comments, advances, and/or name-calling on the basis of sex.

Does Title IX only apply to female students?

No! Title IX protects any person from sex-based discrimination, regardless of their real or percieved sex, gender identity, and/or gender expression. All individuals are protected from any sex-based discrimation, harassment, or violence.

How does Title IX affect higher education?

Colleges are required to be proactive in ensuring that their campus is free of sex-based discrimination. That means that all individuals are protected under Title IX, even if they themselves may not experience sex-based discrimination directly. Schools are required to have established procedures and policies for handling these kinds of issues. Every school is required to have a Title IX coordinator who manages concerns, and it’s their job to take immediate action to ensure that any victim of sex-based discrimination, sexual harassment, or sexual violence can continue their education free of those issues.

What should you do if you’ve been a victim of sexbased discrimination, sexual harassment, or sexual violence while at college?

The first step is to find your Title IX coordinator. Their information should be publicly available on your school’s website. They can help provide you with options on how to move forward, including the possibility of filing a complaint so your school can begin investigating your claim. This complaint can be filed regardless of whether you choose to report anything to the police. (As a side note from me personally, know that while I’m writing this out to seem a bit black and white, you should always remember to do what is best for you before everything else. Don’t just seek help from your school if you think you need additional support.)

Where can I learn more about the Title IX legislation?

Your school can always provide you with more information, but if you’re looking to do some research on your own, check out government websites such as:

www.hhs.gov, www.justive.gov, and www.ed.gov.

Title IX Resource Guide | 43

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NO SNOW?

NO PROBLEM How Virtual Reality is Changing Sports BY: MARY K. PILANT & RACHEL A. DOTY

VR x Athletics | 45

Have you ever wanted to try bobsledding, but you: a) Don't live where there are mountains or snow. b) Don't have a bobsled. c) Don't have the time or money to visit somewhere it snows?

No snow, no problem!

Thanks to advances in immersive virtual reality, aspiring athletes may be able to try out a new sport or perfect their existing skills in the comfort of their homes.

VR and AR (virtual reality and augmented reality, respectively) are technological innovations that have become top selling points for various forms of entertainment.

These technologies allow users to interact inside a virtual space or to interact with the real world using virtual tools.

Consider systems like the MetaQuest Oculus, a VR headset that allows users to interact with virtual reality games and even with others in virtual reality, or apps like Niantic's Pokémon Go, which will enable users to interact with the real world through the lens of the renowned Pokémon universe—all from a smartphone. VR is also being used widely in amusement parks to create thrilling rides with a much smaller physical footprint than traditional roller coasters: Escape from Gringotts, a ride at Universal Studios in Orlando, uses a blended roller coaster and VR experience to thrill guests.

Some companies are even offering pure VR thrill experiences that users can interact with from the comfort of their homes. Augmented Reality, or AR, is being used to bring tabletop and board games to life: MageCraft is creating AR cards for the classic tabletop game Dungeons & Dragons. These cards will allow players to “see” characters, spells, and other effects on their real-world table. While most of us are only considering the entertainment values offered by VR and AR technologies, some people are using the technologies in an entirely new and innovative way: to

train athletes.

We have all heard that “practice makes perfect,” but what if we could perfect practice? Some coaches are hoping that AR and VR can help achieve this.

Repetition is key when perfecting a golf swing or training in the martial arts. In the past, that repetition depended on the athlete's imagination and the “feel” of the motion. Today, AR lets athletes train with others from miles away, and VR can allow athletes to perfect individual movements by providing them with as many identical practice scenarios as they need. All kinds of athletes are already utilizing these technologies, getting the needed repetition to perfect their craft. They can offer a more detailed report of athlete performance than ever before, enabling athletes to make minute adjustments to their performance in order to maximize results.

In addition to recreating athletic practice in a virtual world, athletic trainers use VR and AR to improve athletes' imagery and acuity. Imagery is when we create (i.e., imagine) or recreate our experiences in our minds. Imagery works best when it connects to all five senses. Sports psychologists and trainers use imagery to help athletes improve their mental connection and physical understanding of their sport. Studies on the impact of VR imagery in athletic training indicate that athletes' performance increases

VR x Athletics | 47

significantly more when watching themselves or others practice or perform in a 3D virtual environment as opposed to watching traditional 2D videos.

One of the latest developments in VR and sports is the opportunity for fans to attend their favorite sporting events "live," connecting with other fans' avatars from around the world and potentially feeling like they are part of the team or coaching staff. A recent study conducted by Purdue and USC indicated "that 95% of total television coverage, as well as the ESPN highlights, show SportsCenter focused on men's sports." Using VR to bring

48 | VR x Athletics

worldwide fans to sporting events could increase viewers, fan base, and participation in the less-frequentlybroadcasted popular women's sports like basketball, soccer, tennis, and golf. Having a VR front-row seat could also bring more fans to the lesser-televised sports like rowing, sailing, bobsledding, and others.

VR and AR can offer more than a 2D experience, whether it's improving athletes' performance, letting people try sports that may not be financially or geographically accessible, or bringing more fans to events.

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BY: NATASHA M. MEJIAS-RAMIREZ

"STEM careers allow you to learn and be a part of amazing things. The road can be, and probably is, more complicated than you may have imagined, but the satisfaction of a woman contributing in such a great way to the world, will be greater."

- Leishka D. Crespo Dátiz

50 | Advocating for Gender Inclusivity

Low representation of Latin women in STEM careers is a widely discussed matter. Many suggest that the disparity in STEM fields is a result of negative conducts imparted from teachers to students at school. Many times, young girls are not taught to think of themselves as equally capable and intelligent as their male counterparts, or they’re simply not exposed to the true variety of career opportunities that are available to them. Some professionals propose that the social equity battle that takes place in the work environment for Latinas specifically is the result of self-doubt regarding their capabilities based on cultural, societal, and lingual limitations.

In order to promote inclusivity among all women in STEM careers, celebrating and supporting the amazing women who have succeeded in STEM careers, as well as those who are working their way there, is vital. Especially for the Latino community, it is important to inspire young girls by showing them what they can accomplish and to assure them that their dreams and goals are valid too.

“Feminist activism, women in politics, the integration of women in sports and careers that imply strength, the idea that the intelligence that women possess can achieve beyond what is seen as a norm, women in science, business women, military forces and many others, are all part of that role model that I wanted, and still want, to follow,” says Leishka D. Crespo Dátiz, a chemical engineering undergraduate student at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. Dátiz feels that engineering has always been her calling; even as a young girl, she always looked for things to fix around her house.

“Some of them were crazy ideas, but most of the time I ended up solving the problem,” she comments.

In high school, Dátiz participated in an engineering workshop sponsored by the Women in Engineering Organization (WIE) at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus. There, she was part of a chemical engineering competition which challenged participants to create a water filter with basic materials found in the home. Dátiz won first place, and her interest in chemical engineering grew. “I think that was the predetermined moment where I said, ‘Engineering is what I want.’ Knowing that chemical engineering seeks to develop better products, making life easier and better for others, made me inclined for this career and I do not regret it.” she says.

Last fall semester, Dátiz worked as an intern at NASA-Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in the analytical laboratories division. There, it was her task to develop a characterization method for lunar regolith, a simulation that was to identify mineral composition of a sample similar to the moon’s soil. Future expeditions will have to be self-sufficient and must be able to use the resources available at the site to support human habitation. The lunar regolith could be used as a building material because of its mineral composition.

Like many girls, Leishka once believed that finding an internship at NASA would have been an unattainable feat. “This opportunity has allowed me to understand that in order to achieve the extraordinary, you have to get out of what we see every day, think out of the box, work extra and explore your own limits in order to reach the discovery of amazing things that many do not know,” she says. When talking about her experience at KSC, she mentioned that she felt grateful that she was able to see so many women represented there. “I was able to meet women who work almost anonymously but with a great role and women who have reached high positions in the agency and who have participated in spectacular work and missions within the KSC. Seeing women achieve such great things in these times fills me with pride”, she concludes. Her experience at NASA also allowed her to see many other projects at KSC, which produced an interest towards other fields of science, like aerospace engineering.

When asked about her path in a STEM career, Leishka acknowledges that she felt privileged to have been able to develop herself as a professional in her career of choice but confessed to have held herself back in the work environment. “I do feel that I have been limiting myself a little in terms of verbal communication because there are words in English that are not in my mind every day, since in my country I am used to [speaking] in my native language, Spanish. It takes me time to think how to communicate my opinion in the best way or if it’s easier not to,” she says. Having been born in Puerto Rico, Leishka was raised as a proud “Boricua” in a Spanishspeaking home, and for many Latinas just like her, this predicament is not uncommon. Language is an intangible barrier for many because of where they come from, but it should not be an obstacle for achieving their goals.

As a Puerto Rican undergraduate student in engineering, Leishka feels it is important to advocate for Latinas and their place in STEM careers. It is inspiring to see other women crushing it in STEM careers, especially Latinas, when it is part of your heritage and culture. “Being a Latin woman in STEM feels powerful. Many times, we Latinas think that acquiring great jobs is a matter of culture and the place where you are born, but no, it is not. We are capable of influencing the world with our strength to do things. Every time, I heard the Latin accent in my work it was inevitable not to look or ask where they were from. We, Latinas, can reach great nations, traveling the world with our intelligence and that “sazón” that we put into things,” she says proudly.

Advocating for Gender Inclusivity | 51

Leishka also thinks young girls should be exposed to opportunities related to STEM careers that might help them decide their futures, like she had when she was in high school, and that they should be confident and fearless about making that decision. When asked to comment on the importance of women in STEM, she simply said, “Women are full of art and creativity, and many projects do not have that. They are based on previous models or modified versions of the competition companies. I guarantee, if companies include more women or make them leads of design teams, research and idea suggestions, it will lead to innovative solutions, different from what the standard presents most of the time… and the world still needs to see that.”

This is just one of the many inspirational stories from the Latin community, and it is our duty and right to promote, support, and celebrate all of them. It is especially important to share the ones about the amazing Latin women, like Leishka, who are currently making big changes in the STEM community. We must put their faces and accomplishments out there so that young girls can see and understand the place we hold in this space, right beside nonLatin women in STEM who are changing the modern world, just the same.

“Women are full of art and creativity, and many projects do not have that."

DIY WORD GAME CODING TUTORIAL PRESENTED BY

What are we building?

Python is one of the most versatile and userfriendly programming languages today. From game development to data science, it is widely popular among developers. Due to the simplicity of Python, developers can focus on solving the problem and not spend too much time understanding the syntax or behavior of the language.

In this tutorial we will create a version of the popular game called hangman. We are sure you have played some version of hangman in school with your friends. Generally, the way the hangman game works is that you have to guess the secret word, one letter at a time, within a limited number of chances. With the popularity of Wordle these days, we are sure you will enjoy creating your own guess-theword game using your coding prowess and sharing it with your friends and family.

The code in this program is for intermediate level learners. It will be beneficial if you have a basic understanding of foundational Python concepts, but if you are a total beginner, the steps described in this tutorial should be relatively easy to follow as well.

54 | Coding Tutorial

CODING PLATFORM Create a free account in Replit for coding. Replit is a cloud-based service that lets you write and run code directly in your web browser.

HTTPS://REPLIT.COM/

LET'S BEGIN In this tutorial, we will create a program using Python where the player has 12 lives to guess the secret word. Here is how the game will work: The word to guess is represented by a row of dashes.

If the player guesses a letter that exists in the word, the script writes it in all its correct positions.

The goal is to try to guess the secret word in 12 tries.

Let’s get started with coding. Overall, there are 3 steps that we will follow to write the code:

Define a list of words from which a secret word will be picked at random.

Sample Output What is your name? Aadilah Good luck ! Aadilah Guess the letter: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Set up the game and parameters surrounding the game.

guess a character: w Wrong You have 11 more guesses guess a character: o _ _ o _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

List the conditions of the game and parameters for winning.

guess a character: i _ _ o _ _ _ _ _ i _ _

In the entire code we will define three functions:

setupGame pickWord

startGame

guess a character: e Wrong You have 10 more guesses _ _ o _ _ _ _ _ i _ _ guess a character: p p _ o _ _ _ _ _ i _ _ quess a character: r p r o _ r _ _ _ i _ _ guess a character: g p r o g r _ _ _ i _ g

PYTHON FUNDAMENTALS Functions: A function is a block of organized, reusable code that is used to perform a single, related action.

You create or define a function with Python’s def keyword.

You then use or call the function by using its name.

Keyword “return” is used to end the execution of a function call and provide the result which is expressed following the word return.

guess a character: u Wrong You have 9 more guesses p r o g r _ _ _ i _ g guess a character:a p r o g r a _ _ i _ g quess a character: m p r o g r a m m i _ g guess a character:n p r o g r a m m i n g You Win The word is: programming

Coding Tutorial | 55

<CODE 1>

CODE BREAKDOWN

First we will define a function called pickWord, which will construct a list of words, pick a word at random using random.choice(), and return it.

We will also define a second function called setupGame that will get the game started and take the user input to make the game more interactive.

The next step would be to define another function called startGame. This is where the core of the game is executed.

Function constructs a list of words, picks a word at random and returns the picked word CODE BREAKDOWN Game is set up pickWord and startGame functions are called

First a loop is created that verifies the character selected by the player to check if it is present in the secret word. If there is a match, the character is displayed, else a blank is displayed.

Then, a condition is checked to see if the player guesses the entire word correctly, and if they do, a winning prompt is displayed on the screen.

Lastly, if the character is not present in the word, one turn is lost, thus reducing the number of turns by one.

PYTHON FUNDAMENTALS A list is a sequence of values that are created using square brackets. For example, newList = [ ] random.choice () allows the python program to randomly select elements from a dictionary or list A variable is a named piece of memory that can store a value. input() - function is used to get input from the console and interprets all inputs as strings.

56 | Coding Tutorial

\n is used for changing lines.

For loop repeats a set of statements over a group of values (e.g a list) We use a variable that repeats a set number of times and will repeat the code inside the loop that many times.

EX.

for i in [1, 2, 3]: print("hello")

<CODE 2>

CODE BREAKDOWN This function runs the game.

This loop verifies if the character selected by the player is present in the secret word.

If the player guesses the word, the winning prompt is printed.

If the character is not present, one turn is lost thus reducing the number of turns by one Calling the function

HOPE YOU ENJOYED BUILDING YOUR OWN GUESS-THE-WORD GAME WITH US. HAPPY CODING!

PYTHON FUNDAMENTALS The while loop can execute a set of statements as long as a condition is true.

Branching is where a program makes the decision on whether to do something or not.

We do this using the IF statement.

An if/else statement will execute one block of code IF the condition is true, ELSE it will execute a second block of code.

We can use an elif (“else if”) to chain multiple conditions together.

The if statement executes a group of statements only IF a certain condition is true.

Otherwise, the statements are skipped.

Coding Tutorial | 57

OPPORTUNITIES

BOARD

MLH Hackcon MLH Hackcon X is an in-person conference and retreat that takes place at a summer camp outside New York City and teaches hackathon organizers various skills to build their local hacker communities and hackathons.

When: August 26 - 28, 2022 Where: Rockhill, NY

Grace Hopper Conference GHC is the world’s largest gathering of women technologists, where women from around the world learn, network, and celebrate their achievements.

When: September 20 - 23, 2022 Where: Orlando, FL

New York Academy of Sciences 1000 Girls 1000 Futures Mentorship Program 1000 Girls, 1000 Futures is a groundbreaking initiative designed to engage young women interested in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), and advance their pursuit of STEM careers through mentoring and 21st-century skill development.

Deadline: June 30th Dates: September 2022 - April 2023 Where: Virtual

OrangeSoft Women in Tech Scholarship Orangesoft offers a scholarship dedicated to female college or university students pursuing STEM, or other technology-related studies and careers. As an Orangesoft Scholar, you will receive new financial opportunities and a chance to participate in the IT industry development.

Deadline: October 31, 2022

58 | Opportunities Board

Elevate Women in Technology Scholarship The Elevate Women in Technology Scholarship exists to move the tech industry in the right direction by empowering the next generation of extraordinary women leaders.The scholarship is open to students at any educational level and field of study. The only application requirement is that students are women who intend to enter a technical or non-technical career that leverages technology to make the world a better place.

Deadline: October 31, 2022

Wonder Women Tech Immersive Tech & Hybrid Summit Wonder Women Tech is launching its first ever Immersive Tech & Hybrid Summit which will explore all things Tech, Immersive, AI, VR, AR, Web3 and more! We will have an interactive conference where you can enjoy talks, panel discussions, immersive experiences, Art, a Career Fair and Expo.

When: September 14th - 15, 2022 Where: Hybrid, Virtual

Learner Education Women in Mathematics Scholarship This scholarship exists as part of our initiative to provide more opportunities for women in STEM. To contribute to a better future for women in math, the Learner Women in Mathematics Scholarship will be awarded to one woman who is pursuing a career in a math-related field and is extremely ambitious about the feats she will accomplish in her career.

Deadline: August 1, 2022

Technica Hackathon Technica is the world’s largest hackathon for underrepresented genders, hosted annually by students at the University of Maryland. Over the duration of 24 hours, Technica hackers are immersed in tech culture and encouraged to exercise their imagination to create interesting and innovative hacks.

When: October 15-16, 2022 Where: University of Maryland

Opportunities Board | 59

60 | Ask Gloria

Niamh M. Question: How do you deal with imposter syndrome?

Answer: One of the most important things to remember when dealing with imposter syndrome is that no one gets to where they are by luck. You are where you are at because you are qualified and you put in hard work. One thing that you can do to empower yourself in dealing with imposter syndrome is to make a list of your accomplishments. This is also helpful when it is time for your review or time to transition in your career.

Nandini G. Question: What are your best tips for networking?

Answer: The best networking advice I can give you is to be yourself. Talk about the things you are interested in.

Enthusiasm is contagious and makes for great conversations. Connect with people on LinkedIn and Twitter. It’s a great way to have insight into an organization and amplify your successes. Lastly, be bold.

Go after the opportunities that you want. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

Gloria

who is...

Priti S. Question: How do you promote diversity in STEM at a community level while avoiding burnout?

Answer: The best thing you can do to promote diversity in STEM is to be your authentic self throughout your career. Most of the time people go to school or work and feel that they have to carry the weight of trying to diversify STEM. In all reality you are a role model just being your true self and doing what you enjoy in STEM. I say I can make the best presentation about the need for technical women in STEM or I can just give a talk on something technical and show that we are out here doing great things.

They both have a great impact. Most importantly, taking care of yourself is more important than trying to take care of everyone else. You have to put the oxygen mask on yourself first if you want to help others. And if you are feeling burned out, take a break and do something just for you!

question & answer

Rachel W. Question: What's the best way to negotiate salaries for job offers?

Answer: When you are negotiating salaries for a new role it is important to ask what the salary range for the role is before you start to negotiate. You can do some research on sites like Glassdoor to find out what the salary range was in the past. You never want to leave money on the table. Instead, it’s a reflection of the organization and how much they are willing to pay. If you can get a range or a competing offer it is helpful. Lastly, you can always remind them that your skills are currently getting an average salary range of XXX in the market. Doing your research will be your greatest advantage.

ASK GLORIA

got a question?

Priti S. Question: How can I find a balance between internships and college?

Answer: I don’t think as a society we have done a good job creating balance for young people between internships and college. Both are really stressful and sometimes internship interviewing can clash with midterms and finals. If you feel stressed during this time you are not the only one. One thing that you can do to create greater balance is to start the internship interviewing process early. Ask others about their internships, get a list together of where you want to apply, and start the process as early as possible. A lot of organizations will open up their intern and new grads roles around July or August.

Getting a head start will put you at an advantage.

Nikki S. Question: How do I start to transition careers?

Answer: One way to transition careers is to do less of what you don't want to do and to pick up more of what you do want to do. Most people think that a transition is all or nothing but it really is doing a lesser percentage of the work that you don’t enjoy and picking up more of the work you do enjoy. If you can't make the transition fully in the workplace, you can volunteer or work on side projects to improve your skills until you make the transition. You want to get the boat as close to the dock as possible before you fully transition.

The CEO and founder of Shule, a startup that tokenizes international experimental learning systems in decentralized education. Previously to venturing out on her own, she was Square's University Tech Evangelist where she focused on helping connect people to the tools, programs, and support they need to enter the technology industry.

Kimbwala

Samyukta I. Question: How do I know when to step back and say no to opportunities/ maintain balance?

Answer: If an opportunity feels like work or makes you anxious then I would suggest turning it down. In general, it’s better to say no to an opportunity than to overcommit. Taking time for yourself is not selfish and it's a great way to make sure that you have enough bandwidth to do your daily job. If you start to feel overwhelmed it might be a sign that you need to reprioritize.

Scan here to submit your question today!

Want to ask Gloria a Question?

Palak M. Question: How do I find scholarships and grants for higher education?

Answer: A good place to start looking for scholarships is your university's alumni network. They usually have donors that have created legacy funds for different opportunities. You can also check with your department head to see if there are any scholarships that are department specific. I would also suggest checking with professional networks like NSBE, SWE, sororities, and religious organizations. Lastly, have a good recommendation letter ready to go. Taking the time to apply to scholarships can be very helpful for your college career. Every dollar counts!

biography

Ask Gloria | 61

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Issue 12 Summer 2022