SB Women in STEM shared their educational, personal, and career experiences with female students in STEM majors

On March 20, 2019, Santa Barbara Women in STEM held an Industry Night Panel and Networking event to share their experiences and encourage students to enter science, technology, engineering and math fields. SB Women in STEM partnered with SBCC and the SBCC Foundation to host the event, held on campus in the John Dunn Gourmet Dining Room. The space was filled to capacity with approximately 70 students, faculty and professionals.

Santa Barbara Women in STEM is a local network of professionals founded in January 2018, and is continuously growing and expanding their network throughout Santa Barbara County. Additional information about the organization can be found at https://www.sbwomeninstem.org

“The panel was informative and diverse—it is always so nice to hear other people's experiences. The mixer at the end was also fun. I was able to talk to people who were in varying stages in regard to career, and that really helped put me at ease with being a woman in STEM,” said student Tina Hang, a Computer Information Systems major at SBCC.

SBCC alumna and panelist Dr. Lily Li, now a mechanical engineer at OWL Biomedical, advised students to network by joining clubs and associations, find a “'wolf pack' to support you and get your voice out, and to be kind to the people you work with because it may lead to another step in your career." 

Students in attendance learned about the event from various groups on campus: Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA), Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), STEM Transfer Program (STP), Supporting Women in Engineering (SWE), Enhancing Success in Transfer Education for Engineering Majors (ESTEEM), and Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS).

SB Women in STEM Founder and President Zoe Hinck ended the event by noting, “We got to connect with so many diverse, enthusiastic, driven STEM students! I'm so excited to see where our industries go with all of these brilliant new perspectives.”