Category Archives: Meeting Notes

Mentor Program

Sign up for the AWG mentor program!  The program pairs undergraduate and graduate students in order to build relationships and provide a resource for advice on internships, finding research opportunities, applying to graduate school, career options, etc.
AWG will subsidize the cost for each mentor/mentee pair to go out for a coffee break or lunch once a month (that means free food every month!).
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New Online Store

Support the Penn State AWG field camp scholarship by purchasing t-shirts, mugs, stickers, and more! We will be selling AWG merchandise at colloquium and all AWG events. If you are not able to purchase in person, order from our new Etsy store! We have just released new mugs and t-shirts with a brand new design.

mug mugs in action

mugs: the perfect accessory to your morning meetings, and the eco-friendly way to fill up on coffee whenever you need.

 

front of t-shirts Back of t-shirts

t-shirts: the most effective way to share your style. Look at that sweet block model on the front.

 

buff perri in the field with buff

buffs: pretend you’re on Survivor and wear in the field. Perfect as a headband, a neck warmer, or as a general sun shield. Be like Perri, and it will help you dig holes!

 

buttons and stickers sticker steminist button science for all button

stickers and buttons: share your love for AWG at all times– attach to your water bottle, backpack, laptop, or drone case.

 

Each swag purchase helps to support the field camp scholarship. Share broadly!

Accessibility in the Geosciences Lunch Discussion

AWG hosted students, faculty and staff for a discussion on accessibility in the geosciences. Associate Professor of Geoscience Peter LaFemina presented his ongoing work collaborating with Associate Professor of Geography Alex Klippel, his lab and the Teaching and Learning with Technology office on creating virtual-reality field trips.
For online resources related to this discussion, visit these webpages:
Teaching and Learning with Technology http://tlt.psu.edu/
ChoroPhronesis, Alex Klippel’s virtual reality lab page on geoscience applications https://sites.psu.edu/immersivegeosciences/
 
Penn State Student Disability Resourceshttp://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources

 

The International Association for Geoscience Diversity – “Ending the Awkward” entryhttp://www.theiagd.org/resources/ending-the-awkard/

Earth Magazine – “Geology for everyone: making the field accessible” article https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/geology-everyone-making-field-accessible

 

YoutTube video – Immersive Virtual Reality for Thrihnukagigur Volcano in Icelandhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RCsEQys_sE

Associate Professor Peter LaFemina website: http://poe.geosc.psu.edu/people/lafemina

Stay tuned for our next discussion on October 18th 12-1 pm (location TBA)

January Meeting Notes

Since the last meeting….

 

Shake Rattle and Rocks > one of the teachers was really impressed by the women scientist turnout. Way to be great role models guys!!!

 

Beth suggested that send emails to the entire department for general meeting emails, we will do that from now on but other events via listserv. Add sentence that says how to join the listserv.

 

Let Allison know if you want to be on the listserv amk6331@psu.edu

 

Update from Claire:

 

Art Class feedback from last semester attendees would recommend it to other and the fact that AWG funded it was really important to people and attendees wanted to take it again.

 

For spring semester claire is sending around a questionnaire to tailor the course for what people want.

 

Museum is looking for people to volunteer to museum tours

Also there is an opportunity to help during a sand table workshop in feb

There is an event in april that they are looking for volunteers

May be more opportunities at the museum and there will potentially be a housekeeping day to reevaluate grad student and museum relationship.

 

Gabby Outreach and brainstorm

 

This semester we are going to try and focus on older students outside of the state college area

 

Contacting girl scout troops

 

AAUW > active with Middle school students and they have a series out outreach events on Thursdays > they need volunteers so Gabby will give details for those that want to sign up

From 3:30-5p

STEM related activity

St. Nittany Middle School

 

If have ideas send gabby an email

 

Liz and Cecilia: Northeastern/North Central GSA Meeting

 

Focused on energy but lots of sessions

We are responsible for running the AWG booth, requires that we have someone there are all times and two people that need to get the badges

 

Everything but food and 75% of transport is covered

 

Buffs are here!

 

Cost $10 each for purchase

Encourage friends to buy them!

We will sell them at the Chill and Spill tomorrow

 

T-shirt design

 

Female Atlas design

 

How does the club feel about the nudity > email offices if you have a concern

 

Continents and a quote from a female scientist on the globe

 

Send Virginia a quote if you have an idea but we have a good one from Marie Curie but it is really long

 

Virginia will send out an email with the quotes so that people can vote. Also for the color of the t-shirts

 

Gray?

 

Let her know your votes by Friday!

 

EMEX

Maureen wants AWG to participate in high school recruitment but we are not sure what yet. Beth Ann will be in charge

 

Pre-Field Camp Field Trip

To get people acclimated to camping and general outdoor stuff

 

Fun camping social with advice for future field campers and to answer questions

 

Advice: go to a good outdoor store and get them to set up the equipment for you to try

 

Need to figure it out within the next month so that Shelby can reimburse

 

Link to AWG google calendar

https://sites.psu.edu/awgpennstate/calendar/

 

Chili Cookoff

Will be in March

Graduate only event

Raises funds for our Field Camp scholarships so undergrads should apply for the scholarship in March.

 

Breakfast with Colloquium speakers

First is February 7th

 

Beth will give the next chalk talk

 

Writing Group

Wednesdays 5-7p writing group

Productive hours to write together

Everyone supporting each other to write

Starting next wednesday January 25th

 

Undergraduate Thesis Deadline

Have something due every two weeks

 

Hidden Figures and Michael Mann are both tonight so go do something cool and sciency

 

November Meeting Notes

-Email suggestions for our club to awg.psu@gmail.com
-If not on the listserv let Allison (amk6331@psu.edu) know! Emails for event reminders and updates

Events that took place last month
-Discovery Space > kids really liked the stream table, earthquakes weren’t really a hit with the preschool audience
-Cosmic carnival > natural resource activity went well for less than second grade kids

-Speaker breakfasts are going really well

-Mixer went well and was a lot of fun!
-one a semester

-Lunch Discussions: Bias in recommendations and Imposter Syndrome
-Came up with a list of imposter syndrome things to bring up at the grad student meeting
-Peer resources
-Gong to celebrate little accomplishments
-Q&A with faculty/ shadow CVs
-Let Joanmarie know if you have any ideas for lunch topics for next semester
-After we sent out the letter on bias the faculty had a meeting specifically about it

-WeAreforScience > new coalition
-Group listservs will be set up soon!
-Voices for Democracy Event tomorrow in response to Breitbart Speaker > we have been invited to speak at the event
-Talk to Helen and Virginia about any ideas

-Writing Club
-Undergrads supposed to come in about personal statement, but it ended up being writing time for grad students and personal statements
-Support at Grad Student lunch, department will pay for food
-Invite post-docs to give feedback

Updates on Future Events
-Received a grant from the AWG foundation to provide 2 field camp scholarships!
-AWG has been really good about giving us money so share your ideas so that we can ask for money in advance

-Northeast Section Meeting for GSA in March > AWG will man the AWG booth
-AWG will give us money for registration fees
-March 19th through 21st
-15 people interested in going

October Meeting Notes

Minutes 10/11

Updates on what has been going on:

  1. Art Class – learning a lot
  2. Camping Trip – lots of fun and food
  3. Award from GSA – we got a baller carved wooden plaque
  4. Money from Shell – let us know if you have ideas on how to use the money

 

Listserv

  1. Email the AWG gmail with questions and suggestions awg.psu@gmail.com
  2. Do not spam the listserv
  3. It’s fine if you aren’t signed up with gmail

 

Outreach – we have several events in the works, email Gabby (gabrielleramirez841@gmail.com) with questions and to sign up for things

  • Cosmic Carnival
    • October 23rd 1-3p
    • Theme is Cat in the Hat
    • 1 fish 2 fish red fish you fish > activity to show kids natural resource management
    • sign up!
  • Discovery Space > downtown > activities for elementary kids
    • Saturday activity at discovery space > we need to brainstorm hands on activities
    • Steam table > Hajek lab
    • Earthsciweek.org has activites that are broken down by grade level
    • Chocolate rock cycle
    • Shake Rattle Rocks activities
    • November – look for more details
  • Nittany Valley Charter School
    • Elementary School kids
    • They are working on physics so we should come up with some geophysics activity
    • “Slime” non-newtonian liquid

Mentorship Program – email Mercedes (mgainor2@gmail.com) with questions

  1. Wednesday, October 19 (Tomorrow!!) at 6p in the Museum there will be a mixer!!!! Be there!
  2. Will fill out mentorship pairing forms while we are there
  3. Mingle and get to know potential mentors/mentees
  4. If you can’t make it, sign up for mentorship program on our website (https://sites.psu.edu/awgpennstate/)
  5. Chipotle!

 

Writing Club!

  1. 2 hour writing club where grad students can give undergrads feedback on their application materials
  2. The first will be focused on graduate student applications but we will turn it into a writing club
  3. Biweekly and it will be open and have food
  4. We will also open it up to the department broadly

First one is Monday October 24th 5-7pm

 

Joanmarie Lunch Discussions

  • Lunch discussions > read articles that have to do with ethics and diversity in earth science
  • Article about women recommendation letters > inherently biased letters against women. Article to read: here
  • Read the study and then as a group draft a memo to send out the faculty
  • First discussion: Thursday at Noon October 20th in Deike 343
  • Brown bag and AWG will provide dessert

 

Breakfast with Colloquium Speakers – basically every week for the next month

  • October 18,25
  • Nov 1,8,9,29
  • All at 8a in Deike 541
  • Relaxed Q&A, get a perspective on women’s experience in academia

Come drink coffee, eat bagels, talk with female professionals!

 

Fundraising ideas

 

Cookbook of field recipes email Maddy mln5165@psu.edu with ideas. We will sell it to the department.

 

Maddy also has a tshirt idea:

 

I really like the one we have now, so I was thinking along the same lines but with a different picture of a woman doing something strong and geoscience related. So I was thinking we could have a woman swinging a sledge hammer for a seismic survey. I can edit photos to look similar to the current t-shrit, but I thought it would be cool if I used a photo of someone in the department. So, I was wondering if you could send around an email to ask for pictures of women swinging sledge hammers, or any cool action that I could make into a design on the t-shirt?

Email Maddy with ideas/pictures. Or bring ideas to the mentorship mixer!

 

 

Opportunities for Undergrads:

NASA WISER

For freshmen women to get involved in research

Deadline is November 1st

May have other options for non-freshman

Also any science can apply

Under represented groups can apply

Two semesters $500 each semester

 

EMS Ambassadors

Want 2 students from each major to give tours of the buildings

Applications due on Oct 21st for Juniors and Seniors

Email questions to Vivek Thomas vkt5022@psu.edu or Stacy Davidson at sjp123@psu.edu