Striving for Gender Equality in the Sciences

The Women in Graduate Science (UOWGS) organization at the University of Oregon strives for gender equality by focusing on the professional development of women and all marginalized genders in all disciplines of science to enable them to become successful contributors to their fields. Your generosity will help provide social and financial support for all scientists from marginalized genders at UO.

As an example of the biases WGS seeks to address, current data suggests that although women make up almost 50% of the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) majors at UO, they continue to face disproportionate barriers to success. Women make up only 28% of the national STEM workforce. These gender gaps substantially limit career opportunities and magnify barriers to success.

UOWGS offers financial support to STEM students through scholarships like the Parenting Award, which helps graduate students ease the financial burdens of childcare that can slow down their graduate training. The Undergraduate Transition Award is offered annually to one outstanding student in the sciences advancing to graduate school. UOWGS also provides students with resources to travel to conferences where they can share their research and network with others in their field.

Your support of the Women in Graduate Science organization provides opportunities beyond  scholarships as well. UOWGS members volunteer to engage K-12 students in science. This outreach gives younger students hands-on experience and exposure to dedicated mentors and role models. We also provide career development workshops for UO STEM students and host inspirational speakers on campus to share their knowledge and passion for discovery.

We want to thank you in advance for your contribution and helping us achieve our mission.

Sincerely,

Hope Healey

President, Women in Graduate Sciences