February 2025 News from Team Research Girl, Inc.
- Mia Soviero
- Feb 22
- 4 min read
Author: Team Research Girl, Inc.
Image Alternative Text: Image with watercolor painted graphics in shades of red, yellow, and green, associated with Black History Month; Research Girl, Inc. human brain and lightbulb icon; and diverse hands icon. Text: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access for and with the STEM Community. February 2025.
Dear Friends —
Happy (Belated) Lunar New Year to all who celebrated! We wish you and your families/loved ones wisdom, resilience, and good fortune in this Year of the Snake.
Further, we emphasize: Black History Month Matters. Throughout February, we honor the innovations, contributions, and leadership of Black communities, past and present. At Research Girl, Inc., we celebrate Black women and femmes in STEM and their inventions, works, and organizations.
Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color experience the greatest barriers in STEM and are persistently underrepresented in academia and the workforce. Across the next week and throughout Women's History Month, our team will highlight organizations that are working to close the gap in education and employment, on the Research Girl, Inc. LinkedIn and Instagram.
This week, we highlight Reboot Representation, led by Dwana Franklin–Davis. This organization focuses on increasing the number of BIWOC pursuing computing education, and pushes the tech sector to increase recruitment and retention efforts.
We extend our sincere gratitude to Reboot Representation for diversifying STEM and guiding the workforce in investment and inclusion of BIWOC.
Image Alternative Text: Image with watercolor painted graphics in shades of red, yellow, and green, associated with Black History Month; and human brain and lightbulb icon. Text: "When Black women and other women of color are left behind, innovation and progress are left on the table." Dwana Franklin–Davis. CEO, Reboot Representation. Support rebootrepresentation.org
As a nonprofit scientific, educational organization dedicated to diversifying scientific research, we strive to be intentional in all our actions. This begins within our organization, and in this new year, we are committed to focusing on cross-racial solidarity, centering multiply minoritized BIPOC communities, and inclusive recruitment and retention strategies.
Amidst a climate of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility rollbacks, we further recognize the diverse community whom we are privileged to serve. Research Girl, Inc. was founded based on the core values of DEIA and we remain committed to them in our day-to-day work. Our past, present, and future are intrinsically linked to these values. We look forward to continuing this essential work for and with you all.
Earlier this month, we launched our STEM Research Mentorship Program Spring 2025 Cohort. Building on the success of our Fall 2024 Cohort, we are excited to continue with our second season and 161 total combined mentees and mentors from around the world. Our new mentees identify as 94.64% female; 63.39% BIPOC; 23.21% immigrants; 33.03% LGBTQIA+; 42.85% low-income; and 45.53% first-generation college/university students.
Our new mentors are affiliated with an incredible breadth of research institutions, including Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and affiliates; Harvard Medical School and affiliates; Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania; Yale School of Medicine; Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; and Stanford University.
Moving forward, our two core departments (Science Content, Communications, and Grants; and STEM Research and Education) will collaborate on inclusive mentor recruitment strategies, outreach, and resources development, striving to better match our multiply minoritized BIPOC and immigrant mentee cohorts.
If you are serving as a mentor to the Spring 2025 Cohort, you may have read our email earlier this week announcing the launch of our inaugural STEM Research and Education Department. You can learn more about our Department Chair/Supervisor, Lauren Rosa, at this link; and our STEM Research Mentorship Program Advisor, Kyra Shelton, at this link. Together, these leaders are prioritizing, innovating, and improving the mentorship program, providing expert guidance to all mentors as they begin their important work guiding mentees in research and on career pathways.
As a reminder, all mentors who are designated to serve the STEM Research Mentorship Program Spring 2025 Cohort should register at this link for the new cohort virtual training session scheduled for Sunday, February 23 from 5pm–6pm EST. If you are unable to attend, please email Lauren and Kyra at mentorship@researchgirl.org
We recently welcomed new team members to the Science Content, Communications, and Grants Department: Ting Guo, Science Content and Communications Coordinator; Paula Sholander, Science Content Developer/Content Editor; Denise Zhu, Grants Specialist, Pre-Award; and Anusha Tuli, Grants and Philanthropy Specialist.
As we look towards Spring 2025, we are recruiting for additional volunteer positions to join the Department: Press Coordinator; Web Content Designer; and Lead Grants Specialist. Please review position descriptions and application instructions at researchgirl.org/join, and share this information with your networks. For questions about the roles, please email our Department Chair/Manager, Patricia Fortunato, at patricia@researchgirl.org
Our collaborations with Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology, continue; next month, in honor of International Women's Day, we are partnered with Psi Chi Özyeğin University Chapter, Türkiye, for a virtual panel on Thursday, March 6 at 11am EST (19:00 Türkiye Time). Our founder/CEO, Mia Soviero, Patricia Fortunato, Lauren Rosa, and Paula Sholander will address international disparities in scientific research and share how Research Girl, Inc. is empowering underrepresented students. Learn more and register at this link.
Save the date for our inaugural webinar series. Next month, in honor of Women's History Month, we are partnered with ByteCraft, a STEM program led by Stephanie Washburn, dedicated to providing accessible, high-quality computer science education to underrepresented high school students and undergraduate students. This event will take place on Sunday, March 30. More information will follow on our LinkedIn and Instagram.
Together, we recognize and celebrate the resilience and shared values that drive our collective work with each of you forward in diversifying scientific research.
May we find togetherness in the work ahead.
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