On Feb. 1, Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) held its first meeting of the Spring semester. The meeting was held in the Thad Cochran Center over coffee and pizza. Women studying in all fields of science in Southern Miss joined the meeting.
WiSE is a student-run networking and mentoring group that aims to advance women in STEM in Southern Miss. WiSE strives to make STEM an equal opportunity field for people of all genders and races.
The club president, Zoe Lequeux, started the meeting by filling in all the members about what had happened over the break. Lequeux let the members know that the club had helped organize a science olympiad in a high school. She also let the members know about different volunteering opportunities that are available through WiSE. The club frequently partners with local high schools to get more girls interested in science. The club also provides opportunities to attend conferences and provides scholarship opportunities.
The upcoming events for the club are Valentine’s Day Bake Sale on Feb. 14 at Shoemaker Square from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm and a Galentine’s Day Social on Feb. 15 at the Thad Cochran Center. WiSE also has a volunteering opportunity to be a judge for the Coastal USM Science Fair on Feb. 29 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at Long Beach. A resumé and LinkedIn workshop will also be held later in the semester. The 2nd annual Pickleball Tournament will be held on April 13. The club also holds a fundraiser every month. The club will also be hosting random coffee dates throughout the semester.
In the meeting, Lequeux announced that she would be stepping down as the president of the club. While the club has announced that anyone would be welcome to apply, they emphasized that they would like an undergraduate student from the Polymer Science major to apply since the faculty mentor for the club is a professor of Polymer Science. Over half of the club executives are also Polymer Science majors.
While all the positions for the club are open, the executives are specifically looking for a club President and a Social Media manager. Applications for executive positions are open from Feb. 1 through 15 at 5 p.m. The voting begins on Feb. 16th and ends on Mar. 8th. Any student who would like to apply to an executive or would like to be a member of the club can email the current club president at [email protected].
The club is also selling merchandise. The merch includes t-shirts, hats, and sweatshirts. Anyone wanting to buy the merch can contact Sara Valdez at [email protected].
The club has emphasized that while the club is meant for the progress of women in STEM, anyone is welcome to join the club. The club is looking for more male and LGBTQ+ members.
