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WCC Stem Programs

The Women’s Community Center has had a long history of supporting women in STEM fields through programs and services navigating bias in and outside of the classroom. Starting in fall 2012, Faith Kazmi advocated for additional funding from VPSA to develop a Women in STEM Coordinator role, and the programming has expanded over time.

We're excited to support and help build the emerging network of gender marginalized people in STEM including students, programs, and student groups on campus. In addition, we hope to provide relevant resource material and programming for all Stanford students interested in pursuing a STEM-related major and/or career. 

Stanford STEMinist T-shirt

​Today, the WCC STEM Mentoring Program connects undergraduate students matriculating through STEM degrees and exploring post-graduate opportunities with current graduate students who provide support and guidance. The program strives to demystify the graduate school application and selection process and create a support system for women and gender marginalized students in STEM to alleviate stressors related to being underrepresented in their respective fields. In the 2021-2022 academic year, the WCC matched 40 graduate student mentors with 41 undergraduate students and provided information about graduate school, fellowships, internships, professional opportunities, and work-life balance.​

Programs with WCC STEM include:

  • A Women in STEM Symposium for current students, launched in 2015
  • A year-long Women in STEM mentoring program, launched in the 2017-18 academic year in partnership with the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education, which pairs undergraduate and graduate women in STEM fields for long-term mentoring relationships. The program was re-named WCC STEM Mentoring Program in 2021-22
  • A Women in STEM panel during Admit Weekend for prospective students interested in STEM, featuring current undergraduate students in STEM
  • A faculty panel entitled "WE ARE STEM," during New Student Orientation featuring prominent women faculty in STEM
  • WCC Design-a-thon
  • WCC STEM Career Panel with a professor in the Aeronautics & Astronautics department, the undergraduate advising director, and a late-stage PhD student in the Management Science & Engineering department
  • Boba Socials to foster community among the mentors and mentees of the STEM Mentorship Program

To learn more about recent Women in STEM programs at the WCC, click here to read the event recaps on our Femtastic blog.

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