Event to address why there are so few women in STEM
The Virginia Tech College of Science in partnership with Alumni Relations will host two public panel discussions in September focusing on the lack of women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
The events, titled “Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM),” will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, 2 Riverside Drive, Roanoke, Virginia, and from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 27 at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, 15 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
“The women on these panels know what it’s like to work in male-dominated fields and will impart terrific insight and advice about their work,” said Sally C. Morton, dean of the Virginia Tech College of Science. “Their voices are important, because science becomes stronger when it includes a breadth of backgrounds and life experiences.”
Open to the public and free of charge, attendees will hear from alumnae who are navigating the challenges and excelling in male-dominated fields. Each discussion will be followed by a networking reception with fellow alumnae and university faculty with free hors d'oeuvres and beverages.
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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