20 May 2022: Role Models in pSTEM - You Can Be What You Can See
UCD has launched a new role/model video series to encourage more girls to consider pursuing pSTEM careers. The video series is titled “Role Models in pSTEM: You Can Be What You Can See”, which showcases ten women from across Ireland who have studied physics, maths, engineering, or computer science.
Leading the project are Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin, Assistant Professor from the UCD School of Mathematics and Statistics, and Associate Professor Catherine Mooney, from the UCD School of Computer Science. It is very important to show young women that they are not alone in the scientific and technological fields, that there are other women who have done it and have made a positive impact on the world around them with their work. These videos include women of different backgrounds, sharing the challenges and successes they experienced and the impact of stereotypes or societal messages about pSTEM on their careers.
"For young women to pursue a career in pSTEM, they must believe in their ability to succeed and in the positive impact their work might have on the world around them. With these videos, we want to connect them with positive role models in the subjects of physics, mathematics, computer science and engineering,” said Dr Ní Shúilleabháin.
“It’s so important that the people making the technology we use are a reflection of all those who use that technology, and we can only achieve that through diversity. There is also huge potential for social good within the tech industry right now when it comes to issues such as personalised medicine and climate change so it’s a really exciting time to consider a career in pSTEM,” said Co-lead Associate Professor Catherine Mooney.
This campaign aims to address the significant gender imbalances across the pSTEM industry, where women make up less than 25% of those working in stem, as well as those from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds who are particularly under-represented. The full suite of videos as part of the “Role Models in pSTEM: You Can Be What You Can See” series launched in May 2022 and are available on YouTube:
(opens in a new window)Role Models in pStem : You can be what you can see - YouTube