First annual Women in Science Conference to be held at BHSU

The Black Hills State University Women in Science Group will hold its first annual Women in Science Conference at BHSU in Spearfish Wednesday, May 9.
 
The goal of this free one-day conference is to encourage middle school girls to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). This event will include a keynote speaker, an exhibit hall, planetarium exhibits, breakout sessions presented by female speakers who have successful careers in STEM, and a free lunch. This will be the first WIS conference at BHSU, and the organization of the conference will be modeled after similar successful conferences held in South Dakota.
 
It is anticipated that 260 middle school girls and their teachers will attend from regional school districts that include Spearfish, Sturgis, Lead/Deadwood, Belle Fourche, Newcastle, Harding County, Union Center, and Upton. This event will expand the impact of Women in Science programming in the state, encourage middle school girls to consider STEM fields, and will also introduce these girls to a college campus.
 
Each group of students will follow a unique schedule that allows them to attend the keynote address, five different science-based breakout sessions, eat lunch, and visit the exhibit hall where exhibitors will have hands-on activities or interactive displays.
 
Registration for the conference is closed.  For information about the conference, please visit the website at www.BHSU.edu/wis. For more information or questions, please email WIS@BHSU.edu or contact Katrina Jensen at 605-642-6247 / Katrina.Jensen@BHSU.edu.
 
The conference is free to students, and is supported by generous contributions from the following sponsors:  Black Hills State University, Coeur Wharf Sustainability Fund, the South Dakota Space Grant Consortium, Delta Dental, Regional Health, BHSU Admissions, Zonta, Dr. Kathryn Johnson, Dana Dental Arts, Eagle Aviation, the South Dakota Discovery Center, and SD EPSCoR.