Madison Parrot & Annabel Anyang Volunteer at SheTech Explorer Day
On March 14, 2024 Molecular Pharmaceutics PhD student Madison Parrot (Yellepeddi Lab) and Bioscience PhD student Annabel Anyang (Starr Lab, Department of Biochemistry) ran a booth at the SheTech Explorer Day hosted by the Women Tech Council. At their booth, Madison and Annabel informed the attendees about accessibility of higher education and career opportunities in lesser-known areas in STEM at the University of Utah.
SheTech Explorer Day is a hands-on tech conference for high school girls from grades 9th through 12th. This day-long event includes hands-on workshops in science, technology, engineering, and math with the goal to expose girls to technology in a fun atmosphere. Girls who attend have access to internships, receive a SheTech certificate, access pathway information, and become part of a community that provides girls opportunities in STEM.
Madison’s participation in this event was part of her outreach project with the STEM Ambassador Program. STEMAP is a training program, funded by the NSF, designed to be a catalyst for innovation, fostering a mutual exchange between scientists and communities and creating room for broader and more diverse perspectives in science. Madison was accepted as a STEMAP Ambassador in December 2023, with training from January through April 2024. STEMAP has trained over 250 Ambassadors from 20+ academic institutions and disciplines, including engineering, biology, math, computer science, sociology, chemistry, urban planning, physics, and philosophy.
Madison's goal for her involvement in STEMAP is to learn how to make scientific research more accessible to everyone and to shape a brighter future for women in STEM. Read Madison's reflection about her experience here.
