Graduate Womxn in Biology (gwiBio) is an inclusive group for female-identifying, transgender, and non-binary individuals at MIT doing work in Biology-related fields. We are a safe space for graduate womxn to develop a sense of belonging and visibility, and to build meaningful connections with staff and faculty in the Biology, Biomedical Engineering, and Brain and Cognitive Sciences departments as well as the surrounding community.
gwiBio runs 3 programs to enhance the experience of MIT womxn in Biology-related programs – the Glass Shards speaker series, an outreach program, and a community building/mentorship program.
The Glass Shards speaker series provides professional development and career guidance opportunities to Biology graduate students by inviting womxn speakers to share their personal experiences in different science-related fields, and has so far included conversations with Biology faculty members, science writers, and a public speaking and presentation skills workshop from the MIT Communication Lab.
The outreach program is focused on encouraging womxn-identifying students at local high schools and colleges to pursue futures in science as well as creating opportunities in the broader community to make science more accessible. This program provides an outlet for Biology graduate students to practice science communication and serve as mentors outside the MIT community.
The community building/mentorship program is a ‘pod’ style program that brings together womxn-identifying undergraduates, graduate students, post-docs and faculty in biology-related departments to develop communities in which participants can meet and foster lasting relationships with new colleagues, benefit from varied forms of guidance and mentorship, and share personal experiences and promote transparency about pursuing different paths in biology.
Funding support provided by our generous sponsors:
The MIT Biology Department
The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory
The MIT Office of Graduate Education Graduate Student Experience Grant
The MIT School of Science Quality of Life Grant
The MIT and Harvard COOP Gives Grant