Several universities in Pennsylvania are teaming up to form a mentoring network with the aim of increasing the number of women in STEM disciplines. The Science Technology, Engineering Math University Partnership for the Advancement of Academic Women in Pennsylvania (STEM-UP PA) will form a support group for women academics in STEM fields. Participating institutions include Shippensburg University, Elizabethtown College, Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, and the Innovation Transfer Network.
“We want to help newer faculty stay in the profession by pairing them with people who are a little bit further along in their careers,” states Kate McGivney, a professor of mathematics at Shippensburg University. Professor McGivney is a graduate of the University of Hartford. She holds a master’s degree from Northeastern University in Boston and a Ph.D. in mathematics from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
The mentoring network is just one facet of STEM-UP PA. There will also be leadership development programs and recruitment efforts to increase the number of women in STEM fields.