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MAY 2016 E-NEWSLETTERMICROSOFT 2016INTERNATIONALWOMEN'S DAYconnecting today's women to tomorrow's opportunitiesLOOKING BACK.LOOKINGFORWARDThe last half of this semester has goneby at warp speed, with a calendarloaded with programs, events andinitiatives. It would be impossible togive a complete recap, and becauseit's the end of the academic year andwe're all swamped with exams, finalprojects and papers, we've opted to letsome photos do the talking!Nancy Steffen-Fluhr,DirectorThe end of an academic year signals new beginnings. Many of youMicrosoft 2016 International Women's DayA big, raucous Murray Center Salute toMICROSOFT for launching this terrificcampaign to teach young women about thefabulous fem 'makers' and inventors who - alltoo often - have been overlooked in history.Launched on International Women's Day,this inaugural video is a potent example of"you've got to see it to be it." Thanks,MICROSOFT - and keep up the good works!will be heading off to internships, REUs, and summer jobs -- andfor our graduates, one chapter closes as a whole new worldopens. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Virinder 'Vini'Mann and Diana Hernandez, our 2016 graduating StaffAmbassadors for their many contributions to the Murray Centercommunity. We will miss their energy, ideas and wonderfulgenerosity of spirit. Go forth and do well, ladies -- but remember tostay in touch.Wishing everyone a splendid summer.NancyFriday, April 1MURRAY CENTERCALENDARWOMEN DESIGNING THE FUTURE:Digital Realities, Today and TomorrowThe event started at 8:30AM with a CyberCorps : Scholarships forServiceinformation session. Then as the ballroom filled withattendees, President Joel Bloom took the stage to welcome
everyone. Click here to peruse the agenda, here to meet ourThursday, May 5CWL Partners for Success Luncheonoutstanding roster of presenters and panelists and here to learnmore about CyberCorps : Scholarships for Service.Women Faculty & Staff Mentors/MenteesFriday, May 6Exams BeginThursday, May 12Exams EndTuesday, May 17Grades DueCommencementMonday, May 23First, Middle & Full Summer SessionsBeginMonday, May 30Memorial Day - No ClassesCommittee on Women's Leadership/Murray CenterMEDIA PIXThe shocking and sudden death ofinternationally acclaimed architect ZahaHadid provoked a media tsunami celebratingher visionary talent as well as her impact ona male-dominated profession. Twiceawarded the RIBA Stirling Prize and as thefirst woman to win the prestigious PritzkerArchitecture Prize, Hadid rejected beingmarginalized by gender, but was a fierceadvocate and mentor to a generation offemale architects. She will be missed.Virtual reality is everywhere, including ourrecent conference, WOMEN DESIGININGTHE FUTURE: Digital Realities, Today andTomorrow, with a smashing demonstrationof the merger of VR technology andjournalism by the Emblematic Group.However, like all new platforms in this digitalage, there are concerns about abuses including the potential for genderharassment. However, there are somegender-positive signs. At a recent VRhackathon, while only 15% of theparticipants were female, organizers notedmore women taking leadership andPartnerships:Annual Potluck Scholarship LuncheonGreat food and a record number of exquisite gift baskets resultedin raising funds earmarked for women's scholarship. Attending thegala, Chaitasee Pandya, winner of the Constance A. MurrayGraduate Scholarship, and Fariha Tasneem, awarded the AceNetwork Scholarship for Undergraduate Women.Looking Back, Moving Forward: Listen, Learn & LunchCWL pioneers and founders Kelly (Cecilia) Griffin, Jo-Ann Raines,Nancy Dean Conrad (retired) and Dr. Nancy Steffen Fluhrreviewed the history of the Committee on Women'sIssues/Leadership and discussed objectives and initiatives for thefuture.
mentoring roles in the competition, and manyof the winning teams included womendevelopers.Two things you can count on in April: TaxDay and Equal Pay Day. The gender-gap inwages is well documented, but a recent NewYork Times article examines another aspect.Why do wages drop when women take overa formerly male dominated field?SWE's Corporate Partnership Council'srecent study, Elephant in the Valley, shines alight on why women really leave STEMcareers. Read all about it.The world of gaming presents a vast andvaried digital landscape to play out a widerange of scenarios - and it also has becomea platform for cyberbullying and sexualharassment. Researchers from Ohio Stateare taking a close look at cyberharassmentand the impact it has on young womangamers.Music is widely acknowledged as aninternational language; however have youOpen House/NJIT Experience DayAll four MC Information Brunch sessions and NJIT Experience Dayyielded over 250 interested and engaged visitors, plus the answerto the age old question: yes, it is possible to run out of quiche.Special kudos to NJIT faculty and students who pitched in to makethese events successful.ever considered it might be a bridge tomathematics and science? A recentWashington Post article reports that theThelonious Monk Institute of Jazz hasdeveloped an innovative website offeringteachers resources and apps that use musicto teach other academic disciplines.And now from the NJIT MOJO-Wire,snapshots of some of NJIT's womennewsmakers:Distinguished Professor Emerita StarrRoxanne Hiltz talks about the manychallenges in her long and storied career.Professor Eliza Michalopoulou's researchhas the potential to impact national defenseand the environment.Professor Karen Franck shares the two'preoccupations' that guide her research atthe finale of the CoAD Spring Lecture Series.Assistant Professor Selina Cai researchesthe world of carbon captures from a marketstandpoint.WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTHThe Murray Center launched a month-long series of events with adisplay of influential African American Women in STEM, a socialmedia blitz of NJIT's STEM-sters and a 'dress for success'workshop. During Spring Break, the Murray Center sponsored adelegation from NJIT's GirlUP at the 60th Annual Commission on
the Status of Women at the United Nations.Kimberly Lam, ADHC '16, adds the MadameMau Scholarship to her resume.Crystal Seymour, NCE '16 and one our firstMurray Scholars, talks about the challengesand rewards of balancing academics withinternships.PAST E-NEWSLETTERSCheck out our past e-newsletters filled withvaluable information, past events, andscholarships here!CONTACT THEMURRAY CENTERSWE ANNUAL NETWORKING NIGHT & AWARDS RECEPTIONPhone: 973.642.4885Insurance, was the keynote speaker and outgoing SWEFax: 973.642.7205Undergraduate President, Kimberly Lam, and Graduate SectionEmail: womens.center.njit@gmail.comPresident, Deeppthi Sirvisetty, introduced the incoming e-boards.Eliza Elmo, Manager, Office Engineering and Training, FM GlobalWebsite: womenscenter.njit.eduAddress:265 Campus CenterUniversity HeightsNewark, NJ 07102Staff:Dr. Nancy Steffen-Fluhr, Director973.596.3295 steffen@njit.eduFran Sears, Special Projects Manager973.642.4885 fsears@njit.eduKelly Gentry, Coordinator973.642.7441 kgentry@njit.eduEQUAL PAY DAY always provoked spirited dialogue about thegap between men's and women's wages, and this year was noexception. The MC distributed information and candy coinswrapped in red foil - reminding everyone that it's time for genderpay equity.
ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP BRUNCH was attended by currentscholarship recipients, NJIT's generous donors and universityfaculty and staff. One participant was Cynthia Pruett '55, a retiredchemical engineer, environmental advocate and long-time NJITbenefactor, who traveled from her home in Arizona to attend theevent. On Thursday, April 21, Ms. Pruett joined Nancy Steffen-Fluhrand a group of women students for an informal discussion andtea. Smart, savvy and engaging, Ms. Pruett drew the assembledstudents into a discussion about how to successfully manage aprofessional career. Note to Ms. Pruett: Please come back!DENIM DAY creates international awareness about the
devastating impact of sexual violence and offers preventioneducation. This year the Murray Center teamed up with NJIT'sAmnesty International, with assistance from NJIT Public SafetyOfficers and Highlander Health Educators, to run an informationtable in the Campus Center Lobby.Dr. Nancy Steffen-Fluhr's calendar hasbeen jammed with speaking events,including addressing an NJIT-hostedevent, "Can We Overcome the DigitalDivide" for the New Jersey-IsraelCommission. In addition to describingthe challenges facing women intechnology, Dr. Fluhr presented theMurray Center strategy for finding paths to overcome the gendergap in STEM professions. Recently she joined Regina Collins,Theresa Hunt and Melodi Guilbault for a "Women in theWorkplace" panel co-sponsored by the Women in ComputingSociety and GirlUP, a new NJIT club that increases awareness ofissues facing young women across the world-and joined Dr.Sharon Morgan and Dr. Marybeth Boger for a Title IXinformation/education session.And last but not least - the Murray Center sends a hearty shout-outto our Advisory Board members for their excellent ideas andsupport. On Wednesday, April 20 MC board members SusanneArney, Katherine Kish, Ceu Martinez, Lisa Moving, ElizabethStrickland, and Robin Tanenbaum braved rush hour traffic for a9am meeting in the Anne Wiley Conference Room. We reviewedthe myriad MC events from this academic year and began layingthe foundation for 2016-2017 - with the universal agreement thatthe Women Designing the Future is on the books for next March.Stay tuned!
NJIT WOMEN TO WATCHDiana Hernandez came to NJITas a shy immigrant from hernative Columbia and will leaveus this year as a confident,poised young woman ready toforge a career in businessinformation systems at IBM. Inthe classroom and in the various organizations she belongs to(SHPE, LASO, Real World Connections), Diana has distinguishedherself with her leadership skills and organization. As a MurrayCenter Ambassador and staff member, she has served as a mentorto many incoming students. Diana has been on the Dean's Listsince the 2012 Spring semester and she has also interned with atMetLife, TIAA-CREF Financial Services and IBM and is therecipient of the 2016 Murray Center Leadership Award.Cassie Lebauer loves everythingabout cybersecurity - finding fun in thechallenges and discipline. Whatbrought her into this new, burgeoningworld? Well, first there is her love ofpuzzles and her outright enjoyment ofmath. Intrigued by foreign languages,Cassie is also a student of AmericanSign Language and is an admitted craft-junkie who loves to knitand 'make stuff.' Unraveling problems and finding solutions is partof her DNA, so when she started to put together all of her passions,a career in cybersecurity was the logical choice. Excited by therange of options in the field, especially for women, Cassie hasbecome a passionate advocate dedicated to bringing otherstudents - especially women - into the field.SCHOLARSHIPS & SUMMERRESEARCH OPPORTUNITIESThe Mathematical Association of America has a current list ofopportunities for Summer 2016, but hurry up! Deadlines are fastapproaching. Click here for information.And don't forget, the National Science Foundation - a major funderof graduate and undergraduate research programs - keeps acurrent list of available programs. Click here to find an openprogram.If you need help figuring out how to finance your undergraduate orgraduate degree, New Jersey's Higher Education Student
Assistance Authority (HESAA) is a valuable resource. Log onhere.
opportunities for Summer 2016, but hurry up! Deadlines are fast approaching. Click here for information. And don't forget, the National Science Foundation - a major funder of graduate and undergraduate research programs - keeps a current list of available
