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Women in Science and Technology Bio-Bio Meeting: Empowering Young Women in Chile

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Conference

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Location

Virtual Conference

Publication Date

July 26, 2021

Start Date

July 26, 2021

End Date

July 19, 2022

Conference Session

Women in Engineering Division Technical Session 10

Tagged Division

Women in Engineering

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Page Count

15

DOI

10.18260/1-2--38110

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/38110

Download Count

405

Paper Authors

biography

Nacarid Delgado Universidad Andres Bello, Concepcion, Chile

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Nacarid Delgado is a professor and researcher at the School of Engineering at the University Andres Bello in Concepción, Chile. She holds a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, a master's degree in Chemistry, and a doctoral degree in Chemistry, all from Universidad del Zulia, Venezuela. Her main research areas are isolation, synthesis and characterization of chemical compounds from industrial by-products, recovery and use of residues from forestry and agricultural industries, and use of bio-resources. Currently, her research interest topics also involve university education in STEM areas, faculty development, research-based activities, and gender issues in STEM education.

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biography

Karen Judith Correa Universidad Andres Bello, Concepcion, Chile

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Karen Correa is Director of Geology, professor and researcher in the Faculty of Engineering of the Universidad Andres Bello in Concepción, Chile. She is Geologist from Universidad Industrial de Santander Colombia and PhD., in Geological Sciences from Universidad de Concepción (Chile). Her field of research focuses on genetic models of porphyry copper deposits, Andean metallogenesis, geochemistry and geochronology. Currentley, she is also interested in gender equality in STEM education.

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biography

Angeles Dominguez Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico and Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0001-6066-355X

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Angeles Dominguez is a Professor of the Department of Mathematics within the School of Engineering, a researcher at the School of Education, and Associate Dean of Faculty Development at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico. Also, she is currently collaborating with the School of Engineering at the University Andres Bello in Santiago, Chile. Angeles holds a bachelor's degree in Physics Engineering from Tecnologico de Monterrey and a doctoral degree in Mathematics Education from Syracuse University, NY. Dr. Dominguez is a member of the Researchers’ National System in Mexico (SNI-2) and has been a visiting researcher at Syracuse University, at UT-Austin, and at Universidad Andres Bello. She teaches undergraduate courses in Mathematics, graduate courses in Education, and is a thesis advisor on the master and doctoral programs on education at the Tecnologico de Monterrey. Her main research areas are: faculty development, teaching methods, and gender issues in STEM education.

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Abstract

College-age women often lack interest in STEM disciplines because of prejudices and stereotypes that have discouraged them. Chile is one of the countries that has made significant progress in reducing the gender gap. However, progress in training women in STEM disciplines has been low compared to other Latin American countries.

The Engineering Faculty of the Universidad Andres Bello has carried out the "Biobio Women in Science and Technology Meeting" for two consecutive years. The first was an in-person event, and the second in online mode. The sessions aimed to encourage young women in the last two years of high school (ages 16 to 17) to have greater interest and access to university STEM disciplines.

This study reflects on young Chilean women's needs and motivations to pursue a career in STEM areas in the event context. It focuses specifically on the various roles, such as external researchers (invited speakers), academicians (workshop instructors), and collaborating students (workshop assistants) who participate in the event. It aims to understand more profoundly the organization required to establish strategies that would allow continuity to this powerful initiative.

Data was collected from interviews with the participants (workshop instructors, workshop assistants, and invited speakers). The results showed that all those involved valued the initiative and would participate in it again. This type of event is necessary to empower girls and adolescents to choose STEM careers. Opinions ventured by students, academicians, and researchers made it possible to establish guidelines for future talks and workshops and new activities that may be interesting to implement in future versions of the meeting.

Delgado, N., & Correa, K. J., & Dominguez, A. (2021, July), Women in Science and Technology Bio-Bio Meeting: Empowering Young Women in Chile Paper presented at 2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual Conference. 10.18260/1-2--38110

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