Nominations for UW Women in STEM Own It! Awards Open

Nominations are being accepted for the seventh annual Own It! Awards for women who make a difference in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at the University of Wyoming.

“This event gives a chance to celebrate the many contributions made by women in STEM on our campus and in our community, as well as letting these women meet and celebrate each other,” says Megan Candelaria, associate director of the Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium.

In an effort to provide support to women in STEM by increasing their visibility, UW’s Wyoming EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research), Wyoming INBRE (IDeA Networks for Biomedical Research Excellence) and the Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium sponsor the Own It! Awards. The honors will be doled out to female staff, students, faculty and a community member, all of whom have made contributions to their STEM disciplines. In 2021, 32 awards were presented.

Nominees may be UW undergraduate and graduate students, STEM professionals, UW faculty and staff members, or community members who identify as women.

Organizers are seeking nominations in the following categories:

-- Research. A woman student, STEM professional, faculty or community member who has made significant contributions to her field of research.

-- Service. A woman who demonstrates service, leadership and mentoring among her peer group.

-- Teaching. A woman who inspires teaching and learning among her community.

-- Overall. A woman who is deserving of celebration.

To submit a nomination, go to https://tinyurl.com/OwnItNomination. The nomination deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17.

The Own It! Awards program is scheduled Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 6 p.m. in the Wyoming Union Ballroom. Hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served. To RSVP, go to http://tinyurl.com/ownitrsvp.

“Instead of choosing just one winner from each category, we will be celebrating all nominees,” Candelaria says. “This is similar to what we did in November 2021.”

For more information, call Candelaria at (307) 314-2127 or email megdiane@uwyo.edu.