STEMinist
News & updates for young women interested in STEM

Imagine. Invent. Inspire.
Hey there, 👋

Don't let the winter bring you down, STEMinist is here to inspire and motivate you! Now that school is back in session, take a few minutes to relax by checking out the inspiring STEM news and opportunities below. Celebrate Black History Month with us and read all about the amazing women changing the world, like Sainab Taiwo Ninalowo, Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, and Vice President Kamala Harris! ✨
Register for these upcoming events you won't want to miss!
Thursday, February 18th
Come hear from Reta White, Senior Engineer at Exelon Generation's Conowingo Dam, and Hannah McGoldrick, Project Manager at ComEd about their career, education, and much more. 👩‍🔧 You won't want to miss this inspiring career chat!
Friday, February 26th
STEM Academy Alumnae, come to the February Social and hang out with friends you haven't seen in a while! We will be playing games like Among Us and Jackbox.tv with a chance to win fun prizes, and also working on some professional skills! 💻
Check out the front cover star of Woman Engineer Magazine, Sainab Taiwo Ninalowo! 🌟
📷 ComEd Senior Engineer, Sainab Taiwo Ninalowo | Woman Engineer Magazine
Previously featured in STEMinist, Sainab Taiwo Ninalowo, best known as Taiwo, is an experienced Senior Engineer at ComEd, Exelon's operating company in northern Illinois. ⚡ Taiwo was featured in the Spring 2021 Woman Engineer Magazine, which shares career guidance and works to inspire more women in STEM. Engineering Week is February 21-27 this month, so celebrate by checking out Taiwo's story! You can see Taiwo featured on pages 18-19 of the magazine, and check out all of the other great women and engineering stories featured too! ⚙️ 
Meet the Black female scientist behind the COVID-19 Vaccine:
Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett 🧪
📷 Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett (Courtesy of UNC Health Care)
Meet Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, the 34-year-old scientist leading the charge on coronavirus vaccine trials and distribution. 👏 The superstar scientist is a research fellow at the National Institute of Health where she and her team work to develop, test, and distribute the vaccine to fight against COVID-19. Kizzmekia says: “I would say that my role as a scientist is really about my passion and purpose for the world and for giving back.”
Vice President Kamala Harris on girls in STEM ⬇️
📷 Vice President-elect Kamala Harris | Noah Berger/AFP Via GETTY
Kamala Harris, the nation’s first female and first Black and Southeast Asian Vice President, has been preparing for this role all of her life, partly, because of her amazing female role models. As is the case with many strong women, she is the product of a loving family, led by a powerful mother. Harris speaks often of her late mom, Dr. Shyamala Gopalan Harris, world-renowned cancer researcher and civil rights activist from Chennai, India. 🙌 "My mother was a scientist and I know the importance of ensuring more women enter & excel in this field. When we have more women, people of color, LGBTQ folks, and people with disabilities in STEM jobs, we get better results." Harris said in a statement.

As a Senator, Kamala Harris took on the longstanding issue of representation in STEM fields with the introduction of the 21st Century STEM for Girls and Underrepresented Minorities Act, which would encourage participation in K-12 STEM education programs. Harris said: "Preparing our nation’s students for the jobs of the 21st century starts in the classroom, and we must ensure that the benefits of that education are shared equally with those who are currently underrepresented in STEM professions." ⚛️
Check out these virtual STEM events!
Fermi National Laboratory in Illinois is one of 17 Department of Energy National Laboratories in the United States. These labs tackle some of the most critical scientific challenges of our time -- from combating climate change to discovering the origins of our universe -- and possess unique instruments and facilities, many of which are found nowhere else in the world! 🌎 If this sounds interesting to you, join Fermilab's virtual Open House from February 10-14! You can sign up for the events throughout the week, including Women of Fermilab, Quantum Lab Virtual Tour, and much more!
📷 Dr. Jessica Esquivel pictured at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). Image Credit: Fermilab/Reidar Hahn
High school 9th and 10th grade girls interested in engineering: Join Purdue University for a virtual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day on Saturday, February 27!
This free event will let you experience hands-on engineering sessions while encountering challenges and exploring different engineering disciplines, all while working with Purdue mentors. Register and get more information here! ⚙️
Picture a Scientist Week, jointly sponsored by Penn State's Eberly College of Science and College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, will feature events focused on celebrating diversity and equity in the STEM fields in conjunction with Black History Month. Events you can register for starting February 6th include a viewing of the documentary “Picture a Scientist”, a film chronicling the groundswell of researchers who are writing a new chapter for women scientists, a Diversity in STEM Trivia Night, and a Women in STEM Panel Discussion. 👩‍🔬
Need some guidance on landing a great internship? Check out this guidance from an Exelon Senior Recruiter:
Get ready to land an amazing summer internship! If you're actively pursuing an internship this summer or just wanting to update your resume, don't miss Exelon Senior Recruiter Michael Alexander's advice. 📝Michael covers the importance of customizing your resume for the role you want, doing research on a company, and other helpful hints! Watch Michael's informational video here.
STUDENTS 13-18 YEARS OLD: Help out our STEM Leadership Academy Alumna Aliyana with her Science Fair project! She is collecting data from students ages 13-18 on their school life and the transition to online classes. Take a few moments to take Aliyana's survey here!
Read, Watch, or Listen
Throughout history, Black women have blazed trails across the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Black Women in Science by Dr. Kimberly Brown Pellum celebrates 15 incredible Black women in STEM who have used their brains, bravery, and ambition to beat the odds to advance their fields and build a legacy.
Do you know of some extraordinary women in STEM who feel invisible in their field? Alexis M. Scott, a Triple E, Educator, Entrepreneur and Engineer explores this in her Ted Talk, "The Hidden Women of STEM". Alexis talks about what it means to be a female hidden figure in STEM and what one can do to change it.
Raven Baxter, aka “Raven the Science Maven”, is a science communicator and doctoral student completing a Ph.D. in science education. Listen to her interview where she talks about being a black scientist, how she stopped codeswitching and got real in the lab, and why she is dedicated to teaching a creative approach to science.
Exelon Foundation STEM Leadership Academy Applications are OPEN!
We are excited to announce that applications for the summer 2021 Exelon Foundation STEM Leadership Academy are now open! 🙌

The Exelon STEM Leadership Academy is a free, week-long, residential* program for 10th and 11th grade girls interested in STEM to learn from women working in STEM and other leaders; 👩‍🔬 explore sustainability, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and climate change; 🌎 and connect with like-minded peers. 💡 The Academy concludes with an energy challenge and a chance to win great prizes! Each participant will also receive an iPad to use for Academy activities and to take home at the end of the week. Past Academy attendees, please share with friends!

*We are closely monitoring the Covid-19 public health situation. The 2021 Academy is being planned as an in person, on campus event but may be converted to a virtual event based on local health recommendations and requirements. 
Exelon and our operating companies are sharing fun updates on social media! Be sure to keep in touch and follow us: