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Student Organizations and Resources

  • Association for Women in Science (AWIS)

Again, for the 2014-15 academic year, Stanford is an institutional member of AWIS, enabling any interested Stanford student to have free membership in this national leadership and advocacy organization which works to advance the interests of women in science and technology. The Palo Alto chapter of AWIS includes many graduate students and postdocs at Stanford. Together they have created the Palo Alto AWIS mentoring program engaging graduate students, postdocs, and professionals. Students interested in free membership in AWIS may join the AWIS community; your Stanford AWIS membership is supported through the offices of WISE Ventures (Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Diversity & Vice Provost for Graduate Education), the Schools of Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences, Engineering, and Humanities and Sciences, and the Stanford School of Medicine: Career Center, Graduate Education, & Office of Postdoctoral Affairs.

  • Hermanas in STEM

"Hermanas in STEM" is an informal group started in 2013 for Hispanic/Chicana/Latina graduate students and postdocs in STEM to gather over lunch each quarter for camaraderie, sharing accomplishments (& frustrations), and discussing career/academic/personal issues in the context of being Latina in STEM. From time to time, the group will also have guest speakers to share their stories. For information, email Anita Blanco, Genetics Diversity Office, or Margaret Sena, El Centro Chicano y Latino.

  • ME (Mechanical Engineering) Women

ME Women fosters a sense of community and environment of support among graduate women in engineering at Stanford.

  • Sisters in STEM 

Offers a quarterly networking meeting addressing the particular needs and interests of Black women graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in science and engineering. Email Humanities and Sciences Assistant Dean Ayodele Thomas for more information.

  • Society of Women Engineers (SWE)

The Stanford SWE section provides career and academic development opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in engineering and promotes the study of engineering and engineering fundamentals to local youth through outreach work.

  • Stanford Women in Fluid Dynamics (SWiFD)

SWiFD is an interdepartmental support network for women in the field of fluid mechanics, in order to promote their intellectual and professional development. Funded by a VPGE Diversity Improvement Fund grant, the project aims to enhance Stanford’s diversity through enriching graduate and postdoctoral experiences for women in fluid mechanics. SWiFD organizes faculty seminars, small-group discussions, networking dinners, professional development workshops, and outreach and volunteer activities, and connects through an email list. 
 

  • Women in Aero Astro (WIAA)

WIAA is a group formed to build community and encourage greater participation by women in aerospace engineering. Anyone interested may join the email list.

  • Women in Computer Science (WICS)

WICS is a student organization which supports and promotes studies and students in Computer Science by encouraging discussion and raising awareness of the issues women face.

  • Women in Electrical Engineering (WEE)

WEE, a student group, aims to provide a sense of community for students in EE at Stanford, through mentoring pairs, lunch meetings, special seminars, social and outreach events to address women-specific issues and providing networking opportunities among current graduate students and EE alumnae.

  • Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) and Women in Social Sciences and Humanities (WISSH) Discussion Groups

WISE and WISSH Groups are professionally-facilitated discussion groups for women PhD students or postdoctoral scholars at Stanford. Groups meet weekly for 90 minutes; discussion topics are selected based on members' concerns.

  • Women's Community Center (WCC)

The Women's Community Center offers events, programs, and space for meetings for women and women-focused activities at Stanford. Included among the WCC resources are a Women's Coalition serving as an umbrella organization for other Women's Voluntary Student Organizations, staff who can assist students and student organizations with leadership development and other training and resources, email lists including the Graduate Women's Network, and a wealth of programs and events. In 2013, the WCC added a new student staff member to focus specifically on the needs of and programs for women in STEM fields, the WCC helped to create new "women in science" panel discussions for New Student Orientation, and in 2015, a first-of-its-kind "Women in STEM Symposium" was organized.

WISE Initiatives including Students:

  • A Critical Mass

A Critical Mass is a WISE Ventures initiative designed to address the interests of, and make it easier to build community among, women and men of color in STEM and their advocates and allies at Stanford.