April 11, 2019

This paid piece is sponsored by South Dakota Biotech.

Writer and television and podcast host Alie Ward will be in Sioux Falls later this month to keynote an event designed to bring the scientific and business communities together.

Ward’s television work includes “In the Wild,” “Did I Mention Invention,” “Brainchild” and “The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation With Mo Rocca,” which won her a daytime Emmy Award for her work as a correspondent.

Her hit nonfiction podcast series “Ologies” features experts in various scientific fields.

The event from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. April 27 is at Sanford Imagenetics and hosted by Graduate Women in Science in Eastern South Dakota. To learn more and register, click here. 

We learned more about the event and the organization from Drs. Michelle Booze of Sanford Health and Terran Bergdale of A-OX Welding Supply Co.

Tell us about Graduate Women in Science. What’s the history and mission?

Graduate Women in Science was founded in 1921 at Cornell University campus in New York. At the time, women were not allowed to join scientific societies, which inspired a group of female graduate students at the university to start their own. The original mission was to connect and promote women in science across all fields and disciplines. We continue to strive to meet that mission today with 25 chapters across the United States and abroad almost 100 years later.

How has your chapter grown, and what fields do its members represent?

Our Eastern South Dakota chapter has grown over the nine years and has expanded outside of its founding place of Sanford Research. Our members represent various fields within industry, government and private research, including chemistry, biology — biostatistics, biotechnology, etc. — geology, medicine and more. Our education levels also vary from baccalaureates to doctorates.

What kinds of benefits are you seeing as women in these fields get to know one other?

Foremost are the connections our members make with each other. Our members have formed lifelong friendships and gained valuable mentorship.

How critical is an organization like this as South Dakota aims to grow its bioscience industry?

GWIS Eastern South Dakota can be an important player as South Dakota grows its bioscience industry because we connect women from all different fields, we provide leadership development opportunities and participate in some awesome community events.

For those who aren’t familiar with Alie Ward, what can they expect to hear from her?

Alie Ward will talk about her work as a science journalist and communicator as well as her hit podcast, “Ologies.” She has a great talent for translating technical scientific jargon into a fun story that anyone can understand and enjoy.

Does Graduate Women in Science have or anticipate offering other ways for the science and business communities to connect?

Absolutely! We want to make Science Across the Plains an annual event. We are also looking for partnerships with businesses in order to co-host professional development workshops.

If employers or other professionals would like to learn more about this group, what should they do?

Head over to our website, gwiseastsodak.org, or the national organization’s website, gwis.org.