SISTER

Digital illustration of an open laptop with a checkbox and the words "Not eligible" "not welcome" "not supported." The background is light purple and orange with checkboxes making a pattern.

International STEM students need funding opportunities, too — especially now

It is virtually impossible for international students to seek financial stability, and the pandemic has compounded the difficulties faced by international students.

An illustration of the Statue of Liberty as a scientist - with lab goggles and blue gloves holding a pipette. The background is a stormy red/blue/purple with a gritty texture.

Dreams Built on Myths: Of Science and the American Dream

As a Latinx, woman of color, immigrant scientist trained in the United States, science was at the heart of my American Dream.

An illustration of a Black woman with an afro wearing orange-framed glasses with media icons (play buttons, Twitter and Tik Tok logos, word bubbles, quotation marks, triangles) dancing around her face with a hazy orange and pink background.

We need more STEM Black Girl Magic on our screens, and we won’t wait around for it

As a young Black girl growing up, I remember not seeing many scientists who looked like me.

A classic yellow pencil is erasing the background, a colorful gradient with light blue line drawings of nature-inspired symbolism.

Gatekeeping in STEM is a symptom of epistemicide

Epistemicide is “the killing, silencing, annihilation, or devaluing” of epistemologies, or systems of knowledge.

A person standing alone in front of a sulphur spring.

What my asexuality and imposter syndrome are teaching me about belonging

Here’s what my internal struggle with impostor syndrome, in both the queer and scientific communities, has taught me about belonging.

A group of scientists in lab coats, holding signs that say "Unite behind the science."

Why Evidence-Based Climate Justice Includes Abolition

Abolition climate justice asks us to reimagine resiliency and sustainability beyond technological solutions.

A room in ruins with a broken window showing lush green foliage.

Climate Justice is Social Justice

You cannot have climate justice without social justice or Black liberation or Indigenous sovereignty.

a dirt path winds through a green mountainous meadow filled with bright poppies and agave plants

Becoming a Better Advocate In a Time of Isolation

I am still learning what lifelong, everyday solidarity looks like for me, especially as a STEM advocate and educator.

Danielle is looking at the camera, smiling wide in front of a chalkboard featuring a drawing of a brain. Text reads: Black In Neuro

Lessons Learned From Black In Neuro Week

The response from the Black in Neuro community was incredible, and beyond anything we could’ve imagined.

Luz Milbeth Cumba Garcia is smiling and talking to someone facing away from the camera.

Reinventing Myself in a Pandemic: From Immunologist to Science Communicator

This pandemic has shown the power that we Puerto Rican and Latin American scientists have when we unify our voices for the common good.

Man writes on interactive art installation dedicated to Mali Watkins and Black Lives Matter. Photo courtesy of Walter Wallace.

Channeling Rage When I Don’t Have a Ride to the Protest

I realized that there was one space I could still access from my apartment: the academy.

A couple sprigs of green leafy plants are on a white surface next to an open laptop.

As scientists, we need to stop using harmful and misleading terminology

Using offensive terminology in a scientific context does not erase its potential for harm.

ft: A woman swings a pickaxe at rocks on a slope in the desert. A view of Wyoming's Red Desert, with red and tan striped rocks covered by pine trees.

It’s time to change the geosciences’ outdated, exclusionary, and ableist field requirements

Geoscience programs should use this moment to pivot and to become more inclusive.

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Whose nation is it anyway? Decolonizing global health narratives

It is critical for organizations to decide whether they will be part of the problem or the solution in decolonization.

A selfie of the author wearing glasses and a scarf with her hair blowing in the wind.

Letting Go of Perfectionism During a Pandemic

Maybe if I am perfect, I will finally convince everyone that I deserve my place in academia.

Showing off my 3D Printed Crown inspired by Queen Ramona from Black Panther on the set of our educational show, MLAB. 2018

Black women in STEM are doing the work. Why do we refuse to support them?

It matters if the STEM organizations you’re supporting are Black-led or not. Here’s why.

The author is sitting on a rock looking out at a redrocks and a sunset.

A Framework for Coping with Loss in Graduate School

There were no how-to articles or university guidelines for dealing with such a catastrophic loss, and I found myself irrationally wondering if I was doing something wrong.

Mitra holds her hand up to her mouth like a megaphone. She's in a crowd and wearing a Sunrise shirt that says "good jobs and a livable future."

Why young people in STEM should mobilize for a Green New Deal

I never thought I’d have to choose between doing my schoolwork and fighting for a livable future.