The Stories of Women in Fluids Initiative: Actions for the future

As part of The Stories of Women in Fluids Initiative Minisymposium, this talk will highlight successful efforts led by diversity ambassadors in the field of fluid dynamics and showcase existing resources available to support diversity efforts. Speakers will share programs that have worked well to increase the participation of women and other underrepresented groups in fluid dynamics and will identify action items for the future. More specifically, Jane Bae will present the Caltech Young Investigators Lecture Series program in Engineering and Applied Sciences, which provides research exposure and networking opportunities for outstanding early career researchers from groups historically underrepresented in STEM. Francesca Bernardi will highlight the STEM Faculty Launch workshop, which helped graduate students and postdoctoral scholars navigate the academic job market and prepare for a successful tenure-track position. Margaret Byron will introduce strategies to normalize and support parents in academia as well as early-career women in fluid dynamics and engineering. Mark Jabbal will present the AeroWomen initiative, led by Q&As with women in fluid dynamics, that has helped improve diversity in academic forums and outline actions for improving the workplace. Theresa Saxton-Fox will introduce the year-long graduate orientation for women and gender minorities (GrOW) program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, which provided resources and community for incoming graduate students. In summary, the goal of this session is to raise awareness of the importance of diversity in fluid dynamics, provide inspiration for others to take action, and highlight the resources available to support diversity efforts in the field.