The Story of Women in Fluids: Science, Identity, and Powerful Storytelling

Well-told stories have the power to spark curiosity, shift perspectives, and transform lives. The mission of the Stories of Women in Fluids Initiative is to recruit and retain femme-identifying individuals—especially those of color—in the field of fluid dynamics through the power of storytelling. Today, we celebrate two newly published anthologies that reflect the diverse voices, journeys, and passions of women in our field.

The first anthology, Persevere, Survive & Thrive: Hard-won Wisdom from Women in Science, is a collection of candid career narratives by women in fluid dynamics across a wide range of career stages. These personal essays reveal the complex cultural, social, and institutional forces that shape scientific careers while celebrating the resilience, strength, and ingenuity of the authors.

The second book, For All the Curious Girls: Stories of Wonder, Exploration, and Scientific Discovery, invites readers ages 8–12 into the world of fluid dynamics through a newly coined genre: scientific storytelling. In these narratives, researchers interweave their personal origin stories with the science they love—modeling what it means to be a scientist and inviting young readers to imagine themselves in STEM.

Our origin story began with a single question at the 2022 DFD Women in Fluids Networking Lunch—What stories can we tell to help girls and women join us in this field? In just three years, our grassroots effort grew into an Initiative– one that published two anthologies and continues to grow in urgency and impact. This presentation will share our origin story, showcase excerpts from both books, and offer a look at the process and purpose behind this storytelling movement in fluid dynamics.