Our Women in STEM: Connect is back! This year's event will feature a lively panel discussion with Q&A;, video shorts, and will be followed by networking. We welcome everyone, from women just contemplating a future in a science-related field to career veterans, and all those in between. Men are welcome to attend! Our 2015 Women in STEM: Connect event will highlight successful women, their passion for science and technology, and what motivated them along their different career paths. This event will feature our ChicaGo Science short video series about alternative STEM fields and careers. We will host a panel discussion with ample time for Q&A;, followed by a networking session. As in our other Women in STEM events, we expect a range of attendees, from those contemplating a career in STEM, to those early and mid-level in their chosen fields, to career veterans. Students, please join us! We welcome all ages to this event; you are likely to meet someone in a career you are contimplating! This event is open to all, men and women. PANELISTS: Mary Bauer is the Head Brewer of the Lagunitas Brewery in Chicago, IL. She grew up in Aurora, IL and graduated from Waubonsie Valley High School. Mary studied Chemistry and Food Science at the University of Illinois. She started her brewing career at Anheuser Busch InBev in their Research Pilot Brewery. She also spent three years at their Cartersville, GA brewery. Recently, Mary worked for Pepsi in the warehouse and quality departments but wanted to get back to her true passion… beer! Mary started with Lagunitas in 2013 just as the Chicago brewery was beginning construction. The new brewery is capable of producing over 500,000 barrels of beer a year and is undergoing an expansion that will double that capacity. The Chicago brewery has brewed 26 different beers since their April 2014 startup date, and Mary is really excited for more great beer to come! Debra Shore was elected to the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago in 2006, and was re-elected in 2012. A strong advocate for resource recovery and cleaning up the Chicago waterways, she received the Public Officials Award from the Water Environment Federation in 2013. Debra is president of the board of directors for the Illinois Women’s Institute for Leadership (IWIL) and president of the board for Congregation Sukkat Shalom in Wilmette; she also serves on the boards of the Great Lakes Protection Fund and the Gay & Lesbian Victory Institute. She lives with her partner-in-life, Kathleen Gillespie, in Skokie, Illinois. She has climbed 42 of Colorado’s 54 mountains more than 14,000’ high. Kapila Viges is an engineer, entrepreneur and economic developer with over 15 years of experience in starting and growing early stage technology companies, organizational strategy, and innovation based economic development policy. In her current role as Director of EnterpriseWorks Chicago at the University of Illinois, Kapila has launched a new model for technology and startup incubation operations to support the commercialization of complex research and high-tech innovation. Co-founding “Innovate@UIC” with complementary University commercialization activities, Kapila is working to accelerate the social and economic impact of cutting edge research on the community and also serves as Director of the Proof of Concept Fund for IllinoisVENTURES. Kapila received her degree in Materials Science and Engineering at The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. MODERATOR: Rabiah Mayas Ph.D. is the Director of Science and Integrated Strategies in the Center for the Advancement of Science Education (CASE) at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago. Rabiah is a member of numerous professional societies, non-profit boards and advisory committees for science learning and engagement initiatives. She is currently a featured repeat guest on WTTW’s Chicago Tonight for their “Scientific Chicago” segments. Prior to assuming her current position, Rabiah was the Science Director of Science Chicago, a year-long campaign spearheaded by the Museum that highlighted science and technology achievements, increased access to science learning experiences, and promoted dialogue about the importance of S&T.; Rabiah earned a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at The University of Chicago, her B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and a Certificate in Modern Languages and Linguistics (French concentration) from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, where she was a Meyerhoff Scholar. She is a recreational triathlete, ½-marathoner and marathoner, and enjoys international travel, photography, and live storytelling.

• published: 19 Dec 2015
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