GFS Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Program

GFS WISE projects span a wide range across disciplines from nearly every Johns Hopkins school. Students have tackled WISE projects ranging from biology and biomedical engineering, chemistry and cognitive science, anthropology and art history, neuroscience and nutrition, fluid mechanics and food deserts, and education and electrical engineering, to name just a few. Many WISE projects are cross-disciplinary, cross-departmental, and even multi-school in design, providing WISE students with a valuable window into the breadth and focus of STEM study and the collaborative nature of STEM research.

 

In addition to in-depth time in a Hopkins lab and working one-on-one with graduate-level researchers, WISE students are included in lectures, seminars, departmental meetings and other activities designed to expose them to a range of science and engineering disciplines. STEM-related events at Hopkins and field trips to such regional resources as the National Institutes of Health, Goddard Space Flight Center, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and the Central Intelligence Agency raise students' awareness of the range of science careers available to them.

The most important lesson you will learn through GFS WISE is what you learn about yourself, which will be invaluable to you in college and beyond. In addition, through observing and participating in how a scientist/engineer in a specific discipline identifies and approaches a particular research question, you will:

Since 2005, 150 faculty and graduate student scientists and engineers have served as GFS WISE mentors from across different Hopkins’ schools. Participating departments include:

Applied Mathematics and Statistics

Biology

Biomedical Engineering

Biophysics

Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Chemistry

Cognitive Science

Earth and Planetary Sciences

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Geography and Environmental Engineering

Health, Behavior and Society

International Health

Materials Science and Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences

Physics and Astronomy

Physiology and Brain Sciences

 

WISE students are mentored by dedicated faculty, both at JHU and GFS, and with a peer cohort. Research shows that women are more likely to succeed in STEAM disciplines if they have direct mentoring experiences. Students establish a work relationship with their mentor and learn how to be a contributing member of a lab. They are able to share their experience with fellow WISE students.

 

WISE mentors and other JHU advocates advise students on planning a future in science, engineering, public health and other science-related fields. WISE students have access to faculty, graduate and undergraduate students who provide insights into the rewards, challenges, and opportunities for women in STEM in general and at JHU specifically. Mentor/student pairing is based in part on the student’s interest in the mentor’s discipline and research and the student’s preparedness. Guarantees regarding interest matches are not possible, however. Students should not participate in WISE if they are not willing to accept any placement assignment that program administrators deem appropriate based on student preparation and project availability.

 

JHU mentors provide instruction on laboratory safety, protocols, equipment use and other elements related to their particular research.

GFS WISE students participate in a customized Junior- or Senior-year curriculum at Garrison Forest and spend two afternoons a week on the Johns Hopkins campus in hands-on research, science immersion experiences, and mentoring activities.

 

Each WISE student has a GFS advisor and a faculty member who works closely with the student to ensure that all needs and requirements are met for the GFS curriculum. At GFS, students participate in class time and out-of-class sessions that support their WISE experience.

 

WISE is challenging but can be a transforming experience. Through working with faculty and graduate student mentors in a lab or other research setting, being part of an effort that has a purpose beyond her own education, the WISE student has a chance to learn about how science works, about intellectual persistence, about learning from failure and from success, and about herself, in ways that are distinctive and valuable.

 

GFS WISE participants may opt to live on campus in GFS residence halls for the one-semester WISE program, contingent upon space availability. Those students boarding for WISE will enjoy a living-learning community at GFS that enhances their science experience and provides them with 24/7 faculty support and the distinctive educational experience of being a boarding student.

 

Options for living on campus during WISE are available for day students with an interest. Information is available from Ms. Perry. Learn about boarding at GFS.