Frontiers of Technology and Innovation: Re-shaping STEM and Society
Join us & women leaders in STEM for the 9th Annual International Women’s Day Symposium.
About the Event:
Although women make up nearly half the United States’ workforce, they remain under-represented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, particularly at advanced career stages and in leadership. Recent data shows that women earn 53% of STEM-related Bachelor’s degrees and 58% of all Bachelor’s degrees; however, they make up only 28% of the STEM workforce.
The theme of this year’s symposium is Frontiers of Technology and Innovation: Re-shaping STEM and Society. This event aims to examine the effects of this unprecedented era of rapid technological advancement. We will discuss the effects of artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) on various sectors including quantum computing, biotechnology, and society as a whole. We will also discuss regulation and the impact these technologies have on the human experience.
Please join us at the International Women’s Day Symposium! The symposium provides opportunities to interact with representatives from our initiative’s partner and sponsor organizations in industry, academia, law, and local non-profits.
Date: Friday, March 6th, 2026
Time: 2 PM- 7 PM [Doors open at 1:30 PM]
Location: Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine SQBRC Potocsnak Family Atrium , 303 E Superior St Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| Event Description | Start Time | End Time | Location |
| On-site Registration Networking with Industry and Professional Partners | 1:30 pm | 2:00 pm | Potocsnak Family Atrium, SQBRC |
| Welcome and Opening Remarks Manju Sivasankar – PhD Candidate , Northwestern University & International Women’s Day Symposium Committee Chair, Chicago Women in STEM Initiative Sophie Hu – PhD Candidate, Northwestern University & President of Chicago Women in STEM Initiative | 2:00 pm | 2:10 pm | SQBRC Auditorium |
| Interactive Workshop: The Cycle of Gender Bias in Artificial Intelligence Workshop Leader: Tessa Charlesworth, PhD | 2:15 pm | 3:15pm | SQBRC Auditorium |
| Coffee Break Networking with Industry and Professional Partners | 3:20 pm | 3:45pm | Potocsnak Family Atrium, SQBRC |
| Panel and Q&A with Local Women Leaders in STEM Panel Facilitator: Colleen Zaccard, PhD, Research Asst. Prof, Northwestern University, Founder & Faculty Advisor of CWIS Panelist: Jun Ma, MD, PhD Panelist: Laura Appenzeller Panelist: Emily Easton, PhD | 3:50 pm | 4:50 pm | SQBRC Auditorium |
| Keynote Speaker: Maryellen Giger, PhD | 4:55 pm | 5:55 pm | SQBRC Auditorium |
| Networking Reception | 6:00 pm | 7:00 pm | Potocsnak Family Atrium, SQBRC |
Thank you to our sponsors!
Chicago Women in STEM Symposium is being supported by generous donors such as: Northwestern’s The Graduate School, Northwestern’s Masters of Science in Law program, Nothwestern’s Driskill Graduate Program, University of Illinois at Chicago’s Graduate College, and Science Olympiad + Million Women Mentors. Other donors include: Association of Women in Science Chicago, and The Center for Reproductive Science at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.