Emerging international higher ed leaders visit Duke to connect on empowering women leaders in STEM
The visit was part of the International Visitor Leadership Program, the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program.
A delegation from the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) visited Duke on Nov. 5 as part of the “Hidden No More: Empowering Women Leaders in STEM” program.
The Hidden No More initiative brings women leaders from around the world to the U.S. to engage with American professional counterparts on the evolution and advancement of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Program participants are emerging women leaders who are interested in expanding opportunities for women and girls in STEM in their home countries.
While at Duke, the delegation, comprised of female higher education professionals from Bahrain, Cambodia, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Senegal, Uganda and Vietnam, met with Sophia Santillan, associate professor of the practice at Duke University, and Lauren Valentino, assistant professor at UNC Chapel Hill, to learn about the Duke Bass Connections project “Aspiring STEM Professionals Promoting Gender Equity in STEM.”
The professors are working with a team of women and non-binary students from Duke and UNC to address gender bias and the lack of female role models in STEM fields. The undergraduate and graduate student team members are in a class focused on understanding the causes of the gender gap in STEM and conduct free math enrichment workshops for Durham Public School middle school students. These workshops cover topics such as gender stereotypes, self-assessment and a growth mindset while building math skills.
The IVLP visit was arranged by the Institute of International Education and International Focus and hosted by the Sanford School of Public Policy’s executive education program.
"We are honored to support this exchange and contribute to the development of global leaders who are passionate about advancing gender equity in STEM," said Mirna Dave, senior program coordinator for executive education. "Our faculty and researchers are deeply invested in addressing these issues at the local level, and we hope that by exchanging knowledge and strategies, similar initiatives can be adapted and applied in diverse contexts worldwide."