On November 14th, the Maynooth University Women in STEM Society had a fabulous time at the Johnson & Johnson WiSTEM2D STEMFest 2023 event in Thomond Park, Limerick. Janela Trexy Aquino (BSC Robotics), Meda Griniute (BEng, Engineering), Hannah Bagtasos (BSc Computer Science), Jessica Connolly Cunningham (BSc Science, Chemistry and Biology), and Prof Denise Rooney, Associate Dean for the Faculty of Science and Engineering, were thrilled to be part of this incredible experience.
In 2015, Johnson & Johnson launched the prestigious WiSTEM2D (Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Manufacturing, and Design) Undergraduate Award Initiative. The Award recognizes outstanding female students in STEM2D disciplines, and this year, 62 students from five Irish universities received scholarships. It's the eighth year of this annual awards programme, showcasing Johnson & Johnson's unwavering commitment to advancing female excellence in STEM fields and this is the first year that all recipients came together for a day-long event. This programme is all about fuelling the development of female STEM2D talent, supporting them at critical points in their careers, and inspiring more women to pursue careers in STEM. The programme isn't just a scholarship—it's a commitment to building the next generation of STEM talent and breaking barriers for women pursuing careers in these sectors. The programme involves leadership training, mentoring, internships, site tours, and recruitment workshops. Significantly, it is not just celebrating success; it is also addressing the gender gap in STEM education. Males are much more likely to be studying STEM than females. According to the Higher Education Authority (HEA), in the last year, 43% of males as opposed to 19% of females were studying STEM at undergraduate level.
A massive thank you to J&J personnel, Anna Rafferty, lead for the WiSTEM2D program, and Bridget McDyer for the invitation. Prof Denise Rooney commented, "We had a wonderful day—a true celebration of women in STEM. We heard keynote speakers, panel discussions and fireside chats from inspirational women and workshops on personal branding, it was a motiving and uplifting experience. The MU students were out networking and getting a great insight into what their futures could look like. Congratulations to all this year’s winners from UL, UCC, UG, TCD and MTU. Maynooth University, has a strong record of female STEM graduates leading fulfilling careers and we can't wait to explore possibilities with Johnson & Johnson and make the incredible opportunity of the WiSTEM2D Undergraduate Award Initiative available to our students next year.”
The Maynooth University Women in STEM Society shared a post about the event on their LinkedIn page saying:
“MU Women in STEM Society would like to give a huge thanks to Johnson & Johnson for organizing this amazing WiSTEM2D Event.
Johnson & Johnson is a leading health care company that is a huge advocate for women of all ages. They have been making groundbreaking change that has positively impacted women around the world. We are very inspired by the work that they do and we are honored to have participated in this event. We hope to collaborate with you again soon.
We would also like to thank all the staff and volunteers who have made the event possible. A special mention to Bridget Mc Dyer, who was our point of contact. A huge thanks to you for making all of us from Maynooth University feel right and welcome.
Through this event, we had the pleasure of making great connections with fellow like-minded Women in STEM from Munster Technological University, Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork, Atlantic Technological University and University of Limerick, who were also in attendance at this event.”
