Coming in February!
WISE Symposium 2024
The (R)evolution of Artificial Intelligence:
How does it and how will it shape our lives?
This photo was generated by using an AI image generator.

It’s Here!

The 11th Annual W.IS.E. Symposium

Wednesday, May 24th, 4:30 – 8:30 pm, at Churchill High School Auditorium, 1850 Bailey Hill Rd., Eugene

Biology: Life Through Different Lenses

Click Here to register and Join us in the spirit of curiosity and
exploration in science, technology, engineering, and math! Technology problems? Event Questions? Email:  elam_m@4j.lane.edu.
Symposium Schedule
4:30-5:10 — Check-in, choose workshops, & Snacks
5:10-5:15 — Orientation – Welcome and instructions
5:15-5:35 — Keynote Speaker – Jen Phillips, PhD, Westerfield Lab University of Oregon Institute of Neuroscience
5:40-6:20 — Session 1
6:30-7:10 — Session 2
7:15-7:55 — Session 3
8:00-8:30 — Pizza and raffle prizes!
Keynote Speaker and Workshops

Keynote Speaker – Jen Phillips, Associate Professor in the University of Oregon Westerfield Lab

Team Zebrafish! – From gene-editing to preclinical drug testing: How zebrafish models help us find treatments for retinal diseases
Is a Master’s in Science in Store for You? – Join Thermofisher scientist Katherine Carey and hear about her career path and the research she’s conducted on her journey.
Lasers: Light through Different Lenses – Cool chemist shoots lasers to find answers. Dr. Julia Widom, UO professor of physical chemistry
Bioengineering: Tissues and Proteins — Malley Gautreaux and Karly Fear, University of Oregon
Stories in Soil: How Microbial Ecosystems Can Have Significant Environmental Impacts, Sarah Kirby, Eugene SD 4J

W.I.S.E. meets on Tuesdays at lunch

in the STEM Conference Room.

W.I.S.E. Mission Statement:  We, as advocates of Women in Science and Engineering at Churchill High School, understand that gender inequality continues to exist. By hosting the WISE Symposium and other STEM activities, we hope to encourage more high school girls and other under served groups around the Eugene area to proudly pursue careers as scientists and engineers.

Juniors and Seniors –Check out this great scholarship opportunity! NPC Centennial Scholarships

Our November Guest Speaker …

UO Westerfield Lab Research Associate
Jen Phillips, Ph.D.

Coming to a Tuesday in November. Researcher Jen Phillips, Ph.D., talks about her career pathway to science and her current research at the UO Westerfield Lab. She uses zebrafish as a model to study human genetic disorders.

Scroll down to check out our past events.

2022 W.I.S.E. Symposium!

Last year’s theme was

Pacific Northwest Climate Change:

From Our Forests to Our Ocean

Raffle Prizes!  Thursday, May 26th, 2022 from 3:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Churchill High School Auditorium, 1850 Bailey Hill Rd., Eugene  Dinner included!

Churchill High School’s Women In Science & Engineering welcomes all high school students and 8th graders to our 10th annual W.I.S.E. Symposium! Hands-on and interactive workshops from how climate change can affect raptors in the mountain skies to the fish in our ocean.

3:30 p.m. – 4:10 Check-in and choose your workshops, and grab a snack
4:10-4:15 —Orientation – Welcome and instructions
4:15-4:35 — Keynote Speaker – Lauren Hallett, Hallett Lab University of Oregon Institute of Ecology & Evolution
4:40-5:20 — Session 1
5:30-6:10 — Session 2
6:15-6:55 — Session 3
7:00-7:30 — Pizza and raffle prizes!

Lauren Hallett from the University of Oregon Institute of Ecology and Evolution is a plant community ecologist with the goal of producing “usable” science to improve ecosystem management. She uses a combination of long-term data analysis, population modeling, and field experiments to this end. Research themes: community assembly, functional traits, species coexistence, ecosystem stability, and resilience theory. Her research spans a variety of systems, including working rangelands, serpentine grasslands, woodlands, and alpine. 

Workshop Descriptions

Sea Otter Play – Meet Katie Russell University of Oregon Graduate student and a member of the Elakha Alliance board, a nonprofit working to restore Oregon’s historic sea otter population. She’ll share their work and how conserving Oregon’s kelp forest ecosystems is a natural climate solution.

The Cascades Raptor Center birds will be here again this year! In one of the most popular workshop sessions, the CRC handlers will talk about the climate change effects on birds, their habitats, and food sources.

How Climate change affects plants in the Willamette Valley – Join University of Oregon Ph.D. ecology student Sarah Erskine as she demonstrates how climate change affects plants in Willamette Valley prairies — particularly how climate change affects the timing of species germination and flowering and how these shifts in germination and/or flowering will affect how species interact with one another.

Folks from the Oregon Center for Electrochemistry will host a workshop on renewable energy. The OCE is heavily involved in renewable energy technology research in the PNW and has started a dual bachelor/master’s track degree in electrochemical engineering at UO.

Oregon State University’s Engineers without Borders will lead a workshop on making potable (drinkable) water using all kinds of different materials from sand to paper. Dig in (literally!) to the topic of providing clean drinking water for communities in these changing times.

DOWL Engineering – Learn about sustainable engineering from long-time W.I.S.E.  supporter Gary Rayor.

Scholarship Opportunity

MPower – A scholarship opportunity for International and DACA women in STEM https://www.helptostudy.com/mpower-women-in-stem-scholarships/

9th Annual WISE Symposium

Yes! We did it again! WISE Symposium 2021 was embedded in some of the Churchill science and math classes this June. We recorded the sessions for your viewing pleasure …

Celebration of Women in Engineering

In recognition of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, learn more about this international day of recognition by clicking on the link above.

“Rooted in Community” a short 7-minute film featuring 6 OSU female engineers.

W.I.S.E. – ZOOMposium 2020, seven Workshop videos from area scientists and engineers recorded during Oregon’s Stay-at-Home Order.

COVID-19, Dr. Jen Phillips from the University of Oregon Westerfield Lab fills us in on this new virus that has us staying home, wearing masks, and washing our hands like crazy. Click on the link to view (each video is about 45 minutes in length). Note: this was recorded on 04/30/2020 and some of the information may have changed since then.

https://www.loom.com/share/f987b921d2e14f2ca4c99e0c68f7931a

COVID-19 Isolation Well-being, Sarah Woods, Churchill School Psychologist talks about taking care of our emotional, social, and psychological well-being in the face of social distancing and isolation.

https://www.loom.com/share/447896520ec34decb95773ee4d459dd8

Keynote Speaker Jessa Sequeira of Oregon State University, Bend https://www.loom.com/share/57b21ddc88124bf4a2d3aefa7fe1c112

OSU College of Engineering Ambassadors https://www.loom.com/share/869acf5ed5d44b2ab2442271df9ffcb1

Additional COE Ambassador videos

DNA Extraction with UO’s Dr. Leslie Coonrod, Associate Director of the Bioinformatics and Genomics https://www.loom.com/share/754d159ca89143928c09c973ddd1ff9d

Zebrafish: models for human genetic disease with Dr. Jen Phillips, UO’s Institute of Neuroscience https://www.loom.com/share/b388088d57f7497d886411f0de39b3d4

Nontraditional Careers – Welding with Lane CC students and faculty
https://www.loom.com/share/ec3d20dafc9c4f51bfb24e87a7fd5fff