EMPOWERING WOMEN IN
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
Save the date for EWOC 2025, June 12-13, at Abbvie in Chicago Illinois!
In Partnership With
.
Contact ewoc@ewochem.org for information on how you can support EWOC and/or be a conference sponsor.
EWOC's Vision
To be a leading conference in supporting women in the field of Organic Chemistry that accepts and values diversity, understanding that our differences will enable us collectively to be more successful, advance science, and lead to a future where equal opportunity is available to people of all genders and our meeting is no longer required.
EWOC's Mission
To empower and support women to enter and lead successful careers in the field of Organic Chemistry by providing a diverse, inclusive, and innovative environment for them to feel a true sense of belonging, develop powerful networks, and know the opportunities available to them.
Empowerment
…the gaining by individuals or groups of the capability to fully participate in decision-making processes in an equitable and fair fashion — (Miller-Keane Encyclopedia & Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Allied Health, 7th Edition, 2003)
…an external process which builds a person’s self-esteem and confidence in his/her ability to make good decision and control his/her own life and achieve autonomy — (Segen’s Medical Dictionary, 2012)
History - Why EWOC
Recent data and publications show a persistent lack of women pursuing and maintaining careers in organic chemistry. Despite awareness of this issue, the number of female scientists in the organic chemistry community remains low (<20%). Many women enter academics and industry to study science but then opt out to pursue other careers, some of which are congruent with science, while others are outside the discipline altogether.
Evidence indicates that providing an opportunity for women to meet, network, and share scientific and career strategies is one effective approach to encouraging women to enter and maintain careers in science. Inspired by the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing series of conferences, which were established to encourage women to participate in computer science, we proposed that something similar was needed in organic chemistry, where we should actively be looking for opportunities to recognize, identify and retain women in the field of organic chemistry, regardless of gender or any other protected characteristic.
To accomplish this goal, we founded the Empowering Women in Organic Chemistry (EWOC) Conferences in 2019. The EWOC conference allows women leaders to present their scientific research and also allows the participants to hear career stories of how eminent women in the field of organic chemistry have developed their careers and learn of the challenges they have faced – and overcome – along the way. In addition, the conference includes a career panel, a series of excellent workshops to provide participants the tools to navigate their careers, and a poster session.
This annual meeting welcomes women (students, post-docs, faculty, and professionals) and allies who work or plan to work in the field of organic chemistry, broadly defined, from all types of institutions (academic, industry, biotech, non-profit and government). The conference provides a unique opportunity for networking and is committed to improving upon the overall diversity within the organic chemistry community within a supportive environment. We seek to empower all marginalized individuals across all chemistry fields.
EWOC is dedicated to equity, justice, diversity, and inclusion. We strive to provide a harassment-free experience for everyone. All communication should be professional; hate speech will not be tolerated.
Check out Diversify Chemistry. The site was created by EWOC 2021 speaker, Anne J. McNeil, PhD, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, to bring visibility to those from underrepresented groups in the academic chemistry community. The site has been expanded include industrial chemists as well as graduate students/post docs. It is intended to provide a valuable resource for academic and industry chemists alike as we all work together to counter bias and embrace diversity.
Dr. Marisa C. Kozlowski of the University of Pennsylvania has created a website and database of female organic chemists. At the time of it’s launch on March 8, 2021 — International Women’s Day — the database already contained over 500 listings!
News and Announcements
STATEMENT FROM EWOC LEADERSHIP
EWOC is dedicated to equity, justice, diversity, and inclusion in science as well as in our shared society. However, we realize that institutional racism makes these ideals impossible for communities of color. With the brutal and tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and those that have come before them and since, we remain committed to supporting Black communities and addressing racial injustice. As former President Obama has said, “it falls on us to create a ‘new normal’ in which the legacy of bigotry and unequal treatment no longer infects our institutions or our hearts.” We are in this together, and are all responsible and accountable to lead positive change.
Check out the Australian Journal of Chemistry – Women in Chemistry issue: https://www.publish.csiro.au/ch
Chapters Host Joint Events
The EWOC Chapters established a symposium series. The goal of these symposia is to provide a space and create a venue where graduate students/postdoc can present their research and gain feedback and where academic/industry professionals can offer informal mentoring.
Click here to see overview slides from the symposia.
Check out the chapter page to learn more about the EWOC chapters and how to connect with them.
Interesting Reading:
Video of EWOC 2024
Follow Jennifer as she takes us through a day-in-the-life at the annual EWOC meeting. This provides women in chemistry an inclusive, innovative environment that fosters belonging. Discover how we empower women to build strong networks and explore limitless opportunities in STEM together. Link
Article titled “Sexism in academia is bad for science and a waste of public funding”
This commentary advocates for change at the University and Government levels, rather than putting the onus on women to change. Read more in Nature Reviews.