Inspiring the Future: Women in Science Conference Champions the Next Generation of STEM Leaders

Amy DiRienzo’s office wall showcases a powerful gallery of women pioneers — from Madeleine Albright and Michelle Obama to Katherine Johnson and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. But among the faces of those trailblazers is one woman who isn't pictured yet holds just as much significance to DiRienzo — the woman who first inspired her to become an engineer.

“I decided in fourth grade that I wanted to be an engineer,” said DiRienzo, CAMP director at South Dakota Mines and president of Youth in Science. “I was in Girl Scouts working on a junior badge and as part of the requirement for the badge I needed to interview a female engineer.”

The daughter of her mom’s friend — a young electrical engineer from DiRienzo’s hometown of Cheyenne, Wyo. — worked on electronics for robotic surgery equipment and airplane control panels. “After that interview, I thought she had the coolest job. I was like, this is what I am going to do,” DiRienzo said.

That spark led DiRienzo to earn her bachelor’s and master’s in mechanical engineering. She spent 10 years working in industry before joining Mines and inspiring the next generation of female STEM leaders.

More than 850 middle school girls will converge on the South Dakota Mines campus from 9 a.m. to 2:35 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11, for the annual Women in Science Conference. The keynote address will take place in the Goodell Gym while the exhibit hall will be in the Fraser Gym with nearly 50 speakers spread across the Mines campus.

The immersion-based experience is designed to provide young women with engaging opportunities to learn about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

A wide range of STEM careers will be demonstrated by professional women leading interactive exhibits and discussions. The speakers include engineers, physicians, dentists, meteorologists, science educators, veterinarians, geologists and accountants.

“For a lot of young people, it is difficult to picture yourself in a career unless you see someone like you doing it. We want to show students the cool things they can get involved in and link that with someone they relate to being successful and enjoying their job,” DiRienzo said.

Darlene Cavalier, Ph.D., a professor of practice at Arizona State University's School for the Future of Innovation in Society, will deliver the keynote address. She is the founder of SciStarter, a popular citizen science portal, and research platform connecting millions of people to real science they can do, and Science Cheerleaders, Inc., a nonprofit organization comprised of current and former National Football League, National Basketball Association, and college cheerleaders pursuing STEM careers. She is also a co-founder of ECAST: Expert and Citizen Assessment of Science and Technology.

Every 7th-grade girl in the Rapid City Area School (RCAS) district will attend as well as girls from American Horse School, Creekside Christian, Custer, Douglas, Edgemont, EmpowerEd, Hermosa, Hill City, Hot Springs, Kadoka, Little Wound, Mahpiya Luta (Red Cloud), New Underwood, Pine Ridge, Spring Creek, St. Thomas More and Wall as well as homeschooled students.  

Attendance has increased substantially over the past five years thanks to a partnership between Youth in Science and RCAS to make the conference part of its district’s curriculum. In addition, Black Hills State University started hosting a conference that serves the Northern Black Hills and Eastern Wyoming schools.

“We really worked hard to make sure the conference is accessible to every young woman in the area,” DiRienzo said.

The program is hosted by Youth in Science Rapid City, Inc. and co-sponsored by Mines’ Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) program and funded by grants and community partners. Sponsors include: Platinum Level ($5,000+): Caterpillar; Gold Level ($1,000-$4,999): South Dakota Mines, Halliburton, Monument Health, South Dakota Space Grant Consortium, Coeur Wharf, West River Electric, Black Hills Energy; Silver Level ($500-$999): Black Hills Chapter South Dakota Engineering Society,  Midcontinent Testing Laboratories, South Dakota Mines WiSE, and with additional support from the Rushmore Hotel & Suites and the South Dakota Discovery Center.