Ashley Valentina Schwartz

Ashley Valentina Schwartz

PhD candidate studying computational science and developmental toxicology. :)

S-STEM Scholars Meeting

1 minute read

In September 2023 I had the chance to attend the first annual S-STEM Scholars Meeting in Washington D.C. and represent the San Diego State University Computational Science Research Center in the process. This is all made possible through the ASSICS Scholarship I was awarded in 2020.

S-STEM welcome plenary.

What is S-STEM?

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program funded and supported the ASSICS Scholarship I was awarded in 2020. Throughout my tenure as a scholar, I have had ample opportunities to learn about STEM career pathways and how to be an effective interdisciplinary researcher. The S-STEM program supports many other programs such as ASSICS across the country and this event brought many S-STEM scholars to Washington D.C. for a research and professional development meeting. The program and meeting is facilitated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Professional Development

Throughout the meeting, I attended many different presentations and professional development workshops about STEM careers and success. It is always enlightening to learn about the variety of ways people find their passions and career path as no two are ever the same. The greatest takeaway from the meeting is there is never a final destination, but always a path for growth.

Research Presentation

Beyond participating in the professional development seminars, I was chosen to present my research to the S-STEM scholar community. Presenting this work at the S-STEM meeting was a particularly rewarding experience as I got to chat to many different undergraduate students who are just getting started in their research journeys. I enjoyed chatting about my specific work and journey as a graduate student to anyone who had questions.

Presenting my poster presentation at the S-STEM meeting.

Exploring D.C.

I attended the meeting with two fellow doctoral students in the CSRC program and we made the most of being in D.C. We got to see the sights and visit some museums!

White House Lincoln Memorial
Exploring Washington D.C. with my fellow classmates.

I am honored to have been nominated for this event and am grateful for the opportunity.

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