Starting in 1975, the United Nations adapted International Women's Day as a day to celebrate womanhood and to shed light on equity challenges across the world. This year the theme "Think equal, build smart, innovate for change" embodies the role science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields must have to advance gender equity and contribute to "Building a Better World". This UNT event highlights the accomplishments of UNT women in STEM and discusses how women in STEM contribute to building a better world and educate to empower the future generations.
This afternoon symposium will take place on March 1, 2019 at the UNT Union Ballroom 314, and will be free and open to everyone the UNT community and friends.
The event includes an interactive panel moderated by UNT Biological Sciences professor Dr. Amie Lund and a distinguished group of panelists from various fields of STEM and education who will discuss their professional experience, expertise, and roles in building a better world. There will also be two headlining guests from NASA and SMU giving talks on their experiences and approaches to empowering the future: Dr. Catharine Conley and Dr. Eva Csaky.
Meet the Featured Speakers
Dr. Catharine Conley
Dr. Catharine "Cassie" Conley is an astrobiologist and former NASA Planetary Protection Officer. She received her Ph.D. in Plant Biology from Cornell University in 1994, and obtained a postdoctoral fellow position at The Scripps Research Institute studying proteins involved in muscle contraction. In 1999 Conley became a research scientist with the NASA Ames Research Center. Her research focuses on the evolution of motility, particularly animal muscle.
One of her experiments was on board during the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. The experiment, the fourteenth Biological Research In Canisters (BRIC-14), survived re-entry and the nematode cultures were still alive. Some scientific data was recovered. In 2006, Conley was appointed as NASA's Planetary Protection Officer in their Planetary Protection Office at NASA HQ.
Dr. Eva Csaky
Dr. Eva Szalkai Csaky is the Executive Director of the Hunt Institute for Engineering & Humanity and Research Professor at SMU where Eva's work focuses on fostering inclusive economic solutions through various market based mechanisms. Prior to joining SMU, Eva worked for 18 years for the International Finance Corporation (private sector arm of the World Bank Group). A key pillar of Eva's work is innovative financial solutions and she earned various recognitions for her contributions in that area, including the first IFC/World Bank Innovation Award. Eva led investment transactions in 24 countries, with a focus on energy efficiency, renewable energy, clean water access and sustainable value chains.
Eva is the co-author of the recent G20 study "Climate Smart Financing for Small and Medium Enterprises - Enabling Policy frameworks". Eva is also a member of Dallas Mayor Rawlings' Poverty Task Force, the Advisory Group for Dallas Chief Resilience Officer and served as an advisor to the OECD's Green Growth Knowledge Platform..
Eva has an MS in Finance from the George Washington University, an MA in Public Policy from Duke University and a PhD in Public Policy with specialization on Globalization and Development with focus on inclusive value chains from Duke University.