¿“Científicas” 2025: Highlighting Women in Science and Fostering STEM Diversity
On July 24, the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology at the University of Santiago, Chile, in partnership with the Science Up Consortium, inaugurated the 2025 edition of “Científicas.” This series of talks and experiences aims to highlight the role of women in science and promote vocations in STEM fields from a diversity perspective.
Lorena Jiménez
August 6
The “Científicas” initiative, organized by the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology at the University of Santiago, Chile, and the Science Up Consortium, began its 2025 edition with a key question: What happens when the school community and the university community come together to rethink the place of women in science? The event’s opening focused on this dialogue between academic and school communities, aiming to highlight the role of women in STEM and promote new vocations from a diversity perspective.
This initiative features a series of talks and experiences designed to help schoolchildren rediscover science from a gender and diversity perspective, promoting new vocations in STEM.
“This year, our faculty is relaunching this initiative with the support of the Women’s Leadership and Participation Hub (LPF) of the Science Up Consortium. Through various activities throughout the second semester, we aim to highlight the role of women in science and invite the entire Usach community to join the series,” said Dr. Fernando Ortiz Cisternas, director of Community Relations at the Usach Faculty of Chemistry and Biology.
The initial attendees were students from the Alexander Fleming School in Las Condes. Their visit was organized by their chemistry and natural sciences teacher, Claudia Pizarro, a graduate of the Usach Master’s in Chemistry program.
“Our goal is for them to experience university life and get a taste of what it’s like to be a scientist. We seek to enhance their skills, not only in the scientific field, but also in the social sphere,” said the teacher.
The event also included a reflective talk by Karina Ruiz Arriagada from the Women’s Leadership and Participation Hub (LPF). She encouraged participants to analyze their daily experiences to identify habits linked to ingrained biases. The goal was to provide the audience with tools to become agents of change.
These opportunities are crucial in motivating more women to become interested in STEM. These activities allow us to reflect on attitudes that, without realizing it, can limit the participation of some people in the classroom. Promoting more equitable and respectful spaces is also part of the change we foster," she concluded.