The Scientista Foundation

Although much progress has been made in recent decades, there are persistent hurdles to the advancement of women in the sciences. The "leaky pipeline" model describes the proportion of women "on track" to potentially becoming top scientists as falling off at every step of the way, from getting interested in science and math in elementary school, through doctorate, postdoc, and career steps. In biology, for instance, women in the United States have been getting Master's degrees in the same numbers as men for two decades, yet fewer women get Ph.D.s; and the numbers of women P.I.s have not risen*. The Scientista Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to bridging the gaps between established professionals and female students interested in pursuing careers in the sciences. Recognizing that direct communication between women at these different stages in their careers is difficult, we seek to serve as a comprehensive online resource to women in college and graduate school. By offering mentorship, advice, resources, and opportunities, we hope to help young women across the country realize their career goals. Scientista aims to build the largest network of campus women in science. Scientista serves to connect existing communities of women in science at campuses across the nation, giving such important organizations more visibility and resources, and building a strong, cohesive network of women in science that can act as one voice.