Our GeekGirlCon community is fantabulous! You love us so much that we have now sold out of one-day passes online. There may be a few left in stores – but call first to be sure there are. You can still get two day passes online and in stores, but hurry, passes are going fast.
Come celebrate and honor the legacy of women contributing to science and technology with a Keynote Presentation and Q&A with former NASA Astronaut Wendy Lawrence!
Wendy Lawrence earned a bachelor’s degree in ocean engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and a master’s degree in ocean engineering from MIT and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). She was selected as an astronaut mission specialist in 1992 and worked at NASA for 14 years. Her technical assignments included serving as the Director of Operations at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia and as the astronaut office representative to the space station program for crew training, operations and support. She is a veteran of four shuttle missions (STS-67, 86, 91 and 114) and has logged over 50 days in space. Captain Lawrence is a retired naval aviator with 25 years of service. While stationed at HC-6 and HSL-30 Det ALFA, she made deployments to the North Atlantic, Indian Ocean and Kenya. She currently works part-time at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, informing the public about NASA’s spaceflight programs and participating in STEM education programs.
Captain Lawrence will share her experiences and insight of her time in space as well as the importance of STEM education, especially for girls . There will be time for a Q&A so bring your questions!
Then look to the future and celebrate the female geek with Seattle slam poets, Elisa and Rebecca!
Elisa Chavez and Rebecca Shay are spoken word poets living in Seattle, WA. Elisa represented Rain City Slam at the 2014 National Poetry Slam, which placed 7th overall out of 72 teams; Rebecca represented Seattle Poetry Slam, which placed 8th. Both are members of the Seattle Poetry Slam management team, which puts on a great show every week at Re-bar. They love nerdy things and have zero time for misogynistic nonsense; Rebecca has an adorable but terrifying cat.
Elisa and Rebecca will close the night with tales of sidekicks, spaceships, and coming to terms with cherishing and and identifying as a Geek Girl.
This event is free for GeekGirlCon’14 badge holders! This is an event you won’t want to miss!
GeekGirlCon is excited to announce the presence of featured contributor Susan Eisenberg at GeekGirlCon ‘14. Ms. Eisenberg is the voice of Wonder Woman on the Justice League animated series, and a nerdy role model. Her other geeky voice-acting credits include The Super Hero Squad (Power Princess), Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Shaak-Ti), Jak II (Ashelin), Daxter (Taryn), Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Mass Effect 3, and Destiny.
And this year we’re lucky enough to have her join us for several of the con’s highlights!
What you haven’t heard about is the panels and programming we have coming to you for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)! One of GeekGirlCon’s goals as an organization is to encourage women and girls in these STEM fields, and we have quite a lineup at GeekGirlCon ‘14 to further our goals–and YOURS.
“Notable Women in Science” starts first thing in the morning on Saturday, October 11, at 10 a.m. in room 301. This panel highlights women in the history of science around the world, as well as discussing the role of women in science now. Adrienne Roehrich, GeekGirlCon’s own Manager of Editorial Services, is hosting this panel, and as a member of the Double X Science blog, she is the perfect person for this informative hour.
At 11 a.m. Saturday, you have a choice to make: “3D Printing 101” in room LL2, or “What’s New In Astronomy” in room 301. In 3D Printing 101, you’ll learn about this technical and creative field, and about 3D printers themselves from hosts Breanna Anderson and Ericka M. Johnson. “What’s New In Astronomy” is hosted by Drs. Nicole Gugliucci and Lisa Will, who have degrees in astronomy, physics, and astrophysics. This is not their first time with us – they guided us through plate tectonics, the making of moon craters, lunar phases (using Oreos!), and a physical model of our solar system at GeekGirlCon ‘13.
All you coders — and anyone who wants to know more about coding — head up to room 301 at 1 p.m. Saturday for “Lady Code Warriors: The Future is Coming!” This amazing group of female coders will tell you what working in their fields is like, and answer questions you have about joining them there. The FIRST Robotics Team 2930 Sonic Squirrels will also be presenting in room 303 at 1 p.m. Saturday, if you want to take a look at what this amazing team of teeangers is doing with robotics this year and into the future.
“Pathogens for Everyone?”, at 5 p.m. in room LL3, delves into diseases in the human body, and the role that Seattle Biomed, a local non-profit, plays in combating those diseases and more. Panelists Anja Ollodart, Sally Lyons-Abbott, Suzanne McDermott will steer you through these amazing and complex questions and issues.
If that isn’t enough to get your STEM juices flowing, head over to the GeekGirlConnnections room. There are tables representing tech companies from all over Western Washington, including F5 Networks, Amazon, ArenaNet, and Isilon Storage Divison/EMC. Seattle CoderDojo, Girl Scouts of Western Washington, and the Association for Women in Science are a few of the non-profit organizations who may benefit from your help, and show you how to parlay their amazing programs into benefits for your own lives. There are several tables aimed at getting you the education you need to pursue your goals in the Connections Room as well: Northeastern University – Seattle, Cornish College of the Arts, and the University of Washington Information School.
Room 204 is hosting the GeekGirlCon ‘14 Connections Programming, which you’ll see in your Program Book in the same grids as other convention programming. These panels are geared toward making connections in the working world, whether you’re looking for a job, or just looking to make new contacts in your field. There are even two Meetups happening — social time specific for Women in Tech at 5 p.m. Saturday, and Women in Science at 4 p.m. Sunday. Make contacts you need, or meet new friends!
Fall is in full swing! Check out some of these events to welcome in the changing of the season!
Thursday, October 2: Gender Diversity: Beyond the Binary (UW Seattle Campus, Chemistry Building 439) Gender Diversity: Beyond the Binary is a workshop about gender expressions and identities beyond those of male and female, including different gender expressions, common experiences of trans* and gender-nonconforming persons, and how to make public spaces more accessible to non-binary persons. Join us with QCenter staff Jen Self (PhD, MSW) and Jaimée Marsh (MSW), activists and educators dedicated to fighting oppression in all its forms. A free pizza lunch will be provided!”
Thursday, October 2:Burke Trivia Night at College Inn Pub From NW Science: “The Burke Museum presents a monthly pub quiz for science buffs, culture gurus, and museum lovers. Bring your friends to the College Inn Pub and test your knowledge of the natural world. Compete with other teams for drink vouchers and other prizes. Teams are limited to 6 players. Cost: $5 per team.”
Saturday, October 4:Ladies Night at Fantasium Comics From the website: “Fantasium Comics & Games will be hosting Ladies Night on Saturday, October 4th starting at 4pm. Join us for an evening filled with awesome vendors, awesome foods, awesome people, and an awesome silent auction! We will be raising money for the Pink Ink Fund to help those who have already fought breast cancer and for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation to cure it in the future.”
Sunday, October 5:CroatiaFest From the website: “Seattle Center Festál presents CroatiaFest, Sunday, Oct. 5. Explore and experience the cultural roots and contemporary influences of Croatia through live performances, foods, hands-on activities, and a lively marketplace. Acclaimed dance ensembles and musicians, intricate costumes, art exhibits, tourist information and displays showcase Croatia’s rich past and dynamic present.”
Monday, October 6Open Mic Science: Dr. Phyllis Stabeno From the Treehouse Cafe: “Physical Oceanographer at the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory. Co-leader of NOAA’s Ecosystems and Fisheries Oceanography Coordinated Investigations (EcoFOCI). For the past 25 years, she has worked on physical oceanographic, climate and ecosystem projects in the Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands and more recently, Chukchi Sea. Recently she has focused on climate change impacts on the subarctic seas around Alaska. She is the lead investigator in maintaining the biophysical mooring array in the Bering Sea. She is a Principle Investigator for the North Pacific Research Board sponsored Bering Sea Integrated Ecosystem Research Plan (BSIERP) project and NSF Bering Ecosystem Study (BEST) and has served on the Science Advisory Board for the BEST/BSIERP program since its inception. On October 6, she will give us a presentation on what the data from the long-term mooring tells us about the Bering Sea. These moorings have monitored important biological, chemical and physical properties of Bering Sea water for about 20 years.”
Thursday, October 9:Cornel West: “Rekindling ‘Black Prophetic Fire” From the website: “Trayvon Martin, the New Jim Crow, immigration reform, and an Obama presidency have brought up modern issues of race, equality, and the African American legacy. In his latest book, Union Theological Seminary’s Cornel West explores the phenomenon known as Black Prophetic Fire, offering an analysis of six well-respected African American leaders — Frederick Douglass, W. E. B. Du Bois, Martin Luther King Jr., Ella Baker, Malcolm X, and Ida Wells-Barnett. By both praising and critically analyzing the actions of these influential figures, West takes them off the pedestal they were placed on so long ago. According to West, modern African American leaders are either incarcerated or, like President Obama, have been co-opted and “have no deep conviction.” His book asks where the radical, outspoken spirit — the “black prophetic fire” — of the 19th and 20th centuries disappeared to, and opens a door to potentially “rekindle” it. West is the bestselling author of Race Matters and Democracy Matters.”
Saturday, October 11 – Sunday, October 12:GeekGirlCon It’s our 4th year! Will you be joining us?
Monday, October 13:October Eastside Science Cafe ”’What Are We Buying When We Buy Organic?’ Cynnie Curl, School of Public Health, University of Washington”
Tuesday, October 14:October Tacoma Science Cafe ”’Microbes & Shellfish: Using Science to Reduce Seafood-borne Illness in our Local Water’ Dr. Rohinee Paranjpye, NOAA Fisheries
Saturday, October 18 – Sunday, October 19: TurkFest From the website: “Seattle Center Festal presents TurkFest, Oct. 18 and 19. Explore and experience the cultural roots and contemporary influences of Turkey through live performances, visual arts, hands-on activities, foods, games, an authentic Turkish tea house, and a lively marketplace. This enriching, engaging, and entertaining festival of friendship celebrates the multiple cultures that link modern Turkey to the East and West.”
Friday, October 24:GeekGirlCon Board Game Night at Wayward Coffeehouse From the Meetup page: “Do you love board games and enjoy teaching others how to play? Explore the board/card game hobby and meet folks happy to teach you their favorite board games! No pressure though, you can just come and play with folks who love playing games. And the best part about the GeekGirlCon game nights with our friends at Wayward? They are absolutely FREE with no cover charge! Our group is inclusive and totally newbie-friendly. We play a wide range of modern board and card games as well as some classics. You might find King of Tokyo, Völuspá, Alien Frontiers,Locke & Key, Coup, Tokaido, The Resistance, Skull and Roses,Settlers of Catan, 7 Wonders, Toc Toc Woodman, FLUXX and many more! Bring a game with you or just bring yourself. Join GeekGirlCon staffers, make some new friends, play some games, and enjoy some delicious organic, fair trade, and shade-grown coffee. There are also local pastries and vegetarian/vegan treats, if you get hungry during all that gameplay.”
Friday, October 24:Science Friday Tour From Washington Life Science: “Learn more about medical research through Science Friday events at Benaroya Research Institute that include a light breakfast, conversation with a leading researcher and a lab tour led by scientists.”
Friday, October 24 – Saturday, November 1:Vox Fabuli Puppets and Kendra & Michael Hayes Present Stories for Bad Children Chapter 2 Vox Fabuli Puppets and Kendra & Michael Hayes team up once again to bring you Stories for Bad Children – Chapter 2, a cabaret-style show celebrating the darker paths of the fairy tale world. Stories for Bad Children – Chapter 2 plays at Hugo House, October 24 through November 1st, with a special show on Halloween. *Not intended for actual children. Recommended for patrons 15 years old and up.
Saturday, October 25: Watch the D&D Team marathon 25 hours of “Hoard of the Dragon Queen” From the Meetup page: “GeekGirlCon’s own Gaming Event Coordinator, Andy Munich has been graciously invited to participate in Wizards of the Coast’s 24-hour Dungeons & Dragons session during October 25-26, 2014! Why is this important? These folks are gathering together to raise money for Seattle Children’s Hospital. As a part of the Children’s Miracle Network of hospitals, SCH treats hundreds of children each year, regardless of their family’s ability to pay. Their staff help kids and their families face challenges more harrowing than those found in the deepest dungeon. Andy set a modest goal as part of a greater team effort to raise $25,000 (roughly equivalent to a sack of 20 gold pieces). Andy’s part of the adventure begins at the stroke of midnight on the 26th. Dice will be rolled until they put an arrow in his knee! Tune in to watch the mayhem unfold live on the D&D Twitch TV channel and cheer him on (or pine for his ultimate destruction). If you would like to support Andy during this marathon, you can make a safe donation online today. You’ll be showing your support for heroes, both imagined and very, very real. Donations go directly to the hospital and they are tax-deductible. ALL proceeds go to help the kids at Seattle Children’s Hospital.”
Sunday, October 26:Neal Stephenson and Cory Doctorow with Ed Finn: Reigniting Society’s Ambition with Science Fiction From the website: “Advance tickets for this event have been sold out. A limited number of stand-by tickets will be available at the door starting at 7:15 pm. Author Neal Stephenson (Reamde, Snow Crash) laments our society’s loss of a key superpower — the ability to “Get Big Stuff Done.” He shoulders some of the blame, along with colleagues in the realms of science and speculative fiction, with what he calls a failure to supply “hieroglyphs”: “Asimovian robots, Heinleinian rocket ships, Gibsonian cyberspace… plausible, thought-out pictures of alternate realities in which… compelling innovation has taken place.” Project Hieroglyph brings together writers, artists, scientists, and new technologies in an effort to “reignite the iconic and optimistic visions” of the past, and the new anthology Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future features works from Stephenson, Cory Doctorow (Little Brother,Rapture of the Nerds) and others, to challenge people to think in terms of technology, creativity, and bold futures. They’ll appear in conversation with Ed Finn, one of Hieroglyph’s editors.”
If you have any geeky events you would like to see on Geek About Town, email email@example.com. Please note that we reserve the right to include or exclude events from our list.
GeekGirlCon is excited that Jamie Broadnax, the creator of and content producer for Black Girl Nerds, is coming to GeekGirlCon ‘14! Jamie was kind enough to spend some time to tell me more about Black Girl Nerds and her expectations of GeekGirlCon ‘14.
Why did you choose the name “Black Girl Nerds” for your website?
I chose that term because that’s what I used when I went to Google one night to look up if there are any websites for women of my ilk. So, at the time, nerd culture was getting really popular. And there were tv shows happening, web series happening, a lot of mainstream websites, and I thought there’s gotta be a website out there that are for women of color or black women in particularly that speak to the geek and nerd community. So I just typed in “Black Girl Nerds” seeing what would come up, and nothing came up. Part of it is really just almost selfish reasons why I chose that term. I wanted to put a print in cyberspace with “Black Girl Nerds” so that going forward when you do type it in Google, you will find that term. So that’s why I chose that term for the site.
For those unfamiliar with Black Girl Nerds, it is a website full of nerdy, bloggy content AND a podcast. The podcast recently took a summer hiatus and returned on a new carrier, TWiBnation. Why did that transition happen?
Elon James White, who is the founder of TWiB, TWiB is the acronym for “This Week in Blackness,” he had been following me for awhile and over the summer I got an email from him. He was very interested in the kind of content I was putting out, not only with my own podcast, but on social media. He really liked the Jem live-tweet that I do every week with our followers. It piqued his interest, and he’s trying to build sort of a big media station, the TWiBularity, where he’s bringing in other podcasters along with his flagship show, TWiB Prime, and really hoping to build a community among black podcasters, which I think is really awesome, especially in a media driven world where people of color’s content is marginalized significantly. Yeah, he emailed me. I was very excited, I was shocked, and flattered. He brought us on and introduced us to a larger audience that wasn’t familiar with Black Girl Nerds prior.
It totally is the 80s cartoon, Jem and the Holograms, which has kind of taken on a life of its own. So, yeah.
GeekGirlCon has obviously chosen the word “geek” and you have chosen the word “nerd.” How would you define each term, and in what ways do you see them intersecting?
Well, initially when I first started this site I didn’t even know that there was a difference. I always used those two terms interchangeably. So, it wasn’t until I started writing content about it that I decided to look further about the origins of each term, and found out that they actually are very different. So, not knowing that at first and using “geek” and “nerd” interchangeably on my site, I discovered that, you know what, there are differences. The “geek” term is for someone that is very interested in fandoms, they have maybe a very deep passion or you could even say an obsession with a particular fandom, or interest, hobby, industry, whatever you call it.
The term “nerd” really is more based off someone’s personality. Someone who may define themselves as being an introvert or someone who is a bookworm or things that are more in alignment with their own personality or their own sense of identity. That’s where I’ve come to learn where those two terms differ. And for Black Girl Nerds the term “nerd” was just a term used to define something in cyberspace, whether it be a geek site or a nerd site. Because I didn’t find anything in Google, I just stuck with that term “nerd.”
Do you think it is possible for people to be both a geek and a nerd?
I would say so. I consider myself to be a little bit of both because I have geek tendencies towards social media and online content. There’s various things I’m interested in, I love television and I geek out over my favorite tv shows. But then, I do have some nerd qualities about me where, I’m someone that I won’t really engage in a lot of social activities with people. I’d rather just be a homebody and a hermit, and I enjoy my solitude. And that kinda is in alignment with what some people would call a nerd, so, yes, you can be both. Absolutely.
Jamie Broadnax. Image courtesy of Black Girl Nerds.
Jamie will be on two panels at GeekGirlCon ‘14: “Feminist Community Building 101” and “Curious About Comics, We’ve Got You Covered.” What do you hope to do on those panels? What do you hope to convey, in general on the panels, and with your specific participation on them?
Well, first of all, I’m going to be very nervous because I’ve never done a panel. It will be a daunting experience for me.
But, what I hope to convey is really giving a perspective of a subculture within a subculture that really hasn’t been represented. I hope that people will get some perspective and understand why Black Girl Nerds is an important community, why geek communities of color are very important, why these niche spaces are created. That they’re not meant to be divisive or exclusive, but it’s really to help empower women that feel like they don’t have a sense of identity anywhere else. And that they can have a safe space where they can express their identity, embrace themselves, and also connect and build relationships with other women that understand their experience, that understand their cause. I hope that the panels that I’m on will be able to convey that very clearly.
The other panel that I’m on about getting started in comics, I hope that I can help folks that are getting their start. Because there’s a lot of women that are a part of my community that are just getting started in comics. I started reading comics when I was 10 years old and I stopped into my teens, late teens. And I started picking up comics within the last few years. So, in a sense, I’m kind of with everybody else who’s just getting started, I’m getting started again so I can help kind of get people on the right track of where to get started and not to feel intimidated, and where you can go, what websites are good for you to look at that kind of content. So, yeah, I hope I can give some really good feedback for folks.
I started reading comics in my teens, when I had funds to spend on whatever I wanted. I read X-Men because I really liked all the women in it, and how much they were strong female characters and vulnerable female characters and all of it. But I stopped in college when I didn’t have time or funds. I tried to start in again a few years ago, but it is almost overwhelming at this point. I feel like it was easier in the 90s when I was reading them.
It was. I guess, it was easier back then because that’s all you had to do, that’s all the time you had to do was just sit and read comics. And, gosh, if I had a job or if I had an opportunity to just read comics all day, I would love it. It would be the best thing in the world. I find that now I have to sneak it into my schedule when I get a chance. And usually it’s not a whole lot of time I can spend on it. But, I really love the nostalgia of reading through — I’m actually reading comics I read when I was a kid. I went out and bought like 50 issues of Excalibur , which I mentioned on the show, and I’ll mention it at GeekGirlCon. That is the perfect comic book.
I loved – Rachel was my favorite.
Yes, Rachel Summers was awesome. I loved Kitty Pryde, Shadowcat. And what I loved so much about Excalibur was the women outnumbered the men on the roster. You had Rachel Summers, Kitty Pryde, and Meggan. And there were only two guys, Captain Britain and Nightcrawler. And you had Lockheed and Widget, which they weren’t human. Even the very first issue, the women villains. They had a lot of women villains. Women superheroes, villains all in this issue, which is what really turned me on to the whole series at the time, was just very inspiring as a young girl. I didn’t read a whole lot of guy-driven issues like Batman and Superman. I was reading titles like Excalibur and X-Men because X-Men had a lot of female superheroines in it. So, that’s what really struck me.
Black Girl Nerds has a dozen or so contributors. Are any of your cohorts also attending GeekGirlCon ‘14?
Yes, Ashlee Blackwell, she’s pretty much like my sister blogger at this point. She’s the copy editor and she’s also contributed several pieces to Black Girl Nerds. She has her own website called Graveyard Shift Sisters. We were both featured in an article by The Root recently. She will be at GeekGirlCon speaking as well on “Not so Strange Appetites: Woman and the Horror Fandom.” She’ll be on that panel. She’ll be there so it’ll be good to be able to see her again. And we’re going to do New York Super Week on the 4th of October. So that’s the week before GeekGirlCon that we’ll be there. And we’ll be doing a live podcast from the event. And she’ll be there along with another co-host Latanya Barrett. So very exciting.
So then, what are you most excited about for GeekGirlCon ‘14?
I’m excited, first of all, to attend this event. Last year on the Black Girl Nerds podcast we actually did a live podcast. Two of your attendees, Rachel Brody and Jaz, both of them were at GeekGirlCon and they told us about the events. We went over some of the various panels that were going on. I was just really excited about what this convention had to offer. And I looked at the different kinds of panels that they had and I was so jealous. I was like “I wanna go there next year!” and she was like “Maybe you will be there next year and you should definitely be on a panel when you go.” So, yeah, it’s awesome to now a year later be able to do many of the things I was talking about and discussing on the podcast a year prior. So, I’m excited about meeting a lot of the panelists. I’m excited about meeting a lot of the attendees, and seeing an environment and a space that’s so women and female-empowered. I don’t think I’ve had that experience before at a con. So I look forward to seeing that part of GeekGirlCon.
What’s on the horizon for Black Girl Nerds?
What is on the horizon for us is really what I’m doing now with the two events that are happening in October. I really would like to see Black Girl Nerds being represented at more conventions. To be able to meet with fans, to be able to have meet-ups. So that’s really what I’d like to do, to go all around the country and just connect with people. There’s a lot of folks do want to have the opportunity to see Black Girl Nerds at their local city. That’s really sort of the next goal. I don’t have this structured, strategic plan of action of what I plan to do with Black Girl Nerds ‘cause I look at things in a really natural, organic sort of way. Whatever happens, happens. And that’s what’s happened with both of these events. They just happened to happen back-to-back in October. [laughs] It’s not something I searched for, it just happened. That’s just the way I kind of live my life right now. I just live it day by day and keep doing what I’m doing. Cause obviously people have found interest in it, the community’s growing. So, I’m not gonna stop what I’m doing to try to focus on other areas of trying to create something new or something different. I’ll just keep cultivating Black Girl Nerds as much as I can. Whatever opportunities happen, then I’m ready for them.
One thing we always ask at GeekGirlCon is what are you geeking out about right now?
So, I’m geeking out over a lot of great TV shows. As I mentioned before I’m a huge TV geek, so I’m watching The Strain, which is amazing. I need to get the Guillermo del Toro books, though because I heard the books are even better, which usually that’s the case. I’m excited for Walking Dead coming back, and very excited for season 3 of Arrow, and all of the new comic shows coming out with The Flash and Gotham. Really excited for what’s happening in tv. For comic book geeks out there, it’s really a dream. I’m gonna give Agents of Shield another whirl. I actually have not been a fan of Agents of Shield. And I know a lot of folks out there are like “No, it’s a really good show!” but I’m gonna give it another shot and check them out. They’ve brought in some new cast. I really love Lucy Lawless. Big fan of hers. I really like to see what she’s going to bring to this new season. And I’m looking forward to seeing Netflix with Agent Carter coming out. You know, these female empowered shows. Then Supergirl is going to have her own show so it’s exciting. It’s a really great time, even if you’re not a comic book geek, even if you’re someone who’s just now getting into comics. This is a perfect time. This is a really perfect time.
As far as outside of TV, with comic books, I got to reading on the Storm series. And that’s just awesome. So for women of color and black women to see Storm having her own comic book this is the perfect time for women to see themselves, for black women to see themselves, and to be able to embrace diversity in nerd culture. It’s an awesome thing to see.
We look forward to seeing you at GeekGirlCon ‘14, Jamie!
And we look forward to seeing you at GeekGirlCon ‘14, too! What are you most excited for at GeekGirlCon ‘14?
Written by GeekGirlConnections Manager Susie Rantz.
Did you know: In communities with a higher percentage of women working in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), high school girls are as likely as boys to take physics (and sometimes more likely)? Yet, women comprised just 28 percent of science and engineering workers in 2010.
Did you know: Up to 80 percent of jobs are landed through networking? Connecting with mentors can be a great boost for your career.
Did you know: Since our first convention in 2011, GeekGirlCon has been committed to drawing attention to these disparities? Last year, we introduced the GeekGirlConnections Program as a way to help elevate STEM career opportunities for women. The program was such a hit, we are continuing it for GeekGirlCon ‘14.
GeekGirlConnections is dedicated to providing career mentorship and networking opportunities for women and girls. The program aims to help connect women with professionals in their desired career fields, as well as encourage women and girls to pursue their passions, develop leadership skills, and enter careers where women are currently underrepresented.
Join us at the GeekGirlCONcert Saturday night for a jam-packed variety of awesome geeky musical talent! Our annual GeekGirlCONcert brings the best of music and musical comedy to you, and this year, there is something for everyone in this lineup of returning favorites and brand new talent.
Details and cheat codes:
Date: Saturday, October 11
Where: GeekGirlCon’ 14 at The Conference Center at WSCC, Room 301/302
The Doubleclicks are a nationally-touring, Billboard charting nerd band with a cello, a meowing cat keyboard, and songs about dinosaurs, Cats & Netflix, space and Dungeons and Dragons. Their YouTube videos boast over 2 million views and have been featured on BoingBoing, Kotaku, the Huffington Post, and on NPR shows “Live Wire” “All Things Acoustic” and “State of Wonder.” Find out more.
Sammus is an upstate New York-based rap artist and producer with Congolese and Ivorian family roots. Since joining NuBlack Music Group in early 2012, she has released two albums, a collaborative EP with nerdcore MC Random aka Mega Ran, a beat tape, and a Kickstarter-funded Metroid EP. Her production is characterized by uniquely chopped samples, and video game-like synths. She has been called the “rap Aisha Tyler” (MTV Iggy) because her smart lyrics often draw on her love of gaming. When she’s not rapping, she moonlights as a PhD student at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
Thundering Asteroids! is a nerd punk band from Portland, Oregon performing for the first time at GeekGirlCon! They have been beating the Kobayashi Maru with over-caffeinated power chords since 2009. With topics ranging from sexy lamps to goblin kings and from superheroes to kill screens, their geek badges are proudly emblazoned on their sleeves. Minn and the boys crank the D10 to 11 as they rocket through space leaving a trail of video game cartridges and blown speakers in their space wake.