The Scientista Foundation
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Team
  • My Campus
    • Find My Campus
    • Start A Chapter >
      • Chapter Application
      • Chapter Application (In Progress)
  • The Periodical
    • Career Blog
    • Plan Your Education
    • Lifestyle Blog
    • Women in Science News
    • DiscovHER Science
    • Get Inspired
  • Events
    • Events
    • Symposium 2019
    • Symposium Testimonials
  • Join
    • Subscribe!
    • Internships
    • Test Membership
  • Sponsorship
    • Our Sponsors
    • Sponsor Scientista!
    • University Membership
    • Donate
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Team
  • My Campus
    • Find My Campus
    • Start A Chapter >
      • Chapter Application
      • Chapter Application (In Progress)
  • The Periodical
    • Career Blog
    • Plan Your Education
    • Lifestyle Blog
    • Women in Science News
    • DiscovHER Science
    • Get Inspired
  • Events
    • Events
    • Symposium 2019
    • Symposium Testimonials
  • Join
    • Subscribe!
    • Internships
    • Test Membership
  • Sponsorship
    • Our Sponsors
    • Sponsor Scientista!
    • University Membership
    • Donate
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

8/30/2016 0 Comments

Homeward Bound – A Journey South for Gender Equality

By Nicole Hellessey

Picture
This December a cohort of female scientists from around the world, 78 to be exact, will come together for a journey to Antarctica. The group will be promoting gender equality in science with the specific purpose of increasing women’s roles in combating climate change. As West Antarctica is one of the fastest warming areas on Earth, it provides the perfect backdrop for these women to raise awareness for an important topic.

Fabian Dattner (Founder of Dattner and Grant, founder of Compass and one of the most influential business women in Australia) and Jessica Melbourne-Thomas (Rhodes Scholar, Founder of the Women in Polar Science network) realized that there was a need for women to be seen as both leaders in the field of science and as influential decision makers when discussing policies that could have an impact on climate change. Thus, the movement of Homeward Bound was started with the aim of creating a program to connect 1,000 female scientists to a network of like-minded and passionate women in STEM disciplines. This year’s participants of the inaugural trip will partake in a three-week journey. For the past year, they have been receiving training on how to establish themselves as leaders and strategists as well as learning how to affect policy decisions at all levels of government.

Many of the participants have been using social media in conjunction with their extensive networks to spread and help amplify the message that women need to be on more boards, panels and committees in order to balance the discussion on climate change. These individuals come from a diverse range of professional fields and hope to use their collective voices as a strength to reach out to the global community.

Each of the women had to raise $15,000 USD to help pay for the ship that will be taking them to Antarctica, much of which was raised through crowd funding. With the final payments made and the number of days until departure dwindling, the women are now focusing their efforts on how they can spread their message of gender equality even further.  Ideas include creating informational posters and a creating an educational documentary which will be made whilst they are on-board. Some women are even reaching out to schools and public groups to spread the message of women being great leaders in science.  

One of the lucky participants is Nicole Hellessey, 27, a researcher from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies in Hobart, Tasmania. Nicole studies Antarctic Krill and is interested in understanding how these tiny crustaceans adapt to the fluctuations in their environment caused by climate change.  Nicole wants to come away from Homeward Bound with the skills to help influence the Krill fishery into becoming more sustainable long term. “It’s an amazing opportunity and I feel so blessed to have been chosen. It’s really mind blowing being a part of it.” In the short time she has been a part of the program, Nicole has connected with many other participants - both from within and outside of Australia. “We’re all Facebook friends already. It’s lovely getting to know more about each other before we go south together.” Nicole says she can’t wait to get back to see how far the Homeward Bound message of gender equality can reach.

For more information on the movement or the participants go to homewardboundprojects.com.au

Picture
About the Author
Nicole Hellessey, 27, is an Antarctic Marine Scientist. She is currently undertaking her PhD at UTAS on Antarctic Krill and the effect Climate Change is having on their population dynamics and structure. Nicole has previously worked on Antarctic Fur Seal foraging behaviour, sea urchin barren rehabilitation and freshwater estuary pollution levels.






Comments? Leave them below!

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    July 2022
    July 2021
    December 2020
    April 2020
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    November 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    November 2014
    October 2013
    July 2013

    Categories

    All Amy Massack BiWeekly Roundup Danae Dodge Gabrielle-Ann Torre Indulekha Karunakaran Jeesoo Sohn Lauren Koenig Lidiya Angelova Melissa Bendayan Microsoft Molly Connell Nektaria Riso Nicole Hellessey Physics Poornima Peiris Robbin Koenig Sadaf Atarod Sarah Smith Shreya Challa Vijendra Agarwal Women In STEM Yolanda Lannquist

    RSS Feed


About

Mission  
Team


Connect

E-Newsletter
Facebook
Twitter
​
Instagram
Contact 


Press

All Press
Harvard Crimson
Harvard Gazette
Bostinnovation.com

Partner

Our Sponsors
Sponsorship Inquiries
​Partnership Inquiries
The Scientista Foundation, Inc. All Rights Reserved © 2011-2021 | Based in NY | contact@scientistafoundation.org
The Network for Pre-Professional Women in Science and Engineering
The Scientista Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) -- Donate!

Photo used under Creative Commons from just_a_name_thingie