NORA SUN
UNITED STATES, 16
She/Her
Project: ATHENA By Women In STEM (ABWIS)
Nora loved to participate in STEM research and competitions in high school, but was frequently disappointed when STEM events were exclusive and male-dominated. In February 2020, Nora founded ATHENA By Women In STEM (ABWIS) to make STEM research accessible to female and genderqueer high school students, focusing on students who are traditionally underrepresented, or lack research resources and opportunities. ATHENA follows a 3-step sequence to achieve this mission; outreach to marginalized women around the world, workshops and conferences to build subject-specific knowledge, and the Talaria Summer Institute – a summer mentorship program that pairs each student with one of 400 experts to work on an independent research project. ATHENA also has a team of 50 writers and graphic designers who create blog posts for their website and Instagram, which have spread awareness to 500,000+ people on a range of topics from COVID safety to Artificial Intelligence (AI) discrimination. ATHENA has hosted 7 conferences and 18 career workshops for 2,000+ students, and Talaria has grown to 55 chapters in 12 countries, pairing 335 Talaria Scholars with mentors to complete research projects. Nora is working to develop a deeper understanding of the cultural and societal factors that prevent communities from pursuing STEM, which maintains a privileged field. She looks forward to the day when students from all backgrounds, globally, will have the opportunity to participate in scientific research.