Fostering More Women in STEM. Let’s Get Involved! 

Nvolve Newsletter Issue 1

Meet Yao Poudima, Nvolve’s First Scholar Alumna!

By Tolu Okegbenro

Yao Poudima joined Nvolve in September ’20, at the start of her senior year at the University of Maryland, studying information sciences. She heard about the program through her school faculty and applied to the program to connect with STEM women professionals for mentorship. Yao marks her time at Nvolve as a pivotal period of growth. Prior to Nvolve, she was passionate about her technology and data sciences classes; however, Nvolve helped her see the other side of STEM, as a professional rather than a student. Her favorite element of being an Nvolve scholar was conducting technical projects, such as a podcast series on telecommunications and a nationwide survey on clinical trial participation. Yao cherishes her relationship with her mentor, Stella Munuo, a pharmaceutical executive with training in data analytics, and hopes to stay in touch as she transitions to her early career years. Currently, Yao is working as an IT Generalist at Freddie Mac. She continues to be part of Nvolve’s community –supporting technical group projects for our new student scholar cohort.

Admiration and Pride: One Mentor’s Experience

By Stella Munuo

I first met Yao Poudima virtually during the autumn of 2020 when I became her Nvolve mentor. One of the first things I noticed was Yao’s passion which is fueled by her unique background and sustained by her remarkable resilience. As I learned more about her during our sessions together, I admired her triumphant pursuit of a tertiary education as a non-native English speaker, her ability to navigate STEM subjects with no prior exposure in her secondary years, and her committed resolve to secure a job after graduation. Her recent achievements are also very impressive, such as her recognition as a 2021 National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) Award Finalist for her work in CerSmart, a wearable device for early cancer detection. I finally met Yao in person this past Spring at a small outdoor gathering held in her honor as Nvolve’s first scholar to graduate. It is then I realized that leadership traits that had blossomed during our interactions were also admired by her peers. I can’t wait to see her professional journey unfold and the inspiration she will continue to be to other young women.

Nvolve Project Shapes Future Scientists

By Cinthia Flores

Growing up, two things I loved doing were reading and writing. I also discovered another passion as I grew older- science! As an aspiring research scientist, this career allows me to utilize all of these interests. It was invaluable to be able to work on a project that allowed me to apply and improve my research skills. This project gave my team and me the opportunity to investigate the relationship between increased knowledge of vaccine clinical trials and willingness to participate in future vaccine trials. I participated in background research, survey distribution, analysis, and writing the publication. It was definitely a roller coaster of emotions including curiosity, excitement, and anxiety, as I learned about the context of clinical trials. Every minute was worth it, especially working with an amazing team where we all contributed ideas to further clinical research in the Covid-19 pandemic. As graduation approaches, I am thrilled to be able to apply to PhD programs as a published researcher.

Thoughts on Mentoring: Nvolve’s Unique Approach

By Kiran Dixit

What makes Nvolve different is our approach to mentoring. The term mentor is often used loosely and can be understood in many different ways. Nvolve has created a professional mentoring process that is intentional and purposeful.

Nvolve mentors have clearly defined objectives and expectations pertaining to their role. Training is provided, and accountability structures are created so that both mentors and scholars are able to meet expectations in a timely manner. Group and individual meetings are consistent among everyone in the program. Since mentoring is regarded as a serious commitment, this message is passed along to the scholars, so that they do not take the program for granted. All of us at Nvolve are committed to making the mentors’ investment in the process meaningful to the scholars.