A 13-year-old grassroots effort to support women in fluid dynamics has taken a creative turn.
The Women in Fluids Networking Group, started in 2010 by members of APS’s Division of Fluid Dynamics (DFD), are planning to publish two anthologies of creative nonfiction aimed at inspiring girls, women, and femme-identifying individuals to pursue careers in fluid dynamics. The initiative, called Stories of Women in Fluids (SoWiF), seeks to publish anthologies online and in print by early next year.
The first anthology, geared toward children aged 8-12, will consist of short, age-appropriate nonfiction stories — written by members of the initiative — about the writers’ experiences in science. The second anthology will aim to reach early-career female professionals in fluid dynamics, sharing contributors’ personal narratives about their careers and offering advice to other women.
Both anthologies aim to provide a written guidepost for mentorship, and to inspire girls and women to pursue careers in the field.
The SoWiF initiative will host a mini-symposium at the APS DFD meeting, which takes place in Washington, DC, on Nov. 19-21 this year. Cosmic Writers, a nonprofit that provides writing workshops, have provided training for the anthologies’ authors as they put pen to paper.
The initiative was boosted by an APS FOEP mini-grant and an anonymous donation, but much work remains. Interested in supporting or joining the initiative, spreading the word, or sharing your own stories for future anthologies? Visit The Stories of Women in Fluids. To attend the mini-symposium in Washington, DC, this November, visit the Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics.
