The Change Sequence: Genentech Networking Event 2/20/24

In honor of Black History Month, Genentech will hold a networking event called The Change Sequence.  

This in-person event will take place on February 20, 2024, at the South San Francisco campus from 5:30pm to 8pm. 

At The Change Sequence you will have the opportunity to: 

• Network with Hiring Managers and Senior Leaders across Genentech 
• Gain insight into Genentech's culture, 2025 D&I Commitments, and the bold initiatives creating impact for our people, patients and communities
• Learn more about our Black Director’s Exchange group for senior leaders, and our employee resource group AAIB (African Americans in Biotech).

Don't miss out! Register today at bit.ly/tcs-bhm24.

The Importance of Role Models And Mentors

The article, Reaching Gender Equity in Science: The Importance of Role Models And Mentors - Science Careers - Biotech, Pharmaceutical, Faculty, Postdoc jobs on Science Careers, by Laura Bonetta is a great read. Excerpt from the article:

"The number of women embarking on science careers has been increasing steadily during the past several decades. Although women scientists continue to be underrepresented at the faculty level, many women have established rewarding and successful careers in science—thanks in part to having had role models and mentors whose paths they could follow."

Reaching Gender Equity in Science also reminds me of a post I made entitled, "Build your team: How to get mentors" it which I also urged readers to assemble a team of mentors and advisors to help you advance your career in the sciences.
Read the full article.

Women in Science

Visit the listed organizations to learn more about scholarships/fellowships and other valuable career resources (i.e. networking and mentoring opportunities) for women in the sciences.
*American Chemical Society Women Chemists Committee
*American Physical Society Committee on the Status of Women in Physics
*Association for Women in Computing
*Association for Women Geoscientists
*Association for Women in Mathematics
*Association for Women in Science
*Graduate Women in Science
*National Center for Women in Information Technology
*National Research Council Committee on Women in Science and Engineering
*Society of Women Engineers
*Women in Global Science and Technology
Want to add more organizations? Send a link!

STEM careers, how do we appeal to our youth?

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) careers are failing to attract today's youth.  Why? This concern is briefly explored in the January 27, 2010 Herman Trend Alert, STEM Grads and Competitiveness, which says that,

"our youth (seem) to revere the accomplishments of sports celebrities and rock stars, while our scientific geniuses (go) virtually unrecognized. More recently, United States President Barack Obama at his Whitehouse summit for youth echoed Kamen's words, himself promoting the study of the STEM topics as a matter of competitiveness." 

Competitiveness, eh?  So STEM careers have to compete for the admiration of our youth against Kobe and Beyoncé??  Oh boy, that is a tough battle.  So, I prose two questions:

1. To STEM professionals, what can we do to get our young people interested in STEM careers?

2. To young people, what can STEM professionals do to get you interested in STEM careers?

I am going to take a stab at Question #1 myself. I know from personal experience that young people do not exactly view STEM careers as "cool," UNTIL they learn more about what STEM professionals do either through presentations or hands-on activities. So, I believe that exposure is the key.  Unfortunately, young women and minorities are less likely to be exposed to STEM careers.  I was not exposed to careers in STEM until I was a junior in high school through an outreach program that allowed me to shadow a clinical lab researcher at a local hospital.  Until that experience, I did not know any scientists or what their jobs entailed.  This experience greatly influenced my current career path as a biomedical researcher.  From experiences like this Bottom line: Exposure MUST happen sooner.

Want to learn about STEM careers? Then check out these links below!

Browse Occupations Find details like wages, education requirements, and job demand. Create an Occupation Profile by selecting “Explore Careers” and then “Browse” under “Occupations.” 

O*NET’s STEM Occupations View the full list of STEM occupations. Select a job title to learn more.  

Career Voyages Explore career options and education requirements in emerging, high-growth industries and in-demand occupations. 

What Do You Like? Learn how your interests and favorite school subjects match careers. This Web site can help you make informed decisions about careers, education, and training.

Links courtesy of CareerOneStop.

Build your team: how-to get mentors

You are your best cheerleader, encouraging yourself to accomplish your goals. But I have learned that one voice can only be so loud. Imagine the sea of voices if there were at least ten other people cheering with you, supporting your endeavors. Thus, if I could advise you to do only one thing, that would be to build your cheerleading squad, your “team.” Yes, your team... a group of people from whom you can seek advice and guidance and who will ultimately support your endeavors.

You may be asking yourself, “who should be on my team?” The members of your team can be of varying ages, reside in differing locations, and work in a broad number of fields. Who comprises your team will be specific to your needs as they pertain to your goals. For example, I have people on my team who

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Career evolution

I think I am experiencing a career evolution. Well, at least I observed a new role for myself within my career. Currently I am a fifth year graduate student striving toward completing a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences... and I still feel much like a student since I believe that I need more training and advice in order to become a better scientific researcher. However, within the past month, it just hit me that I have begun to mentor other students who are also seeking a career in the sciences. I did not realize that I had actually reached a point at which others sought my opinions and advice. I have always wanted to mentor students... I just did not think I would begin to do so this soon. I have no complaints, only joy! Listed below are a couple of tidbits of advice I shared with students.

Seek help when you need it...
I came from a high school that did not adequately prepare me for many college-level courses, which made me sometimes feel a bit nervous about how I would perform relative to my classmates. Since I felt nervous, I sought out help to make sure I did the best I could in those courses by signing up for on-campus tutoring. Some may think tutoring is costly. However, many campuses offer free tutoring, so

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A summer of scientific research and teaching

There has been a lot going on during summer 2008. Over the past five weeks I served as a mentor for undergraduates in a summer research program hosted by my university. In this role, I assisted a small group of students with constructing scientific research posters and offered advice about the graduate school experience.


Just this past week I finished a course that counts toward receiving a certificate in college teaching. I decided to enroll in this certificate program because

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