Women’s Professional Development Committee

Mission

The mission of the WPDC is to provide a supportive space to host professional development opportunities for graduate-level women in science at Boston University. We strive to establish and cultivate a network of exemplary mentorship with women in a variety of scientific careers.

Students and faculty of all genders are welcome to join our network!

Vision

Our vision is to connect women in the early stages of their graduate careers with Boston-area professionals in STEM. We hope to support our members as they explore their career interests and options and eventually become successful mentors themselves. With a supportive network of female leaders in their fields willing to share their experiences with our generation of professionally-trained women scientists, our expectation is that forging these relationships will inspire our members to navigate and prepare for possible career paths in an informed and educated way.

We collaborate with GWISE (Graduate Women in Science and Engineering), GMSSO (Graduate Medical Sciences Student Organization), BU’s BEST (Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training), and other student organizations at Boston University to provide a supportive space to host networking, mentorship, and professional development opportunities for women in science.

Founded in 2018 by Dr. Sanae ElShourbagy Ferreira (now alumna and Advisor for BU WPDC) while completing her Ph.D., BU WPDC continues on with the leadership of remarkable and passionate individuals on the committee’s Executive Board.