News

Volunteering with Science Club for Girls

January 27th, 2026 in Recent News

This past semester, two GPGG students, Chloe and Lisa, spent their afternoons mentoring young girls through Science Club for Girls (SCFG). Though they volunteered at different sites and worked with different age groups, it was clear that the experience was as meaningful for the mentors as it was for the students.

Chloe
Chloe was driven to join by her love of volunteering and her excitement to work with an organization that aligns closely with her values. The clear communication and strong support from the SCFG liaisons made getting involved easy and made the experience very welcoming. For Chloe, each club day started well before the girls arrived. The day before a session, she would receive pre-club notes and curriculum from the program manager, outlining the week’s topic. The curriculum aligned closely with Chloe’s interests and academic background, like human anatomy. The materials were thoughtfully designed, including background explanations, suggested scripts, spotlights on women in STEM, and hands-on activities that encouraged creativity and curiosity.
On club days, Chloe and her fellow mentors would review the plan together, deciding what to emphasize or adapt based on their group of students. They often “speed-ran” activities themselves, creating example models to demonstrate later. During the hour-long session, they introduced the topic, gauged the girls’ understanding, and guided them through interactive crafts and experiments. Sometimes the planned activities were too easy for the older students, so the mentors improvised enrichment activities to keep everyone engaged.
There were many moments from this experience that stayed with Chloe. At the end of each session, the girls had a ritual of hugging their mentor’s goodbye before pickup. “That was really sweet,” she shared. These connections built lasting memories for both the mentors and the students involved!

Lisa
Lisa’s path to SCFG was driven by reflection on her own educational journey. Although she had studied biology from a young age, it wasn’t until high school, where she had a teacher who was truly passionate and engaging, that she seriously considered science and medicine as a career. She often wondered how different things might have been if she’d had that exposure earlier. Volunteering with SCFG felt like a chance to be that spark for someone else, especially for girls from underserved communities. Lisa mentioned, “SCFG has a well thought-through curriculum that includes the use of analogies to explain complex concepts in a simple way and activities that are a fun way for students to reinforce what they learn. I believe the program is very precious to the community.”
Lisa volunteered with third graders, beginning each session by preparing alongside fellow volunteers to assign roles and plan the lesson’s flow. The hour with students featured a question of the day, a spotlight on a STEM professional, such as a cardiologist, an introduction to the topic, and several hands-on activities that visually brought complex concepts to life in accessible ways.
Lisa mentioned that working with a team of like-minded volunteers made the experience especially rewarding. They all drew on one another’s strengths and supported each other throughout each session. Lisa was inspired by an undergraduate volunteer’s natural ability to
connect with students, especially her effort to learn every child’s name, which reinforced how meaningful these small connections can be. Especially in a lively classroom of 15 third graders.

Skills Developed
Both Chloe and Lisa emphasized how much they gained from working alongside diverse teams of volunteers. Chloe collaborated with mentors from big pharma, environmental justice, and undergraduate programs, learning how science is applied across different careers. Lisa’s team included an undergraduate student, a junior mentor who was herself an SCFG alum, and a medical radiologist. Everyone involved provided a unique point of view and helped create a well-structured program for SCFG to operate.
Through their time with Science Club for Girls, both Chloe and Lisa developed skills that strengthened their identities as scientists and mentors. Chloe learned the importance of leading with enthusiasm and patience, especially when working with students who were initially disengaged or skeptical. By modeling genuine curiosity and taking the time to sit alongside students, she saw that passion and persistence could reignite interest among the students. The experience reinforced how critical it is to translate complex science into accessible, engaging lessons for younger audiences. This helped Chloe translate her graduate work to every level, allowing her to approach any audience she was presented with.
Lisa strengthened her organizational, leadership, and mentorship skills by working collaboratively to manage and guide a classroom of students. Coordinating activities with fellow volunteers and supporting a large group of third graders helped her grow as a leader. Lisa expects to carry these skills into mentoring undergraduate students in a lab setting. She also refined her ability to break down complicated scientific concepts into clear, digestible explanations, improving her effectiveness as a presenter and her ability to hold an audience’s attention. Together, these experiences highlighted how teaching science at an early level sharpens communication, leadership, and teamwork skills that extend far beyond the classroom.

Conclusion
SCFG provided both Chloe and Lisa with lasting memories. Chloe highlighted, “The guidance SCFG provided for first-time mentors was remarkable. It calmed my nerves about forgetting my anatomy for the curriculum, and having co-mentors helped a lot. Please consider volunteering for them!” Finally, Lisa highlighted, “SCFG is an amazing organization and I believe they are doing a very important job engaging girls from underserved communities from young age to STEM and giving women opportunities to have a STEM-related career.” To anyone considering volunteering, both have the same advice: do it. The commitment is manageable, the support is exceptional, and the reward is immeasurable!

GPGG 20th Year Anniversary Event

June 12th, 2025 in Recent News

Celebrating 20 Years of GPGG: A Weekend of Connection, Inspiration, and Community
The GPGG 20th Anniversary Celebration was a success, bringing together students, alumni, faculty, and friends for a memorable two-day event filled with engaging programming, heartfelt connections, and plenty of fun.

Friday Night Kickoff: Community and Conversation
The weekend kicked off with a warm welcome, as attendees received gift bags featuring custom GPGG jackets. Guests enjoyed Italian food from Maggiano’s while mingling at discussion tables themed around Academia, Biotech, Big Pharma, and Government. Moderated by Dr. Alla Grishok, alumni-led roundtable discussions provided meaningful advice and career guidance. After an inspiring keynote by Dr. Shoumita Dasgupta reflecting on the program’s growth and promising future, everyone gathered for a group photo. A thoughtfully prepared slide deck and photo slideshow played throughout the evening, adding a personal and nostalgic touch to the celebration.

Post-Event Social: Estragon Lounge
The celebration concluded at Estragon, where the reserved private lounge offered alumni and students a chance to continue conversations over drinks and appetizers in a relaxed setting.

Saturday: Continued Celebration
Saturday’s events continued with catering from Pressed Café, bringing together current students, alumni and their families, and faculty. The day wrapped up with ice cream, games, and networking, featuring a fun round of trivia led by alumna Megan Snyder.

Thank You:
The event successfully celebrated 20 years of GPGG achievements while also inspiring renewed excitement for the future.
Thank you to everyone who joined us, contributed, and helped make this milestone unforgettable. A special thank you to the alumni who traveled from afar to celebrate with us - names are listed below. Here’s to the next 20 years!

Link to the Photo slideshow:
Photo Slideshow Link

Alumni Attendees:

1. Dr. Stefanie Chan (Class of 2020): Works at Alloy Therapeutics, focusing on developing and refining cell-based assays for antibody drug discovery and development.

2. Dr. Keri Dame (Class of 2017): Senior Manager of Tissue Engineering in the Organ Manufacturing Group at United Therapeutics.

3. Dr. Robert Fisher (Class of 2024): Computational Biologist at Precede Bio.

4. Dr. Andy Hoss (Class of 2015): Director of Computational Sciences at City Therapeutics.

5. Dr. Dana Lau (Class of 2018): Research Scientist at PathAI.

6. Dr. Hila Milo Rasouly (Class of 2015): Assistant Professor of Medical Sciences and Associate Director of Education at the Center for Precision Medicine and Genomics.

7. Dr. Dorothy Pazin (Class of 2009): Associate Director of Alliance and Program Management at KSQ Therapeutics.

8. Dr. Megan Snyder (Class of 2023): Senior Scientist in Translational Medicine at Triveni Bio.

9. Dr. Elyse Kozlowski (Class of 2016): Scientific Advisor for the NIH’s All of Us Research Program.

GPGG SPRING SOCIAL 2025!

March 11th, 2025 in Recent News

The GPGG team kicked off the Spring semester by painting pottery at the Clayroom in Brookline. We spent hours chatting, creating colorful designs, and wrapping up the evening with a fun pizza party.