GRiP visits high school physics class for Global Citizenship Day

Yale Physics’ Gender Representation in Physics (GRiP) was invited by physics teacher Vincent (Vinny) Licciardello to give a presentation to students at Scarsdale High School in Scarsdale, New York, as part of their Global Citizenship Day. This event is designed to educate and inspire students to act on issues facing our world.  

Wright Lab graduate students Morgan Knuesel and Emily Pottebaum had the opportunity to present in two class periods to around 90 students. They explored the leaky pipeline, intersectionality, physics culture, and what GRiP is doing to help women and gender minority students at Yale—including mentorship, outreach, and taking steps to change physics culture for the better. 

Knuesel said, “As a high school student, I knew there weren’t nearly as many women in the field as men, but I didn’t know why. I didn’t know what challenges I would face and, when I did, that other women were facing them, too. So it felt important and impactful to be able to discuss these ideas with students who are nearing college or careers.”

Kneusel continued, “After our presentation, I had a discussion with a teacher about her daughter, now an undergraduate studying physics, who had expressed so many of the same things that we discussed. I think she was grateful to be able to tell her daughter that she isn’t alone in what she’s feeling, that there are other women who will want to help support her, and that, slowly, the culture is changing.”