WIB-Capital Region: From Classroom to Career – How to Get Published & Maintain Your Escape Velocity

On March 15, 2024, WIB-Capital Region hosted a virtual meeting to provide a well-rounded workshop for early career women in STEM. The event explained how to create your own pipeline for producing a lot of great technical work, getting that work published, and then making sure the right people see that publication. Savanah Shumaker (WIB-Capital Region Sponsorship Committee Co-Chair) welcomed the audience and discussed WIB, as many of the attendees were new.

Dr. Samantha Miller then gave early career advice for women in highly technical fields, such as tips on negotiations and setting boundaries. Samantha gave honest and practical insight into what young women can do in order to be competitive in the lab while also avoiding burnout.

Dr. Gary Martin gave the keynote talk on How to Get Published, sharing insights from the perspective of an editor of scientific publications. Gary communicated how important the "extras" are, aside from the manuscript itself: the cover letter, design and spacing of figures and graphics, and attention to detail. The audience was excited to see what an editor's view of submitted publications, cover letters, and artwork looks like. Normally, only those working at a publication would have access to this type of insight, but Gary generously shared many screenshots of what he sees throughout the submission, acceptance, and publication processes. 

Savanah Shumaker wrapped up by sharing keys to developing a strong LinkedIn presence, including her personally developed "bottom-up" method of growing your online visibility. Savanah broke down the different levels of LinkedIn engagement and how they can or cannot serve one's purpose.

All speakers work in NMR spectroscopy but made their advice applicable to any scientific audience. The attendees appreciated seeing a group of early-career young women (Samantha and Savanah) join forces with a seasoned powerhouse (Gary) in an effort to educate and inspire the Women In Bio community.

Submitted by Savanah Shumaker