A note from WiO President, Clarissa DeLeon: Prism Week
Hi everyone! I want to express my appreciation for everyone who volunteered and participated in Prism Week 2022. Prism week was a major undertaking for WiO, as our largest event of the year, it demanded careful planning starting back in November 2021. From scheduling speakers, securing rooms to recruiting volunteers, this event could not have happened without everyone working together as a team, and could not have been such a success without the participants. The Diversity Town Hall was a particular highlight for me, and I hope we extend the conversations that occurred during those few hours into our everyday lives. Prism Week is not the only week we should be talking about these issues, and I hope the spirit of the town hall gets carried on throughout the year. The “Imposter Syndrome Workshop”, by Dr. Lisa Obre-Austin, and “Implementing Culturally Responsive Practices” talk by Dr. Mara Lopez, I hope will help lead everyone in attendance to success in their future careers. Although we are still finding our new normal and we are all burned out, I was happy to see substantial student participation in the Prism Week events. Finally, thank you to our Prism Week sponsors Thorlabs, Edmund Optics, SPIE, Optica, SoCK, and Airy Optics.