Kickoff Conference (2009)

The PA STEM Initiative Kick-Off Conference, held May 5 at The Franklin Institute, brought together members of community organizations and K-20 educational institutions to learn about the PA STEM Initiative and the National Girls Collaborative Project.

The 80 participants engaged in speed networking, learned about the mini-grant application process, and were inspired by keynote speaker Dr. Joanna Floros, the Evan Pugh Professor of Pediatrics at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center’s College of Medicine.

Floros is a study in the power of sheer determination, unyielding perseverance, and a strong will to achieve one’s dreams.

Most important, as a leading researcher/professor in what is considered to be primarily a male-dominated profession, she is a role model for young girls who aspire to have a science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) career.

“I was trying to convey to the audience the need to empower girls, to help them find what they want to be, and when they do, to teach them to believe in their dreams,” Floros said in a post-keynote interview. “They also need to learn that they have a responsibility in life to be the very best they can be and not to give up when there are bumps in the road because obstacles will come, but they have to realize that and be strong enough to overcome them.”

Floros knows first-hand how difficult it can be to achieve your dreams.

Following high school graduation in Greece, Floros came to the United States to continue her studies. She didn’t speak English when she came to this country. Floros also didn’t realize there would be cultural and gender barriers as she worked toward a science-based career.

“It never occurred to me that I shouldn’t go into the sciences because I was a woman. It never occurred to me that there would be different standards,” Floros said. “In the eyes of some, there is a question as to whether science and having a family can ever go hand-in-hand when you are a woman. But no one ever questions a man if he decides to have a career in the sciences and a family.”

Floros said throughout her career she has worked in fabulous environments as well as those that were less appealing. Being named an Evan Pugh Professor is an esteemed honor that’s achieved by very few men or women. She was only the third woman to be an Evan Pugh designee.

Floros said she is willing to serve as a positive role model and encourages girls to dream big and work hard to achieve those dreams. “To get them to do that, it has to come from within,” Floros said. “They have to believe in themselves and they have to believe in what they want to do. I tell 18-, 19-, and 20-year-old girls that I didn’t even speak the language when I was your age. So if I can do it, you can do it too.”

For more information on the PA STEM Initiative or the PA STEM Girls Collaborative Project, please contact

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Conference Presentations

• Mini-Grant Workshop
  Learn how to apply for a Mini-Grant.