WITS Conferences Scheduled At Limestone March 17 & 18

Limestone College will host back-to-back Women In Technology & Sciences (WITS) Conferences on Thursday, March 17, and Friday, March 18, from 9 a.m. until 1:45 p.m. each day.

Nearly 200 sophomores and juniors from area high schools are expected to attend the conferences. Participants will be mentored by Limestone's female faculty and students through a series of training workshops.

For the past four years, Limestone has hosted a one-day WITS event, but opted this year to conduct two conferences on consecutive days.

“These are the best and brightest young women who have expressed an interest in science, math, technology, and health-related areas,” explained WITS Program Director Dr. Michelle Phillips-Meek, who is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Limestone. “The College is well-suited to offer a conference such as this because half of the faculty in science and health-related disciplines are women with terminal degrees.”

Registration will begin each day at 8:15 a.m. at Fullerton Auditorium, and Dr. Phillips-Meek will welcome participants at 9 a.m. Various workshops will take place across campus throughout each morning, followed by lunch at the Timken East Gymnasium.

Workshop titles include “Call 911!,” “Who Done It,” Is My Secret Safe,” Problems With Perception.”

Te guest speaker for Thursday’s luncheon will be Kim Fortner, Assistant Manager for the Gaffney Board of Public Works. On Friday, the guest speaker will be Milissa Eagle, Engagement Advisor for Press Ganey Associates.

Participants of the WITS Conference are eligible for Limestone's McMillan Scholarship Program which is designed specifically for young women who have a high school grade point average of 3.0 or better. The scholarships are worth $8,000 annually for a total of $32,000.

The WITS Conference receives financial support from both Duke Energy and Broad River Electric Cooperative. In 2013, the Duke Energy Foundation provided $50,000 that was used to transform a Limestone science lab into one akin to those seen on the popular “CSI” television series as well as to provide additional high-tech equipment. Broad River Electric Cooperative’s gifts are made possible through its Operation Round Up. Via that program, the monthly balances of participating members’ accounts are rounded up to the nearest dollar. That extra change goes to a benevolent fund that assists organizations and goodwill missions in and around Broad River’s service area.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the STEM related job field is projected to grow by 17 percent by 2018, compared to nine percent in other fields. Employers, however, struggle to find qualified female candidates with degrees in STEM disciplines. In fact, a 2011 report by the U.S. Department of Commerce stated that women will fill fewer than 25 percent of STEM jobs.

For more information about the WITS Conferences or the McMillan Scholarship Program, please contact the Limestone College Admissions Office at (864) 488-4615.