Students with Disabilities Working Group (SWDWG)

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ERN 2024 Students with Disabilities
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The ERN Working Group for Students and Professionals with Disabilities was funded in 2020 to bring together a cohort of students and career professionals to meet annually, for a one-day session during the ERN conference.  Through conversation, presentations, and peer networking in a safe, non-judgmental space, participants are invited to share undergraduate, graduate, and professional experiences and concerns in their STEMM journeys. The findings drive potential agendas for future collaboration and research in exploring a broader support and advocacy system for STEMM students with disabilities as they navigate their individual paths.  

Working Group Advisory Committee (WGAC) – This Committee meets monthly to discuss topics relevant to the interests and concerns of the participants of the entire Working Group cohort. This committee plans and facilitates small group discussions at the ERN meeting and identifies other opportunities to engage with and support the ERN Working Group Participants and the STEMM students with disabilities community at large.   

The AAAS Entry Point! program was created in response to the realization that students with disabilities, even those with strong academic records, were not being hired as part of the talent pool for STEM employment. AAAS understands that internships are credible paths to competitive and sustained employment. They can be a mechanism for talented students with disabilities to participate in laboratory work, data analysis, and other research activities with companies, government agencies, and university research programs.

More than 600 individuals have interned through Entry Point! since its inception in 1996. Follow-up indicates that 85% of alumni now work as scientists and engineers who have inspired new ideas, supported innovation, and advanced new research. This is an astoundingly high success rate for a scientific fellowship program. The students’ successes prove their abilities to compete and contribute alongside their peers who do not have disabilities.

Entry Point! provides a wide, national recruitment and screening effort to discover outstanding students with disabilities. Each year, it develops new pools of candidates with the technical knowledge and skills that Entry Point! partners desire. Qualified candidate referrals are sent to workplace partners to make the final hiring decisions. Interns and their managers at partner sites receive support during the program, post-placement follow-up, and mentoring.

Entry Point! invites partnerships with industry, university research programs, and government agencies in a mutual effort to place students with disabilities in 10-week, paid internships in opportunities geared toward their skills and interests. 

Previous Corporate and Institutional Participants:

  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
  • Merck
  • Cornell University
  • Lockheed Martin
  • IBM
  • Amgen
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Salk Institute
  • Mayo Clinic

SWDWG In the News

Upcoming Events

Now introducing the ERN STEMM Summer Series! By popular demand, we have organized a diverse series of free webinars this June that will continue some of the important conversations that took place among the ERN community at this year’s 2025 ERN Conference, supported by AAAS and The National Science Foundation.

We encourage students, STEMM professionals, and faculty alike to participate in this great capacity building opportunity, whether you attended #ERN25 or not! View the June webinar descriptions, brilliant speakers, and registration information below! We hope to see you there!  

STEMM: Cultivating Resilience and Mental Health Wellness
College life in STEMM fields can be exciting yet challenging, often accompanied by demanding coursework, high expectations, and the pressure to succeed. This workshop is designed to help STEM students build resilience, prioritize mental wellness, and create a foundation for long-term success. Participants will explore common challenges such as imposter syndrome, burnout, and academic stress while learning evidenced-based strategies to manage these obstacles. Through engaging discussions, students will gain tools to enhance their emotional well-being and foster a growth mindset. 

When: June 18th, 2025 at 12:00pm – 1:00pm EST
Where: Zoom – Register here!
With: Dr. Shanita Brown Ph.D., LCMHCS, NCC Teaching Assistant Professor at East Carolina University (View full bio here)

STEMM professional societies are best positioned to achieve their missions when the communities they serve are thriving. In this ERN webinar, panelists from the Professional STEMM Societies Working Group and the Students and Professionals with Disabilities Working Group share findings, experiences, and recommendations from their work on building thriving communities in STEMM professional societies.
When: June 24, 2025 at 3:00pm – 4:00pm EST

Where: Zoom – Register Here!
With Speakers: Rochelle L. Williams, Ph.D., Executive Director, Graduate Fellowships for STEM Diversity (GFSD) and President of the Women in Engineering ProActive Network (WEPAN) (View full bio here)
Dr. Talitha Washington, Executive Director, Center forApplied Data Science & Analytics, Howard University (View full bio here)

STEMM professional societies are best positioned to achieve their missions when the communities they serve are thriving. In this ERN webinar, panelists from the Professional STEMM Societies Working Group and the Students and Professionals with Disabilities Working Group share findings, experiences, and recommendations from their work on building thriving communities in STEMM professional societies.
When: June 24, 2025 at 3:00pm – 4:00pm EST

Where: Zoom – Register Here!
With Speakers: Rochelle L. Williams, Ph.D., Executive Director, Graduate Fellowships for STEM Diversity (GFSD) and President of the Women in Engineering ProActive Network (WEPAN) (View full bio here)
Dr. Talitha Washington, Executive Director, Center forApplied Data Science & Analytics, Howard University (View full bio here)

More information coming soon!

More information coming soon!

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