FAMES® | Finance, Arts, and STEM: The theme of 2017 
International Women’s Day is “Be Bold for Change”. This theme is one of inspiration and there can be no greater source of inspiration than Dr. Felisha Lawrence and the encouragement she recently provided during the FAMES program to the students at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington (BGCGW). Lawrence has achieved a great deal in her career as a young engineer. She presented a program on weather monitoring from ground-based and space-based sensors through video. Students learned about the extraordinary sensitivity of many different types of sensors and the kinds of data they provide to meteorologists. They also learned about the growing importance of weather monitoring in terms of ensuring human safety as well as the economic impact that adverse weather can have on society. Lawrence’s presentation was engaging, exciting and comprehensive and presented in a way students could easily grasp. She also spoke of the importance of diversity in STEM fields because people from different backgrounds and experiences bring new ideas and innovative approaches to solving complex challenges.
Impact on the students: Lawrence encouraged students to find their own path to bold new careers in science and engineering. She provided them with lists of local STEM Summer Camps that the students can attend to take the step forward. As a result of her presentation, 100% of the students were inspired to pursue careers in STEM. The students wanted to learn about the famous African-Americans involved in STEM and took to heart her encouraging words that “you can do anything you put your mind to and accomplish any goal.”
Dr. Felisha R. Lawrence is a Radar Systems Engineer at Northrop Grumman Corporation. She received a Ph.D. from Howard University in Atmospheric Science (2016) and her B.A. in Electrical Engineering from Hampton University (2010). Prior to joining NG, Lawrence has worked at Earth Resources Technology, Inc. as an Electrical Engineer and at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center as a Graduate Research Assistant.
FAMES® (www.famesusa.org) is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to mentoring and educating underserved and underrepresented youth in Grades 4-12 in finance, arts, and STEM subjects. FAMES promotes creativity and engagement through hands-on activities, technology-driven learning, and mentorship program with inspiring role models.
This program is sponsored by Women in FAMES® (www.famesusa.org) which inspires more girls to enter and succeed in STEM fields (030817). #STEMafterschool