This Virginia Bio conference is celebrating women in bioscience

In 1921, Virginia Tech accepted its first female students.
The five women turned down gardening courses to pursue STEM studies, with three of them majoring in applied biology. Next Thursday, 95 years later, the college is sponsoring a celebration of women in bioscience.
The gathering is called Women Building Bio: the XX Factor. Organized by the Richmond-based nonprofit Virginia Biotechnology Association, also known as Virginia Bio, the gathering will celebrate local women in the field and discuss ways to make bioscience more inclusive.
Women Building Bio: the XX Factor will be held on September 29 at the INOVA Center for for Personalized Health in Fairfax. Registration is open to men and women.
Tickets are $229.
RSVP
Talks include “Stepping Up: Navigating Transitions with Grit and Grace” by University of Virginia Professor of Business Administration Lili Powell and “Finding and Developing Talent: Developing Oneself and Becoming ‘Found'” by Virginia Tech VP Research and Innovation Theresa Mayer.
George Mason University, James Madison University and the University of Virginia are also sponsoring XX Factor, as well as pharmaceutical companies AstraZeneca and Pfizer.
For more on how the first five female graduates of Virginia Tech paved the way for events like this, see the blog by the Virginia Tech’s Special Collections and Archives.