The Association for Women in Science of West Virginia hosted a state conference at the John E. Jones Conference Center in the WVU Medical Center Saturday, May 4, 2002.

The main purpose of the AWIS conference was to meet other women from across the state pursuing scientific careers in West Virginia. The theme was "Creating a Network of West Virginia Women in Science."

Dale Birkle, former AWIS-WV officer and WVU faculty member and currently the Scientific Review Administrator at the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health (NIH) was a featured speaker. Katherine Covert, Program Officer, Inorganic, Bioorganic and Organometallic Chemistry, National Science Foundation (NSF) and Lydotta M. Taylor, Executive Director of the EdVenturegroup of Morgantown spoke to the group. The panel presented their “Outlook for Women in Science and Technology.”

Following a luncheon, the speakers led individual workshops on "How to Identify Your Key Success Factors" by Dale Birkle; "Building Opportunities & Partnerships in Education" by Lydotta Taylor; "Lost in a Sea of Acronyms: Applying for NSF Grants" by Kathy Covert.

The conference was opened to AWIS members and nonmembers and interested female college graduates. The conference was sponsored by the Association for Women in Science of the West Virginia Chapter, a national organization promoting equity in science, technology and engineering for women and girls in our society and in West Virginia.