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Reports from CAIP Affiliates:
Sigma Delta Epsilon/Graduate Women in Science

History

SDS/GWIS was founded by women graduate students of Cornell University in 1921. Since then twenty-three Greek-letter chapters have been established in cities or university settings throughout the United States. Members who do not live in the vicinity of a chapter are affiliated with Omega Chapter which includes members in Canada, Korea and other countries.

Goals and Purpose

To advance the participations and recognition of women in the sciences, including biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, physics, health, behavioral science, science education, computer science and others.

International Activities

Many of the activities occur at the chapter level. Science books and journals are given to students attending US universities and these eventually find their way to many countries, especially Africa and Indonesia. Students from these countries are invited into the homes of US professors to join chapters of GWIS in the US. These women are encouraged to share their science knowledge and activities of their home country. They are encouraged to establish organizations similar to GWIS in their home country upon their return.

In 1984 the GWIS representative at the AAAS meeting "The Role of Scientific and Engineering Societies in Development" in the Ivory Coast distributed literature and shared ideas with several African women from different African countries who attended the meeting. By 1990 these women had established their own organization, known as the Third World Organization for Women in Science. This organization shares similar ideals and goals with GWIS.