The Women in Science Network at Colorado State University will host its fourth annual symposium on Tuesday, March 3, at Canvas Stadium. The event will commemorate Women’s History Month and will also mark CSU’s sesquicentennial celebration.

The event is free and open to the public, and will start at 11:45 a.m. with a poster session, international art exhibit, and works from the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame portrait gallery.

Dr. Yvonne Cagle, NASA astronaut, family physician and a retired colonel in the United States Air Force, will provide the keynote address, which starts at 2:15 p.m.

Candace Mathiason, associate professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology and a co-founder of the Women in Science Network, said the day’s speakers and events will explore the theme, “Building Bridges to the Future.”

“It’s always about communication, community building, and the mentoring process,” she said. “Putting those pieces together is very important for the next generation.”

Mathiason said that Dr. Cagle exemplifies this theme with her thoughts on inclusiveness and bringing more people into the conversation on women in science.

“As an astronaut, she explains in a TEDx Talk that the first time she was above the Earth, she didn’t see borders or boundaries, she saw a bigger picture,” Mathiason said. “We live at a time where we have a lot of divisiveness and we’re looking for ways to be more inclusive.”

Later in the day, the symposium will feature career issues breakout sessions, with speakers who will discuss a variety of topics under the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) umbrella, including first-generation students, mentoring, gender equity and LBGTQ+ issues in the workplace.

Since its launch in 2013, the Women in Science Network has grown from a dozen members to more than 700, with six Career Issues groups on campus.

Organizers strongly suggest attendees register by March 1.