The Libraries’ Making Space program receives an inaugural Wolfpack Women in Philanthropy grant

The Libraries’ Making Space event series has been awarded one of the inaugural grants from the Wolfpack Women in Philanthropy (WWiP) Impact Fund which supports initiatives that empower women and enhance the university experience for everyone in the campus community.

Since its creation in 2015, Making Space has brought scientists and entrepreneurs to the Libraries to deliver public talks about their STEM journey and, often, to conduct workshops with students. The event series aims to highlight pathways to success in the STEM fields by presenting the experiences and perspectives of underrepresented groups in science and technology, including people of all identities and abilities. The series seeks to inspire all members of the NC State community to explore a variety of disciplines and emerging tools, develop new skills, and be creative with technology.

Dr. Celia Hodent of Epic Games was the first Making Space speaker in February 2016. Over 50 speakers have presented at the Libraries since then, covering a wide range of fields.

Alyssa Space, founder and CEO of ForHerCosmetics, led a hands-on workshop to make vegan lipstick in the WISE village using pipettes and other lab equipment. NC State alumnae Helena Price talked about how she became “Silicon Valley’s most wanted photographer” and gave a lesson on turning one’s favorite personal activities into a business. Fellow alumnae Jazsalyn McNeil discussed her journey from College of Textiles student to a dual career as a model and designer—her psychedelic collection, K^2, debuted at Charleston Fashion Week. Gamer and creator Amira Virgil (Xmiramira) told the story of leaving her full-time job to pursue streaming as a career and how she created the Melanin Pack, which expanded skin tone options for game characters and championed diversity within The Sims.

“Making Space allows us to bring in speakers that students wouldn't usually get a chance to hear from,” says Lara Fountaine, Community Engagement Librarian. “It allows students to hear from people with vastly different careers and life paths. Why is this important to have at NC State? Because it introduces students to non-traditional career paths—and it's also very inspiring.”

Student comments gathered after the events bear this out. "This was such a powerful example of not only overcoming barriers in STEM fields but also a fabulous story of successful entrepreneurship within underrepresented groups. I imagine this was extremely encouraging for many students,” one student noted after Space’s visit. After Matt Kenney, a researcher, developer and designer from Duke University spoke about issues around creativity and AI, another student noted, “I don’t think I really thought about AI being an ethical dilemma [and how it] can affect the community.”

The $10,000 WWiP grant will help underwrite honoraria and travel and lodging expenses for program speakers, most of whom are from out of town. The other two WWiP grant recipients are the Emerging Leaders Summit and the Women in Sport Leadership Initiative.

Libraries Director of Community Engagement Marian Fragola was a part of the Libraries team that founded the program. She has seen the series grow from an idea in a meeting to an impactful series for students.

One of Fragola’s personal highlights was an adaptive toy workshop where students learned how to make toys accessible for kids with disabilities. The toys made in the workshop were then donated to UNC Children's Hospital. Some of the students who participated in the workshop had never been in the Libraries’ Makerspace and had never used tools like a soldering iron. Participants also learned about the "disability tax"—how adaptive toys and utensils are more expensive for users.

“Because the group who plans Making Space is flexible and the members of the team change, we are able to incorporate a wide variety of interests—everything from video games, to electronic textiles, to podcasting and DJing, to board game design, to coding and GIS, to biofabrication, chemistry and math. There is something that appeals to just about anyone,” Fragola says.