http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2012/apr/13/one-year-later-foundation-to-honor-dufault-in/

"Bold, soft and humble" Yale Daily News (full link below)

http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2012/apr/13/deng-bold-soft-and-humble/ 

"Learning to Act" Yale Herald (full link below)

http://yaleherald.com/voices/learning-to-act/

Nearly a year has gone by since Michele passed away, and a few of us are collaborating on a project to collect her best and most inspiring moments to share with each other and Michele's family. We would love for you to participate and to spread the word. 

If you'd like to contribute, please e-mail Merlyn by April 4th with a few memories of Michele. Contributions can be e-mails, stories, Youtube clips, comics, music, text messages, or anything else you'd like to share. Below is a sample entry for the scrapbook as an example of what types of messages you might use and how you might write about them. (Datelines for emails don't appear in the example but please include them.)  Include any "Michele'isms" you like, and feel free to email me with any questions. 

Furthermore, we have started compiling a few of people's public submissions on Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/merlyndeng/md-project/) to give you an idea of what we hope the scrapbook will look like. As you can see, we will likely convert text messages into images (http://pinterest.com/pin/99008891778121123/) for viewing. If you would like your submissions to remain private among Michele's friends and family, please note it in your submission.

Lastly, for inspiration, here's a short video that Michele -- our exceptional friend, voracious NYTimes reader, and Youtube addict -- would send out during finals week: 40 Inspirational Speeches in 2 minutes. It always did the trick.

*****
Dear suite,

I would like to formally request one of two things:

1. We all become boys

or 

2. We shave off our hair. No one has hair more than 2 inches long.

Love,
Michele

Michele probably wrote this after sweeping the bathroom floor in our junior year suite, a duty she regularly assumed. She was always cheerful about and dismissive of the burdens we placed on her. Somehow--between the obscene hour that her alarm clock rattled her out of bed and into the dining hall for her customary coffee and granola, and the late hour that she returned to the suite, her gigantic backpack stuffed with the evidence of classes, meetings, and projects--she managed to clean up after and care for the rest of us. Studying into the night, she let concern for our productivity interrupt hers: sharing songs and YouTube clips as mini study breaks, offering to brew us mugs of tea. So many times, she dropped her reading response or problem set to help me phrase an email or talk through an idea, claiming, "I want an excuse not to work!" (a statement I would believe coming from any college student except her). Both her workload and her dedication were stunning, but she was never too busy to keep the rest of us running smoothly.

And this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXJq2sxwnj0 just couldn't have come from anyone but her.

A few of us are working on a digital scrapbook: a compliation of different media we dug up from the depths of our inboxes and browsing histories to share with Michele's friends and family. We invite you to join us on Pinterest to pin up images, comics, and youtube videos that remind you of Michele. Check us out here.

If you are interested in contributing your memories, please e-mail Merlyn to be invited to the project.

If you want to do your part too, check us out!

Blue Green Ornament for Michele's Fund!Blue roses bouquet

Rainbow cranes!

The numbers aren't pretty for the girls, and studies have confirmed it. In spite of efforts to increase and recognize women in these fields, why is it that only 22% of Physics Bachelors' degrees are awarded to women? A part of the answer is in exposing women to research opportunities early on in college, and letting them know that the resources are there.

Michele understood these issues intimately, which is why she helped out with GSI on her weekends and organized NCUWP. Even though Michele was a champion for women in science (and contributing her personal computing power to the search for aliens), something you didn't know about her is that Michele thought that no one would want to fund her as a sophomore (juniors and seniors usually have first dibs on National Science Foundation grants). She eventually did find funding, advisors, and went on to fly in Zero G for a NASA experiment.

This is where Michele's fund comes in, and where you can help. E-mail us. Donate. So we can change this reality.

#1: Visit Blue State. Blue State Coffee (locations on Wall and York), run by Drew Ruben SY'11 donates 2% of its profits to a non-profit every 6 months. Show your support by paying a visit to either location!

Suggest the Fund!

#2: Suggest our cause. Write on a slip "Michele's fund" with the url, "michelesfund.com" with your name on the back! Blue State doesn't provide paper, so bring a scrap with you. Or bring a regular sheet and split it among your friends. 

#3: Drop in the jar.

#4: Buy a coffee. You deserve it, and Blue State Coffee is tasty.

#5: Follow us on the web site, or @michelesfund on Twitter, or share this article!

Thank you for your support! Have a great spring break. Before you know it, we'll be upgraded to these guys:

Questions, fears, concerns? Leave a comment below or e-mail us!
Photos and guide courtesy of Sebastian Park, PC'13.]]>http://www.michelesfund.com/blog/rss-comments-entry-15250137.xmlbscfundraisingnew havenMichele's FundSun, 26 Feb 2012 01:31:09 +0000http://www.michelesfund.com/blog/2012/2/25/if-youre-in-new-haven.html1261238:14784979:15189205From Sara Mich, ES'12

If you are interested in purchasing a mug, check out the photos below and stay tuned. There are fewer than 40 mugs, so they will go fast! If you are interested in reserving a mug, stay tuned!

From Lana Verkuil, SY'11

The Northeast Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (NCUWP) 2012 was held at Yale University from January 13-15. Michele had been a driving organizational force behind the annual conference, and this year’s NCUWP was held in her honor.

One of Michele’s passions was encouraging women to stay curious in the sciences; as an undergraduate, she was instrumental in organizing and mentoring women not only in the academic environment but also in building a global network of women scientists.

The NCUWP aims to help young women learn about graduate school and professions in physics, to foster an undergraduate culture in which women are encouraged to pursue and succeed in higher education in physics, and to strengthen the network of women interested in physics in the northeast and nationally. The 2012 conference drew nearly 180 participants from 52 different institutions across the U.S.; registration had to be capped a month early to accommodate all attendees in the lecture hall. The conference program included research talks by faculty, panel discussions about graduate school and careers in physics, student poster sessions, and several meals during which students and presenters were able to interact.

Dr. Meg Urry, Physics Department Chair and Professor of Physics & Astronomy at Yale University, included a tribute to Michele in her opening address, “Women in Science: Why So Few?,” which was broadcast to all six conferences. Additionally, Dr. Amy Bower from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute gave the first Michele Dufault Memorial Lecture, “A Career in Ocean Physics: From New England Beaches to African Pirates.” “Dr. Bower gave a truly inspirational talk, and it was one of the favorite talks at the conference,” said conference organizer Ellen Klein.

Sales of NCUWP memorial t-shirts yielded around $300, which will be used to support the Michele Dufault Summer Fellowship and Conference Fund.

View pictures of the conference here.

Yale Daily News article about the conference here.

Northeast Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics