A Bermudian woman scientist said an international leadership programme inspired her to encourage island girls to pursue careers in technical areas.

Tammy Warren said young women should consider roles in science, technology, engineering and mathmatics — known as Stem.

Dr Warren explained: “I was inspired by the stories of so many of the participants in the programme as well as the women scientists that I met at the various organisations and institutions.”

Dr Warren was one of 50 women selected by the US Department of State to take part in “Hidden No More: Empowering Women Leaders in Stem”.

The three-week programme was inspired by the movie Hidden Figures, which highlighted the contributions made by three African-American women working at the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the 1960s.

Dr Warren, the senior marine resources officer at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, was one of 120 women from around the world nominated for the programme.

A total of 48 women from countries including Argentina, Bahrain, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Mongolia and Swaziland ended up taking part.

Dr Warren was nominated by Mary Ellen Koenig, US Consul General in Bermuda.

The programme was designed to foster and encourage the participation of women and girls in science and maths-related fields. The participants spent the first week in Washington, DC, before they formed smaller teams and headed to other cities.

Dr Warren was sent to Pensacola, Florida and the teams got back together in Los Angeles for the final week.

Activities included panel discussions, a visit to the National Geographic Museum in Washington, DC — which included a discussion with the National Geographic magazine’s editor-in-chief — and a visit to the studio where the Hidden Figures movie was produced.

Dr Warren said the programme had provided her with a “clearer leadership vision”. She added: “The experience also impressed on me the importance of mentorship and provided me with some ideas on how I can encourage more Bermudian youth — especially girls — to pursue careers in Stem fields.

“One of the things that I would like to do is form a closer relationship with the island’s public school system to provide hands-on learning in marine sciences for students.”

Dr Warren said the experience had also helped her broaden her professional network.

She added: “I now have sisterhood of women scientists from all over the world that I can learn from and lean on for support and encouragement.”