International Women’s Day, science education & the second person plural: an official announcement

As a member of Women in the Sciences (WITS), I’ve been semi-involved with the planning committee of the ninth annual International Women’s Day, which this year (as you’ve probably gleaned from applying your excellent powers of deduction to the quandary) focuses on women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The actual event will be hosted by the Simon’s Rock campus, and admission is free to all students. For all non-students, there is a $25 registration fee, but scholarships are available. Details of the proceedings can be found online, but perhaps a brief synopsis is merited. The conference itself will take place on Saturday, March 6th, and will be located in the Daniel Arts Center from 1 to 5 PM. Proceedings are dedicated to celebrating cogent contributions of females in STEM fields, as well as exploring the tropic notion of discrimination in those fields—delving into the how, the why, etc.

The day is scheduled to open with keynote speaker Adeline Perkins, CEO of a multi-million dollar Boston-based biotechnology firm specializing in developing oncology medications. According to a piece in the Berkshire Eagle, she was “inspired by her math and science courses…and honed her business acumen,” synthesizing a B.S. in chemical engineering from Villanova University with an MBA from Harvard. Perkins’ address will use her own story to underscore the significance of early education and exposure to STEM disciplines in secondary school, and stress its importance in propelling women to pursue careers in those disciplines.
The keynote will be followed by two roundtable discussions, emphasizing (in chronological order) the initial imperative to educate and motivate girls in STEM fields and, consequently, the impacts that women have had in their respective fields. The panels are described below:

“We Can! Educating Girls in STEM, with Dr. Yvonne Spicer, Vice President of Advocacy and Educational Partnership at the National Center for Technological Literacy at the Museum of Science Boston; and Ann Pollina, Head of Westover School, founder of the Westover/RPI WISE Program and founding board member of a new Rwandan STEM school for girls. Jane Burke, founding director of the Flying Cloud Institute and the Young Women in Science Program at Bard College at Simon’s Rock, will moderate.

We Do! Women’s Impact on the STEM Fields, with Smith College Professor of Biology Virginia Hayssen, author of a major study of Smith College women science faculty; and Dr. Demet Gural, Vice President for Programs at Pathfinder International, an international organization dedicated to improving reproductive and health services for women in developing countries. Joy Lapseritis, professor of marine biology at Bard College at Simon’s Rock, will moderate.”

Concluding the conference will be an illustrated lecture by Dr. Zafra Lerman, professor of science and public policy and director of the Institute for Science Education and Science Communications (ISESC) at Columbia College in Chicago. Dr. Lerman has been described as “passionate about chemistry…and also passionate about human rights. Marry the two, and you have an extraordinary woman whose teaching, for the past 28 years, has been inspired by her belief that it is every person’s right to have a good science education.” The recipient of numerous awards for her work in pioneering human rights and science education, Dr. Lerman’s more recent focus has been on bringing together the science communities of the twelve Middle Eastern countries for annual conferences, ultimately working toward collaborative solutions to critical regional problems.

Additionally, Interactive Lab Workshops—target demographic: local middle and high school girls—will take place Friday, March 5th from 4 to 7 PM in the Fisher Science & Academic Center, also on campus.

Yes, this post was functionally a glorified advertisement, but I’m not acting only as a glorified public relations lackey. ☺ It’s going to be fantastic, and if you’re in the area, you should definitely go—no guarantees, but I can at least say that it is possible (perhaps even probable) that you’ll enjoy yourself. It’s going to be so good that publicity (minimal though it may be) uses the second person plural! Whatever your presuppositions or your prior knowledge, it promises to be an exciting event for all parties involved.