Women in STEM: 2015
March is Women's History Month, a time to celebrate the contributions women have made to society. Sigma Xi will participate by celebrating women's contributions to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). We asked Sigma Xi members in STEM to share their career experiences and their advice for girls and women interested in STEM.
Dr. Kathryn Sullivan
Year Elected to Sigma Xi:
1989
Current position:
Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Description of your job:
My job as head of NOAA is to put earth science to work so it helps people every day. NOAA turns data from satellites and cutting-edge science into understanding about our weather and climate, our oceans and coasts. Then we turn that into information that is helpful to farmers, airline managers, mayors, ship captains, and each of us. Millions of people use our information to keep their communities safe, businesses growing, and our economy strong. NOAA helps protect people from being hurt by dangerous weather, and helps keep our oceans healthy so the wondrous and very important life in the sea will thrive for generations to come. NOAA is a fantastic place to work. Our people are excited and passionate about what they do. At NOAA, people who have studied lots of different subjects and have many different talents can really thrive. Learn more on our Education site, http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/, and on our home page, NOAA.gov.
Please join us on social media!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NOAA
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NOAA
Instagram: http://instagram.com/noaa
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/noaa
Top Professional Accomplishments:
Dr. Sullivan is an accomplished oceanographer and the first American woman to walk in space. In 2004, she was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame. Dr. Sullivan is a veteran of three shuttle missions, including the mission that deployed the Hubble Space Telescope. In 2014, TIME Magazine named her one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World." She received Sigma Xi's 2011 John P. McGovern Science and Society Award.
I love science because...
I’m really curious and I like adventure! I love the excitement of discovering new things and the creativity of figuring out how to tackle something completely new to me. I like to solve problems and puzzles, from the ones posed by rocks and minerals or critters to the ones posed by flying in space or going out to sea to do research. Science is like a non-stop adventure. But beyond that, I love science because it is indispensable to the quality of all of our lives. The deeper we dig, and the more we understand about our Earth, the greater success we will have in tackling fast-growing problems all around the world. Science is absolutely key to providing food, clean water, and energy for a rising population, and we definitely can’t tackle challenges of climate change without good science.
There is another significant reason that I value science. As someone who has run a business and worked with thousands of students of all ages, I know that science builds the skills businesses seek. Well-designed science learning experiences teach students how to observe, assess, and analyze. These skills equip students to deal with new problems and, often independently, figure out how to solve them. These are exactly the skills needed to keep America vibrant, innovative, and competitive.
Dr. Marye Anne Fox
Year Elected to Sigma Xi:
1998
Current position:
Teaches and conducts research as a distinguished professor of chemistry and biochemistry at University of California, San Diego.
First woman to be appointed Permanent Chancellor at University of California, San Diego.
Past Positions:
Chancellor of the University of California, San Diego, 2004-2012
President of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, 2001-2002
Scientific Accomplishments:
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Accepted a 2009 National Medal of Science from President Barack Obama.
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Led UC San Diego to a record in 2010 by surpassing $1 billion in research funding for the first time in the university’s history.
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Received Sigma Xi’s 2012 John P. McGovern Science and Society Award. Also received Sigma Xi’s 1996 Monie A. Ferst Award for outstanding mentoring of graduate students.
Dr. Lise Abrams
Year Elected to Sigma Xi:
1991
Current position:
Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of Florida.
Description of your job:
As a professor, my primary responsibilities include research and teaching. My research is in the domain of cognitive psychology, specifically memory and language and the changes in these processes that occur with normal aging. I teach both undergraduate and graduate courses in these topics, and I mentor doctoral students and undergraduates in research in my laboratory. As department chair, I have a range of administrative responsibilities and serve as the link between my department and the college-level administration.
Scientific Accomplishments:
With 32 journal articles and 13 book chapters, my recent publications have explored memory failures such as tip-of-the-tongue states as well as spelling errors that occur during writing. My research has been supported by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Mental Health, and has been recognized by Sigma Xi, who awarded me the 2007 Young Investigator Award. I was also inducted into the University of Florida's Academy of Distinguished Teaching Scholars, which recognizes faculty who integrate superior teaching and research. I am a fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Gerontological Society of America, and the Psychonomic Society, and I am a member of the Association for Psychological Science and Women in Cognitive Science.
I love science because...
It presents me with an infinite list of problems to solve and challenges to overcome.
Amanpreet Kaur
Year Elected to Sigma Xi:
2013
Current position:
Graduate Student and Teaching Assistant, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University
Description of your job:
As a graduate student : I am working on obtaining my doctorate degree in physics from Clemson University. My area of research is astrophysics and I am studying the distribution of novae in our neighbor galaxy, Andromeda. A nova outburst is a nuclear explosion on the surface of a white dwarf which pulls matter from its companion star in a binary system, thereby increasing the brightness level by several thousand units.
As a teaching assistant : I teach astronomy labs based on solar system and stellar astronomy and utilize the planetarium in the department to explain some concepts in these classes.
Scientific Accomplishments:
• Awarded the best poster prize for “The first Ultraluminous X-Ray source (ULX) in M31'' at 'Time Domain Astrophysics with Swift' at Clemson University in October (24-26), 2011.
• Our collaboration with European Astrophysicists discovered the first Ultraluminous X-ray source in Andromeda galaxy in February, 2012. Read more here and here.
• Awarded research funding from Sigma Xi's Grants-in-Aid of Research Program twice :
1) for observing novae at 3.5m WIYN telescope, Kitt Peak, Arizona 2012.
2) for visiting the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Garching, Germany for a two-week training program, regarding the analysis training for data obtained from 2.2 m MPI\ESO telescope at La Silla, Chile (GROND instrument) for the photometric redshift determination of Blazars, in December 2013.
I love science because:
Science forms the basis of our understanding of existence. It explains our existence in this world. Being a student in the field of astrophysics, I have always been drawn to the mysteries of our Universe.
Dr. Tammy Maldonado
Year Elected to Sigma Xi:
2000
Current position:
Co-Director of STEM Education and Outreach at University of Colorado Boulder. President of the Sigma Xi University of Colorado Chapter.
Description of your job:
I teach and develop science curriculum for undergraduate courses and teacher professional development trainings. I work with research faculty to translate their research into hands-on, inquiry based lessons and labs and advise faculty on developing new CURE Courses (Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience).
I love science because:
Science nurtures one's natural instincts to wonder and allows us to take steps to answer our own questions. It encourages you to be curious, teaches you how to think, and provides the tools to search for answers.
Thoughts about being a woman in science:
Perseverance was my mantra. I was determined to succeed, I believed my research was important, and I surrounded myself with women scientists who also believed.
Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson
Year Elected to Sigma Xi:
1968, Life member
Current position:
President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Professor of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy
Professor of Engineering Sciences
Description of your job:
As the president of a world-class technological research university, the first and oldest institution of its kind in the United States, I lead the development and implementation of the vision that allows Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to bring together talented students and brilliant faculty to address our greatest global challenges.
Top career accomplishments:
Became the first African American woman to receive a doctorate from MIT in any field when I earned a PhD in theoretical elementary particle physics in 1973.
Conducted research at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and AT&T Bell Laboratories. I was a visiting scientist from 1974-1975 at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).
Appointed by President Bill Clinton, with U.S. Senate confirmation, as chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission from 1995-1999.
Served as president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). I've also been elected as a fellow of AAAS, the American Physical Society, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. I'm an international fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, UK. I also am a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and the American Philosophical Society.
Served on the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology from 2009-2014.
Appointed by President Barack Obama as co-chair of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board.
Named to the U.S. News STEM Leadership Hall of Fame.
I love science because:
Science allows us to work on the most fascinating of problems, while at the same time, elevating the human condition. It also teaches us about complexity and develops our ability to formulate important scientific questions, and to resolve them.
Thoughts about being a woman in science:
Confronted by great challenges, the world is in dire need of the talents of all scientifically-minded young people. Yet young women are not encouraged sufficiently to pursue scientific careers; sometimes they actively are discouraged. I would offer this advice to any young woman inspired by the possibility of discovery and innovation: Do not let others define who you are. Define yourself. Do not be limited by what others expect of you, but reach confidently for the stars.
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