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College Is Awarded Luce Professorship
Washington College has been granted a Clare Boothe Luce Professorship in Chemistry by The Henry Luce Foundation, Inc. of New York. Leslie A. Sherman, an analytical and environmental chemist, will be the first Luce Professor in the College's history.
The Luce grant is designed specifically to enhance the academic careers of women in science, engineering and mathematics. Active in journalism, the theater and governmental service, the late Clare Boothe Luce created the program to advance her keen interest in helping women achieve their potential. Under the terms of her will, Mrs. Luce established a legacy that benefits women with talent and ambition in areas where they are still largely underrepresented--science and engineering.
"Since women were first admitted to Washington College in 1891, they have challenged cultural attitudes toward women in education, in sports and in professions," College President John S. Toll said. "We are proud of our record in encouraging women to pursue the baccalaureate as well as careers in the sciences. The endorsement of our efforts from this prestigious source will enable us to make even greater strides in advancing the causes championed by Clare Boothe Luce."
Sherman, a graduate of Carleton College, holds an M.S.C.E. degree in water chemistry from the University of Minnesota, Department of Civil Engineering, and a doctoral degree in soil chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition to her teaching and research positions, she has been a program analyst with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and was a marine science policy fellow for NOAA's National Sea Grant Program. She served two years as a science teacher with the Peace Corps in West Africa. Most recently, she taught environmental studies, water resources, and environmental chemistry at Providence College.
The Luce grant of $403,548 will support the expenses of the professorship for five years. Additionally, WC will provide funding for two student research assistants each summer, as well as one teaching assistant and one student assistant during the academic year.
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