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Celebrating Women in Science
This year's Commencement marked the culmination of a year-long celebration of women in science, capped by Connie Morella's commencement address and the recognition given to Terumi Kohwi-Shigematsu of the Class of 1971, a staff scientist in the life sciences division of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Morella is perhaps Maryland's strongest advocate for advancing women's opportunities in science and technology. Kohwi-Shigematsu is involved in genetic research that may be helpful in breast cancer therapy.
Throughout the year, the College hosted several female scientists of distinction, in the fields of biology, chemistry and neuroscience. Among them were Rita Colwell, director of the National Science Foundation; Joanna S. Fowler, recipient of the 2002 Glenn T. Seaborg Award in Nuclear Chemistry and a senior chemist at Brookhaven National Laboratory; and Margaret M. McCarthy, a neuroscientist with the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Department of Physiology. The scientists taught classes, met informally with students and presented public lectures.
Frank Creegan, the professor of chemistry who organized the series, explained the dual cause for celebration. Not only was this the inaugural year of Sigma Xi, the honorary research society in the sciences, but it was also first year of the Clare Booth Luce Professorship, a national program that supports the teaching and research activities of a female scientist for five years. The professorship also pays for professional travel, student stipends and childcare costs. Leslie Sherman, a soil chemist in the field of environmental chemistry and the mother of two small children, holds the Luce Professorship at Washington College.
"The grant that supports Leslie Sherman is a great vehicle to highlight women elsewhere who have made achievements, but also gives us the opportunity to honor the achievements of our own women scientists," Creegan says. "Next fall, we are planning a symposium in honor of Professor Rosette Roat who has a book coming out--a referenced text in bioinorganic chemistry. Not surprisingly, much of the work highlighted in the text was done by women. We hope to bring some of those scientists to campus as well."
At Washington College, 70% of those who graduate with degrees in the sciences are women. Still, the vast majority of degrees are awarded in the arts and humanities.
"One of the things we hope to do as part of the Luce Professorship is to recruit more women into the sciences here at WC and direct them into science careers," Creegan says. "Washington College has a role to play in increasing the numbers of women in the sciences."
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