tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62818332349425595182024-02-20T22:28:47.974-05:00Girl Scientist MagazineMs. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.comBlogger527125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-85843667202996220102014-07-12T18:14:00.001-04:002014-07-12T18:14:13.289-04:00ResurrectionI have to apologize to all my loyal readers for not posting in so long.<br />
<br />
We're back, starting Monday.<br />
<br />Stay tuned!Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-61960381249657743882013-05-21T10:22:00.001-04:002013-05-21T10:22:22.295-04:0014-Year-Old Scientist Makes a Groundbreaking DiscoveryFrom YahooNews: <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/14-old-scientist-makes-groundbreaking-discovery-000009850.html">14-Year-Old Scientist Makes a Groundbreaking Discovery</a><br />
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<div class="first">
Maria Elena Grimmett is only 14, but she already has a seven-page resume.</div>
The teen has become a highly decorated scientist for her research on
groundwater contaminants. She is also the youngest author to be
published in the <em>Journal of Environmental Quality</em>. Out of 30
finalists, she was awarded first place in mathematics in the 2012
Broadcom MASTERS competition, the national science, technology,
engineering, and math competition for sixth, seventh, and eighth
graders.<br />
She also has a planet named after her because of all of her research
achievements. Minor Planet 27410, discovered by the Linear Project of
MIT Lincoln Laboratory, which orbits between Mars and Jupiter, was named
Grimmett in 2011 and is recognized by the International Astronomical
Union.<br />
And if that wasn’t enough, Maria Elena made history at the 56th
annual Palm Beach County Science and Engineering Fair in December when
all judges awarded her perfect scores—the first time that’s happened in
the competition’s history.<br />
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Maria Elena specifically focuses on water, the contaminants in it,
and how they can be removed. Currently, her focus is on the drug,
sulfamethazine, and the ways that “Hypercrosslinked Adsorbent MN250” can
remove it from groundwater.<br />
“I really got hooked on science because the scientific method is a
series of logical steps that can identify and solve difficult problems
and help the world,” she told TakePart.<br />
She first got into science in third grade, thanks to an inspiring
teacher who was supportive of science projects. Maria Elena entered the
school’s science fair for the next several years until it was
discontinued due to a lack of staff and resources. But that didn’t stop
her.<br />
“There was only one science teacher in the entire middle school, and
she didn’t think she could help all of us fairly, so that’s why it had
to stop,” Maria Elena said. “I decided to continue on my own, leading me
to the path I am on today.”<br />
She was interested in the environment and water purification
specifically because she had seen something curious happen at her house.<br />
I live next to a golf course and I always saw them spray pesticides on the lawn.<br />
“I live next to a golf course and I always saw them spray pesticides
on the lawn,” she said. “I wondered if these contaminants could possibly
get in the water table because naturally Florida has a shallow water
table.”<br />
The answer, she discovered, was yes. Maria Elena wanted to know more, but challenges occurred.<br />
She needed a super-sensitive test for pharmaceutical contaminants at
parts-per-billion concentrations. She tried to get into local research
labs. But she was denied entry because of federal labor laws that stated
she couldn’t enter a lab until she was 16. She didn’t give up.<br />
Maria Elena attended water and other scientific conventions and
eventually met a scientist from the Scripps Research Institute, who told
her about ELISA tests that use antibodies and color change to identify a
substance. That breakthrough allowed her to test pharmaceuticals and
successfully finish her seventh-grade project. As one experiment builds
on the other, Maria Elena’s constant research paid off.<br />
In eighth grade, she discovered something that was <a data-rapid_p="1" href="https://www.agronomy.org/publications/jeq/abstracts/42/1/2" target="_blank">an unpublished result</a>:
MN250, a Purolite hypercrosslinked adsorbent, has a high adsorption
capacity for sulfamethazine and minimal desorption in distilled water.
That means it could be a promising adsorbent for sulfamethazine removal
from contaminated groundwater.<br />
Her father, Dr. Michael Grimmett, an ophthalmologist, said that when
Maria Elena first announced her scientific experiment plans in 2009, the
family was split.<br />
“My wife was very concerned that this extracurricular activity was
going to take away from her regular studies and also interfere with
summer vacation plans for the family since her experimentation typically
consumes the entire summer,” Michael Grimmett told TakePart. “Maria
Elena was just starting sixth grade at The Weiss School, which is an
accredited school for the gifted, and the curriculum was challenging.
Putting it mildly, my wife, Karen, was not enamored with Maria Elena’s
plan.”<br />
It was Maria Elena’s sincerity that ended up convincing her parents.<br />
“I knew it would be a huge challenge, particularly since she had no
lab supplies, no professional lab, no source of outside funding, no
school coordinator to complete the regulatory paperwork for the Science
Fairs, and no research mentor with expertise in water research.”<br />
Michael Grimmett even cancelled a day and a half of his medical
practice to drive his daughter to a national water convention in
Orlando, Florida, for her to perform science fair background research.
He also purchased laboratory-grade chemicals and ELISA testing equipment
under Maria Elena’s direction for needed materials. The family has
spent about $3,000 annually on her projects.<br />
What’s next for Maria Elena, who is now a freshman at Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches?<br />
More experiments this summer, of course, and she also wants to
represent Florida at the Stockholm Junior Water Prize national
competition when she turns 15, her first year of eligibility. She also
hopes to meet the Russian scientist, Dr. Vadim Davankov, who, as she
says, changed the entire adsorbent industry with his invention of
hypercrossedlink adsorbents. The two have already corresponded.<br />
Her dream, she said, is that “water engineers will be able to remove sulfamethazine from water around the world.”<br />
Using her research, of course.<br />
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Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-67890251759230881842013-03-29T11:44:00.001-04:002013-03-29T11:44:43.752-04:00Take your blood pressure medication!Spent most of yesterday in the hospital, where my mother was admitted. Her doctor had changed her blood pressure medication a couple of weeks ago, it wasn't doing the job. Unfortunately her doctor was out of town and a home therapist said we should take her to the Emergency Room.<br />
<br />
Bad idea, as far as I'm concerned. Put her back on her old medication which was working, just causing her to cough.<br />
<br />
Instead we brought her to the emergency room, and since she's old and deaf, this got her more stressed out and scared than ever, because they were all gathered around her shouting questions and wanting to run tests and I'm sure she thought she was dying or something, which sent her blood pressure even higher.<br />
<br />
She spent the night there, and is still in today for more tests, which I don't think she needs but I guess since they've got her in there they want to get their money's worth out of our insurance... she's in a private room which must be costing a fortune....<br />
<br />
The reason for my headline... she was about 40 when she was first diagnosed with high blood pressure...took pills for a couple of days but didn't like how they made her feel....so she stopped taking them and tried to do the "natural remedy" thing.<br />
<br />
Result, 20 years later she had congestive heart failure, and now instead of taking 1 pill a day she has to take 4. And has to go into the hospital periodically on occasions like these.<br />
<br />
Moral of the story - go get your blood pressure checked, and if you have high blood pressure make sure you take your meds, otherwise believe me you'll wish you had, when it is too late...Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-51420345338008606432013-03-17T21:13:00.004-04:002013-03-17T21:13:39.129-04:00Eight women Arab scientists picked in UNESCO ProgramFrom the Saudi Gazette: <a href="http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130213153016">Eight women Arab scientists picked in UNESCO Program</a><br />
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<strong>CAIRO</strong> — Eight exceptional Arab women scientists were
announced as winners by the L’Oréal-UNESCO “For Women in Science Pan
Arab” Regional Program in its third edition here. The scientists are
from Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Tunisia, Sudan, Iraq, and Bahrain.<br />
<br />
The ceremony was organized under the auspices of Prof. Dr. Nadia
Zakhary, Egypt’s Minister of Scientific Research, and was attended by
key Egyptian figures. <br />
<br />
Geoff Skingsley, Executive Vice President of L’Oréal’s Africa-Middle
East Zone, and Dr. Bechir Lamine, Director of UNESCO Cairo office, were
also present, according to a press release issued here.<br />
<br />
The fellowship program, now in its 3rd Pan-Arab version highlights the
crucial role women play in science and honors outstanding female
postdoctoral researchers who present exceptional projects in different
areas of science and technology. <br />
<br />
Each fellow receives a grant of $20,000 and is empowered through this
initiative to push forward her research efforts in the field of her
choice. Since the creation of the program in 1998, over 1,300 women in
over 100 countries have been recognized for their groundbreaking
achievements and innovative researches.<br />
<br />
Dr. Alia Shatanawi (Jordan), from the University of Jordan, will
continue her studies on vessel dysfunctions among diabetic patients,
while Dr. Heba Salama (Egypt), from Alexandria University’s Faculty of
Agriculture, will further her studies on introducing new winter forage
grass species to the Egyptian agricultural system and to investigate
their yield performance and nutritive value. <br />
<br />
Dr. Hiba El Helou (Syria), from Damascus University will further her
studies on dental implants, and Dr. Lina Khanj (Lebanon), from the
American University in Beirut, will further her research on traffic
offloading in LTE/ Wifi networks. <br />
<br />
Dr. Noura Bougasha-Elleuch (Tunisia) from the Ecole Nationale des
Ingénieurs de Sfax (ENIS) will undertake research in the field of
thyroid diseases, and Dr. Rasha Osman (Sudan), from the Faculty of
Mathematical Sciences — University of Khartoum will advance her studies
on Integrated Performance Modeling of Database Designs.<br />
<br />
Dr. Reyam Al Malikey (Iraq) from the Women’s Science College at Baghdad
University will work on studies concerning mercury exposure assessment
in Iraqi women’s hair. <br />
<br />
Similraly, Dr. Sumaya Abbas (Bahrain), from the Arabian Gulf University,
will continue her studies in solid waste management in the Bahrain.<br />
<br />
Prof. Dr. Nadia commended the FWIS program and said: “What the Arab
fellows here have accomplished through their groundbreaking projects is a
real source of motivation to their peers and the female population in
the whole Arab region. This program is a lever for distinguished women
scientists who have shown a true dedication to science and advancement
of knowledge in this important part of the world.”<br />
<br />
Initiating the ceremony, Dr. Bechir stated: “In this third version of
the Pan Arab celebration of women in science, we cannot but applaud the
efforts of women around the Arab World for their dedication to science
and strive to advance new solutions in several domains. The program is
successful because it is one of the few established platforms in the
region encouraging women scientists to highlight their work and help
them advance their research.” <br />
<br />
Sandeep Rai, General Manager of L’OREAL Egypt noted: “L’Oreal has always
been at the forefront of scientific advancement in the world. Our
success story with the Pan Arab FWIS program is based on the substantial
value this fellowship initiative brings to regional female scientists
and their countries.” <br />
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Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-6679781637224995682013-02-26T11:17:00.001-05:002013-02-26T11:17:47.007-05:00Never get involve in a land war in Asiaand never agree to transcribe 20 hours of meetings from an Australian business meeting.<br />
<br />
That's what I've been doing for the last 4 days...utter nightmare. Could NOT understand their accents. Making it worse were the bad audio levels and the fact that a lot of the people preesnt insisted on talking over each other from all around the room except in front of the microphone... I will never transcribe ANYTHING every again.<br />
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Anyway, so sorry to be MIA from my blogs.Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-70374650661404135362013-02-17T13:26:00.001-05:002013-02-17T13:26:17.754-05:00The Elsevier Foundation, TWAS, and OWSD Honor Early Career Women Scientists in Developing Countries at the Annual AAAS MeetingFrom PR Newswire: <span id="dvHeadline" itemprop="headline">The Elsevier Foundation, TWAS, and OWSD Honor Early Career Women Scientists in Developing Countries at the Annual AAAS Meeting</span><br />
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Recognition of early-career women scientists helps to support medical research, build strong research cultures, and inspire a new generation</div>
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Five medical and life science researchers from <span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">Africa</span></span></span>, the <span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">Middle East</span></span></span>, <span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">Asia</span></span></span>, <span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">Latin America</span></span></span> and the <span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">Caribbean</span></span></span> Basin today received the 2013 Elsevier Foundation Awards for Early Career Women Scientists in the Developing World for work that could contribute to life-saving knowledge and therapies worldwide. The prizes were awarded by <a href="http://www.elsevierfoundation.org/" target="_blank">The Elsevier Foundation,</a> the <a href="http://owsdw.ictp.it/" target="_blank">Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World</a> (OWSD), and <a href="http://www.twas.org/" target="_blank">TWAS</a>, the academy of sciences for the developing world, to build research capacity and advance scientific knowledge throughout the developing world.</div>
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The 2013 winners are being recognized for their research excellence. The prize includes US <span class="xn-money">$5,000</span> and all-expenses paid attendance at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting in <span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">Boston</span></span></span> in <span class="xn-chron">February 2013</span>. The winners received their prizes during a special ceremony on <span class="xn-chron">Saturday, February 16th</span>.</div>
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The winners are:</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;" type="disc">
<li><b>Central & <span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">South Asia</span></span></span>:</b> Dr. <span class="xn-person" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"> <span itemprop="name">Nasima Akhter </span></span>, Center for Nuclear Medicine and Ultrasound, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Dhaka Medical College Hospital Campus</li>
<li><b>East and <span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">South-East Asia</span></span></span> & the Pacific:</b> Dr. Namjil Erdenechimeg, Institute of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences</li>
<li><b><span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">Latin America</span></span></span> & the <span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">Caribbean</span></span></span>:</b> Dr. <span class="xn-person" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"> <span itemprop="name">Dionicia Gamboa </span></span>, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Department of Cellular and Molecular Sciences, <span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">Lima</span></span></span>,</li>
<li><b>Arab region:</b> Dr. Huda Omer Basaleem, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Aden University, <span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">Yemen</span></span></span></li>
<li><b>Sub-Saharan Africa:</b> Dr. Adediwura Fred-Jaiyesimi, Department of Pharmacognosy, Olabisi Onabanjo University, <span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">Nigeria</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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"If we hope to solve the challenges that confront developing nations, we must help young women in science to fully develop their skills and energy," said Professor <span class="xn-person" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"> <span itemprop="name">Romain Murenzi </span></span>, executive director of TWAS. "The winners of this prize will be an inspiration not only to other young women, but to all scientists of every generation."</div>
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Dr. <span class="xn-person" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"> <span itemprop="name">Nasima Akhter </span></span>, one of this year's award winners, commented: "In developing countries, continuing scientific research is difficult due to lack of resources, infrastructure and appropriate support. For young researchers, especially women, it is more difficult to continue research without cooperation and support from employers, co-workers and even family members. The Elsevier Foundation award is an immense honor and an appreciation of early career women scientists from developing countries who are devoted to continuing their research despite limited opportunity and constrains. It will encourage determination, amongst a new generation of women scientists, to contribute more in scientific development through research using available resources and focusing on community needs in line with national and international development goals."</div>
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"These five women are pioneers," said Professor Fang Xin, president of OWSD. "They come from different regions and different cultures, but all of them are doing highly advanced medical and life-science research. Their creativity and achievements will contribute to saving lives around the world, and that is sure to inspire a new generation of young women to pursue their highest ambitions in science and other fields."</div>
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<span class="xn-person" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"> <span itemprop="name">David Ruth </span></span>, Executive Director of the Elsevier Foundation, said, "The Elsevier Foundation recognizes how important professional visibility is to developing high-profile international scientific careers. Through our New Scholars grant programs we strive to support early-career women scholars with mentoring, research retreats, professional visibility, childcare, work-life integration and recognition programs. The awards for these impressive women scientists represents a cooperative effort supported by Elsevier, OWSD, AAAS and TWAS to build research capacity and advance scientific knowledge throughout the developing world - and what better place than the annual AAAS conference to raise awareness among scientists, policymakers, journalists and the public about the need to retain and celebrate top women scientists."</div>
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The 2014 awards will be launched on <span class="xn-chron">April 2, 2013</span> and the theme will be Chemistry.</div>
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Notes to Editors</div>
<div style="font-weight: bold;">
About the winners</div>
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The 2013 winners, all life scientists, are being recognized for their research excellence.</div>
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The winners:</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;" type="disc">
<li><span class="xn-person" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"> <span itemprop="name">Nasima Akhter </span></span>, Bangadesh - <u>Medical sciences</u><br /><i>For her research on foetal screening for congenital anomalies using ultrasonography and her introduction of the use of inactive iodide adjunct medication with radioiodine therapy in Graves' disease.</i></li>
<li><span class="xn-person" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"> <span itemprop="name">Huda Omer Ba Saleem </span></span>, <span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">Yemen</span></span></span> - <u>Community and public health</u><br /><i>For her dedication in the fight against cancer and for the well-being of women and children in the Arab region.</i></li>
<li>Erdenechimeg Namjil, <span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">Mongolia</span></span></span> - <u>Biochemistry</u><br /><i>For her investigations of catalytically active antibodies with oxidoreductase activities from the sera of rats.</i></li>
<li>Adediwura Fred-Jaiyesimi, <span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">Nigeria</span></span></span> - <u>Pharmacognosy and the antidiabetic properties of Nigerian medicinal plants</u><br /><i>For her work on the medicinal uses of plants, particularly her research on the hypoglycaemic and</i> a<i>-amylase-inhibitory activities of the extracts of two local plant species.</i></li>
<li><span class="xn-person" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"> <span itemprop="name">Dionicia Gamboa </span></span>, <span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">Peru</span></span></span> - <u>Molecular biology / parasitology</u><br /><i>For her multidisciplinary approach to fighting leishmaniasis and malaria, in particular for her studies into the molecular epidemiology of these diseases in endemic regions.</i></li>
</ul>
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<b>About TWAS</b><br />TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world, is an autonomous international organization, based in Trieste, <span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">Italy</span></span></span>, that promotes scientific excellence for sustainable development in the South. Originally named "Third World Academy of Sciences", it was founded in 1983 by a distinguished group of scientists from the South under the leadership of the late Nobel laureate <span class="xn-person" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"> <span itemprop="name">Abdus Salam </span></span> of <span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">Pakistan</span></span></span>. The Academy's strength resides in the quality and diversity of its membership - internationally renowned scientists elected by their peers. TWAS currently has more than 1,000 members from 90 countries, 73 of which are developing countries. It is administered by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and financially supported by the Italian government. (<a href="http://www.twas.org/" target="_blank">http://www.twas.org</a>)</div>
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<b>About OWSD</b><br />The Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) is an international organization affiliated to TWAS. Headed by eminent women scientists from the South, OWSD has more than 4,000 members. The central role is to promote women's access to science and technology, enhancing their greater involvement in decision-making processes for the development of their countries and in the international scientific community. Created in 1989, OWSD's overall goal is to work towards bridging the gender gap in science and technology. OWSD uses its forum to promote leadership, exchanges and networking for women scientists as well as for discussions to assist in the development of national capabilities to evolve, explore and improve strategies for increasing female participation in science. (<a href="http://www.owsdw.org/" target="_blank">http://www.owsdw.org</a>)<br /><br /><b>About The Elsevier Foundation</b><br />The Elsevier Foundation is a corporate charity funded by <a href="http://www.elsevier.com/" target="_blank">Elsevier</a>, a global provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The Elsevier Foundation provides grants to knowledge centered institutions around the world, with a focus on developing world libraries, nurse faculty and scholars in the early stages of their careers. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded more than 60 grants worth millions of dollars to non-profit organizations working in these fields. Through gift-matching, the Foundation also supports the efforts of Elsevier employees to play a positive role in their local and global communities. <a href="http://www.elsevierfoundation.org/" target="_blank">http://www.elsevierfoundation.org</a></div>
<br /><span id="curate-us-tag"><a href="http://s.tt/1zRxY"><img height="11" src="http://1.rp-api.com/4337083/via.png" style="border: currentColor; padding-right: 3px; vertical-align: -12%;" width="12" />PR Newswire</a> (<a href="http://s.tt/1zRxY">http://s.tt/1zRxY</a>)</span></div>
</span>Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-60426368449348476392013-01-30T00:30:00.000-05:002013-01-30T00:30:04.480-05:00Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and EngineeringThis journal has been published once a year since 1994.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.begellhouse.com/journals/journal-of-women-and-minorities-in-science-and-engineering.html">Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering</a><br />
<br />
<div id="journal_authors">
<span class="jatitle">Editor-in-Chief:</span>
<a href="http://www.begellhouse.com/authors/28bf323c7a3b0081.html" target="_blank">Kimberly D. Douglas-Mankin</a>
<br />
<span class="jatitle">Associate Editors:</span>
<a href="http://www.begellhouse.com/authors/704a3064107b8f9d.html" target="_blank">Howard Adams</a>
,
<a href="http://www.begellhouse.com/authors/5b2d491645b00ac2.html" target="_blank">Annie Canel</a>
,
<a href="http://www.begellhouse.com/authors/5d7c97945d6c9293.html" target="_blank">Laura Rendon</a>
</div>
<h2 class="scope">
Aims and Scope</h2>
Designed as a unique and much-needed resource for educators, managers, and policymakers, the <i>Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering</i>
publishes original, peer-reviewed papers that report innovative ideas
and programs for classroom teachers, scientific studies, and formulation
of concepts related to the education, recruitment, and retention of
under-represented groups in science and engineering. Discipline-specific
issues related to women and minorities are consolidated to address the
entire educational environment from K through post-graduate and on to
continuing education. Included are explorations of feminist teaching
methods, black student/white teacher interactions, cultural phenomena
that affect classroom climate, and new questions to ask of science. The
journal includes pertinent book reviews and "reports from the field" by
women and men of color in academe, business, industry, and federal and
state agencies.<br />
<div class="most_downloaded">
<div class="float_right m_l20">
</div>
<h2 class="scope">
Most Downloaded Articles</h2>
<a href="http://www.dl.begellhouse.com/journals/00551c876cc2f027,6b387569338e6ea6,107a4fa0496f6ef0.html">INCREASING
ACHIEVEMENT AND HIGHER-EDUCATION REPRESENTATION OF UNDER-REPRESENTED
GROUPS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS FIELDS: A
REVIEW OF CURRENT K-12 INTERVENTION PROGRAMS</a><br />
Jeffrey M. Valla, Wendy M. Williams
<br />
<a href="http://www.dl.begellhouse.com/journals/00551c876cc2f027,6b387569338e6ea6,487334bd21c8d210.html">EXAMINING
THE COMPLEXITIES OF FACULTY ATTRITION: AN ANALYSIS OF STEM AND NON-STEM
FACULTY WHO REMAIN AND FACULTY WHO LEAVE THE INSTITUTION</a><br />
Christi R. McGeorge, Ann Burnett, Canan Bilen-Green, Cali L. Anicha
<br />
<a href="http://www.dl.begellhouse.com/journals/00551c876cc2f027,6b387569338e6ea6,732b48956eb95759.html">AN EXPLORATION OF GENDER DIVERSITY IN ENGINEERING PROGRAMS: A CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION-BASED PERSPECTIVE</a><br />
David Knight, Lisa R. Lattuca, Alexander Yin, Travis York, Hyun Kyoung Ro, Gul Kremer
<br />
<a href="http://www.dl.begellhouse.com/journals/00551c876cc2f027,6b387569338e6ea6,2500a9c735ceae1b.html">I JUST NEED SOMEONE WHO KNOWS THE ROPES: MENTORING AND FEMALE FACULTY IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING</a><br />
Karlene Hoo, Laura Hartin Weathers, Caryl Heintz, Charlotte Chorn Dunham
<br />
<a href="http://www.dl.begellhouse.com/journals/00551c876cc2f027,2848c8c3108acb0d,676a2cde69594e0c.html">PERSISTENCE OF WOMEN IN ENGINEERING CAREERS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF CURRENT AND FORMER FEMALE ENGINEERS</a><br />
Mary Fitzpatrick, Nadya Fouad, Jane P. Liu
<br />
<a href="http://www.dl.begellhouse.com/journals/00551c876cc2f027,123ee04f5c874ba3,357d36bf45679b69.html">STEM SWITCHING: EXAMINING DEPARTURES OF UNDERGRADUATE WOMEN IN STEM FIELDS</a><br />
Casey E. George-Jackson
</div>
Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-54960960535562137712013-01-29T11:37:00.002-05:002013-01-29T11:37:29.715-05:00The science of missing womenFrom the Hindu: <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/the-science-of-missing-women/article4351064.ece">The science of missing women</a><br />
<br />
<div class="body">
Policies that effectively preclude women from pursuing particular
courses of study and professions are evidently neither rational nor
scientific. Yet, gender discrepancies are most stark in the science
disciplines, hindering women’s participation in the science and
technology industry around the world, according to the International
Labour Organisation. Women graduates are discriminated against in
research openings in the United States, as per a Yale University study.
In 2005, Harvard University president Lawrence Summers, a top-ranking
economist and treasury secretary in the Clinton administration, provoked
a furore with his highly sexist remarks. He argued that men
outperformed women in science and maths due to biological differences
and discrimination was not a barrier. That Mr. Summers’s successor was a
woman of eminence, or that other Ivy League institutions have females
at the helm, by itself does not negate pervasive stereotypes. According
to the ILO, the Iranian government has recently barred women from
careers in nuclear physics and electrical engineering. Chinese
institutions expect women to obtain higher entry grades for science
courses than their male counterparts. Moreover, women in the
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development region obtain more
than half of all university degrees but their share of qualifications
in science and technology is a mere 30 per cent. Clearly, it is wrong to
presume an automatic connection between an open, democratic society and
the realisation of equality of opportunities.
</div>
<div class="body">
In India, the female-to-male student ratio in most scientific
disciplines has been rising but women are still grossly
under-represented in major scientific establishments in the public
sector, not to speak of the upper echelons of science administration and
management. This systemic failure to ensure the presence of women has a
cascading effect throughout the S&T ecosystem and serves as a major
disincentive for the thousands of capable women who wish to make a
career in science. The total number of women scientists to win the
prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award has barely crossed
double-digits after five decades. The landmark 2004 Indian National
Science Academy study, <i>Science Career for Indian Women</i>, found
that while most women scientists did not find it difficult to find a
job, “many complained of gender-insensitive organisational practices and
workplace discrimination, which came in way of their career growth”.
Many also complained of gender-related nepotism and even sexual
harassment. One decade later, anecdotal evidence suggests the situation
is not much better.
</div>
<br />
<h1 class="detail-title">
</h1>
Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-2928833221998362922013-01-24T17:55:00.001-05:002013-01-24T17:55:44.122-05:00OMG!Never realized I hadn't posted in over 2 weeks!<br />
<br />
Sorry, folks<br />
<br />
Things have just gotten away from me the last week and a half...posting should be back on schedule starting this weekend.Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-61032297702940333862013-01-11T00:30:00.000-05:002013-01-11T00:30:03.088-05:00Social Innovation: Women and ScienceFrom JustMeans: <a href="http://www.justmeans.com/Social-Innovation-Women-Science/57215.html">Social Innovation: Women and Science</a><br />
<br />
Throughout history women have made significant contributions to science and social innovation. We all know of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Curie" target="_self">Marie Sklodowska-Curie</a>, the first woman to win a<span> Nobel prize </span>in 1903 for physics, and who then became a double Nobel prize winner in 1911 for chemistry—both prizes were for her work on<span> radiation. However, women h</span>ave
faced and continue to face many barriers in the world of science, from
lower status and salaries to having their work peer-reviewed and
accepted.<br />
<br />
Today, the salaries of women scientists with doctoral degrees are less
than men. Consequently, there is less participation by women in
high-ranking scientific field/positions. Moreover, even with men and
women in the same scientific field, women are typically paid 15 to 17
per cent less than men. Leading companies and prestigious universities
around the world are concerned about the continuous exit of women from
science, social innovation and technology.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In response, a number of organisations have
been started to combat the issues that may deter girls from careers in
science. In the <a href="http://www.wisecampaign.org.uk/" target="_self">U.K. the Wise Campaign</a> (Women into Science, Engineering and Construction) and the<span> </span><a href="http://www.raeng.org.uk/about/diversity/ukrc.htm" target="_self">U.K. Resource Centre for Women in SET</a>
are collaborating to ensure that industry, academia and education are
all aware of the importance of challenging the traditional approaches to
career advice and recruitment that result in the loss of some of the
best brains in the country.<span> </span><a href="http://www.elsevier.com/" target="_self">Elsevier</a>, the world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical <span>information, products and services,</span> has recently published, '<a href="http://store.elsevier.com/product.jsp?isbn=9780123969934&utm_source=PRWeb&utm_medium=pressrelease&utm_campaign=new_9780123969934" target="_self"><em>Careers Through Leadership and Innovation: Inspiration and Strategies for Women</em>', an academic title by Dr. Pamela McCauley Bush</a>.
It is a must read for all women pursuing or involved in a career in
Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM). Accompanying the
book is a website that features case studies, with slides that can be
used in teaching and bullet points that summarize critical points of
each chapter.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://store.elsevier.com/authorDetails.jsp?authorId=ELS_1124350" target="_blank">Dr. Bush's professional background</a>
and experience makes her the best-placed author for a book like this,
as she is not only a Fulbright Scholar but also a successful researcher
and innovator who is recognised as an influential speaker in leadership
and STEM education communities. In her book, Dr. Bush examines
research-based leadership and<a href="http://www.justmeans.com/Social-Innovation-India-Gives-Cash-Directly-Poor/57139.html" target="_self"> social innovation</a>
principles to make them both real and attainable. She empowers her
readers to build upon their own strengths and successes to discover and
develop leadership and innovation skills, by providing practical guides
that educate, encourage and equip readers to pursue leadership and <a href="http://www.justmeans.com/Two-Remarkable-Social-Entrepreneurs-Their-Yellow-Boats-of-Hope/57150.html" target="_self">innovation opportunities</a>.</div>
<br />
<h1>
</h1>
Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-68080919068552201862013-01-10T17:42:00.004-05:002013-01-10T17:42:47.708-05:00They dreamt to be scientists: India's pioneering womenFrom Unmid.com: <a href="http://www.ummid.com/news/2013/January/06.01.2013/india_pioneering_women.htm"><span style="color: #0d3692; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: 700;"><span style="color: #0d3692;">They dreamt to be scientists: India's
pioneering </span></span></a><span style="color: #0d3692; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: 700;"><a href="http://www.ummid.com/news/2013/January/06.01.2013/india_pioneering_women.htm"><span style="color: #0d3692;">women </span></a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0d3692; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: 700;"><span style="color: #0d3692;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #0d3692;"><b>Kolkata:</b></span> Masquerading
as a boy to get admitted to school or being rejected by the
community for staying in a Muslim family's house to write her
exams - they bravely fought all odds decades ago to pursue their
science dream and are now top women scientists in the country.
They will be the role models for thousands of girls keen to pursue
a career in science.<br />
<br />
The stories of 21 pioneering women scientists have been woven
together in a book, "The Balancing Act", by the union Ministry of
Science and Technology to inspire girls to take up science as a
career.<br />
<br />
The book was released by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee at the inaugural session of the centenary of the Indian
Science Congress in the presence of President Pranab Mukherjee and
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. <br />
<br />
"This book is to introduce young girls to many early pioneering
women scientists in India. This book is about stories of their
life and work," said Vinita Sharma, head of the Science for
Equity, Empowerment and Development (SEED) division, Department of
Science and Technology. <br />
<br />
"The aim is to inspire young students to pursue careers in
science," Sharma told IANS. <br />
<br />
The initiative holds importance as the government had expressed
concern over stark gender disparity at the level of senior
scientific positions in India. Women scientists form a mere 15
percent of the full-time research and development professionals,
said the government.<br />
<br />
According to the book, one of the pioneer women scientists,
Rajinder Jeet Hans-Gill, who retired as mathematics professor from
Punjab University, had to dress up as a boy by tying a turban and
wearing shorts so that she could join the boy's school, as there
was no school for girls in Nawashahr district of Punjab in the
early 1950s.<br />
<br />
She graduated in mathematics from a boy's college.<br />
<br />
Rama Govindaraj, an Indian Institute of technology (IIT) alumnus,
was not allowed to enter the premises of a chemical company for a
training programme as she was a woman.<br />
<br />
"I was told that a certificate would be given to me and there is
no need to attend the training as I was the only woman among so
many men and was given an excuse that i don't have appropriate
clothes. I asserted and told them that I could handle and wear
whatever was appropriate and wore the only pair of jeans I have
throughout the month-long training," Govindaraj said.<br />
<br />
Manju Ray, a enzymologist at the Indian Association for the
Cultivation of Science, Kolkata, had to struggle to educate
herself while living in a small village in what is now Bangladesh.
<br />
<br />
During her Class 10 examination, she had to stay with a Muslim
family to avoid 8-9 hours of travel to school. She and her family
was rejected by the community for this.<br />
<br />
All the 21 women have inspiring stories about their struggle,
perseverance, courage and success. <br />
<br />
The book has been written by SPARROW - a trust set up in 1988 in
Mumbai to build a national archives for women with print, oral
history and pictorial material.<br />
<br />
"The book is for young people eager to know who their foremothers
in science are in India. There have been many extraordinary women
scientists in India from early 20th century onwards," said SPARROW
director C.S. Lakshmi.<br />
<br />
"It talks about why they took up science. What was their childhood
like? Was their family supportive? What was their contribution to
science? What problems did they face? How did they deal with their
problems," said Lakshmi.<br />
<br />
According to the writers, the book is not exactly a book of
answers but one that relates the stories of women scientists whose
life experiences and passion for science provide answers to many
questions.<br />
<br />
The book is for those young girls who want to break stereotype
images and knock at the doors of science with determination and
courage.<br />
<br />
"It is a path less travelled but nevertheless, a path already laid
out by several others," Lakshmi said.</span> </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-71009473404115733172013-01-03T18:22:00.003-05:002013-01-03T18:22:52.614-05:00Kashmir, INdia: SP College hosts Women’s Science CongressFrom GreaterKashmir.com :<a href="http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2012/Dec/31/sp-college-hosts-women-s-science-congress-12.asp"> SP College hosts Women’s Science Congress</a><br />
<h6>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Srinagar, Dec 30: The first J&K Women’s Science Congress “Women in
Science: An Initiative for Women Scientists’ was recently held at SP
College here.<br /> Principal, SP College, Dr Nazir Ahmad Gilkar at the
Congress highlighted its objectives and sought cooperation of all
stakeholders for making it a success. <br /> Minister for Science and Technology, Animal Husbandry and IT, Agha Syed Ruhullah Mehdi was the chief guest. <br /> The
Minister emphasized the need for the teaching fraternity to make
science a general subject for all classes of society. “The Government is
engaged in designing policies and programmes for the purpose, which
would revolve around the development of science and technology,” he
said. <br /> Ruhullah, according to a statement issued by the college,
asked the Principal to formulate a proposal for popularising science
subjects among all the enthusiastic students of the State. Citing
examples of various prominent women scientists including Madam Curie,
the Minister asked the women folk of the State to prove their mettle in
various fields of science and technology by taking up the science stream
from the very beginning of their academic career. <br /> Earlier, former Director, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Medical Centre, New Delhi, Dr. Daman Saluja presented keynote address. <br /> While
Director, CORD, University of Kashmir, Prof. Azra Nahaid Kamili
presented the thematic address wherein she highlighted the role of women
in science and the initiatives that are to be taken in this respect. <br /> Dr.
Seemin Rubab, Associate Professor, National Institute of Technology,
Hazratbal, and Srinagar presented the special address and stressed upon
the introduction of mathematics as a compulsory subject up to the Higher
Secondary level and also highlighted the need for encouraging girls to
take up STEM subjects. <br /> There were five technical sessions on five
different themes which included: Earth and Environmental Sciences, Life
Sciences, Physical and Material Sciences, Applied Sciences and Social
and Allied Sciences. <br /> Dr. Meenakshi Munshi, Director, DBT, New Delhi
was the closing keynote Speaker. In her key-note address Dr. Meenakshi
acknowledged the audience to the various DBT Initiatives for researchers
in general and women researchers in particular. </span></span></h6>
Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-4838174029435995872013-01-01T17:55:00.004-05:002013-01-01T17:55:34.022-05:00Lack Of Female Physics Students Symptomatic Of Scientific Gender GapFrom RedOrbit: <a href="http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1112755552/science-gender-gap-females-in-physics-123112/">Lack Of Female Physics Students Symptomatic Of Scientific Gender Gap</a><br />
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</tbody></table>
<div>
<img alt="" class="attachment-large wp-post-image" height="416" src="http://www.redorbit.com/media/uploads/2012/12/science-123112-001-617x416.jpg" title="" width="617" /> </div>
<div class="image-caption">
Image Credit: <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-288118p1.html" target="_blank">l i g h t p o e t / Shutterstock</a>
</div>
<div class="description">
<strong>redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports – Your Universe Online</strong><br />
Only one out of every five honors-level <a href="http://www.redorbit.com/topics/physics/" target="_blank">physics</a>
students at UK high schools are women, and only 17-percent of female
students apply for undergraduate-level programs in the field at
universities, the Institute of Physics (<a href="http://www.iop.org/" target="_blank">IOP</a>) discovered in a recent study.<br />
Using information provided by the National Pupil Database (<a href="http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/national-pupil-database" target="_blank">NPD</a>),
IOP officials also discovered that nearly half of all state co-ed
schools in England did not have any girls participating in advanced or
“A-level” physics programs during the 2011 school year, and that less
than 8-percent of female physics undergrad students went on to become
senior lecturers in the discipline, Elizabeth Day of <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/dec/30/why-dont-girls-study-physics" target="_blank">The Observer</a> reported on Sunday.<br />
“By contrast, girls were almost two and a half times more likely to
take the subject at A-level if they were at a single-sex school – a
finding that suggests there might be an ingrained cultural perception in
co-educational establishments that physics is somehow ‘not for girls’,”
Day added. “Why is this happening? Is there some endemic sexism within
the world of physics? Or do women simply not find it appealing?”<br />
“It might be that the problem is embedded in the ethos of the school
and that teachers are tending to interact more with boys who are more
outgoing. There are all sorts of subtle messages that ‘Girls don’t do
physics’,” Athene Donald, a professor of experimental physics at the <a href="http://www.cam.ac.uk/" target="_blank">University of Cambridge</a>,
told The Observer. “I suppose the way we portray physicists and
engineers is as if it is not normal for girls to do these things. They
are often seen as quite nerdy men in programs like The Big Bang Theory.
They are posed as inarticulate and that’s not the kind of thing a girl
is going to aspire to when she is 12, 13, 14.”<br />
While Day points out that women do account for 55-percent of biology
students, physics is far from the only area where the gender appears to
be underrepresented, according to a December 18 story by <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/dec/18/few-women-bosses-in-engineering-firms" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>‘s Simon Neville. A new study conducted by the <a href="http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/" target="_blank">Royal Society of Edinburgh</a> found that only 4.9-percent of fellows at the Royal Society of Chemistry (<a href="http://www.rsc.org/" target="_blank">RSC</a>), 3.8-percent of fellows at the <a href="http://www.raeng.org.uk/" target="_blank">Royal Academy of Engineering</a>, and 1.5-percent of the Institution of Civil Engineers (<a href="http://www.ice.org.uk/" target="_blank">ICE</a>) were women, he reported.<br />
Earlier this year, the <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm" target="_blank">European Commission</a> launched an ill-advised <a href="http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1112644216/girl-thing-science-campaign-video-deemed-patronizing-insulting/" target="_blank">advertising campaign</a>
designed to encourage women to consider careers in scientific fields.
While the video itself was dismissed as “offensive” and “insulting” for
its depiction of women, it was an attempt to solve a real problem —
namely the “large number” of female students that the Commission said
“drop out of science, engineering and technology to pursue other
subjects.”<br />
“Female graduates are severely under-represented in the areas of
engineering, manufacturing and construction, with women making up just
25.5% of graduates in these fields. Women are also under-represented in
the areas of science, mathematics and computing, where they constitute
40.2 % of all graduates,” the Commission said back in June.
“Furthermore, EU-wide, women make up only about 32% of career
researchers. Most countries acknowledge that this is a problem, not only
now but for the future of research. With businesses in many countries
already reporting shortages of skilled workers, Europe cannot afford to
waste any of its young talent.”<br />
In the US, <a href="http://www.dartmouth.edu/" target="_blank">Dartmouth College</a>
is attempting a similar campaign, only instead of picturing supposed
female scientists wearing short skirts and high heels, the subjects of
the New Hampshire institution’s promotional video are depicted dealing
with “the gritty reality of field work in Greenland,” Carolyn Y. Johnson
of the <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/science/blogs/science-in-mind/2012/12/24/science-girl-thing/gfzk6sZFOheQFx7ugBZphO/blog.html" target="_blank">Boston Globe</a> wrote last Monday.<br />
“The topic of women in science is an important and complicated one,”
Johnson added. “Things have certainly improved in many respects. But
even as more women are getting science degrees, women are still
outnumbered by men, when you count the number who become full faculty
members. The numbers are improving but remain far from equal in most
fields — a National Science Foundation (<a href="http://www.nsf.gov/" target="_blank">NSF</a>) study notes that in 2008, women made up a little more than a fifth of full professors with science and engineering degrees.”<br />
Advances are also being made at some schools as well, including the <a href="http://www.lampton.hounslow.sch.uk/" target="_blank">Lampton School</a>
in Hounslow, England. According to Day, one-fourth of the female
students attending Lampton study physics at A-level — a feat that
science teacher Jessica Hamer attributed to the staff’s efforts to
overcome negative stereotypes associated with the career choice and
depictions of physicists in popular culture.<br />
“We realized there was a dearth of girls, so we tried to get more
speakers and role models to come into the school and talk to the
pupils,” Hamer said. Day said that the impact of those efforts has been
“noticeable” and that the female physics students she met were
“extremely bright and enthusiastic about their chosen subject.” The
gender gap in physics and in some other scientific fields may still be
prevalent, but given success stories such as the one at the Lampton
School, as Day says, “there are signs that the culture is changing.”<br />
</div>
<br />
<h1 class="title">
</h1>
Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-45725777395619535662012-12-30T13:30:00.000-05:002012-12-30T13:30:16.691-05:00Not all women scientists are good...If I share the good news, I've also got to share the bad...<br />
<br />
<br />
The Indian Express: <a href="http://www.indianexpress.com/news/outrage--woman-scientist-says-girls-intestine-would-have-been-intact-if-she-didnt-resist-rape/1051165">Outrage! Woman scientist says girl's intestine would have been intact if she didn't resist rape</a><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Had the girl simply surrendered (and not resisted) when surrounded
by six men, she would not have lost her intestine. Why was she out with
her boyfriend at 10 pm?” These comments made by an agricultural
scientist at a seminar organised by the police provoked an outrage in
Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, and demands for punitive action against her.
<br />
Dr Anita Shukla, a scientist at the Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia
Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, had been invited to the seminar on “Women’s
Empowerment” in her capacity as the president of Lion’s Club on
Wednesday. Women, Shukla said in her speech, had misused the facilities
and rights given to them.
<br />
Following an uproar, Shukla apologised in the evening: “I empathise with the victim and pray to God for her speedy recovery.”
<br />
Before coming out with the apology, Shukla, however, had appeared
to defend her comments by saying the victim would have been better off
not putting up resistance. “When a group of men intend to rape, they
will do it. The victim should save herself for bringing the perpetrators
to book.”
<br />
Senior police officers and the State Women's Commission said they were examining Shukla’s comments.</blockquote>
If anyone has been following the story...this rape victim has now died.<br />
<br />
In the States, we say this kind of thing if the girl is out at 3:25 in the morning, has been drinking with two guys at a bar and then invites them back to her bedroom.<br />
<br />
But a girl out with her boyfriend, at 10 pm?????<br />
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<h1 class="headstory">
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Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-21660278644596212442012-12-29T06:40:00.002-05:002012-12-29T06:40:24.504-05:00A scientific pioneer and a reluctant role model From the Globe and Mail: <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/a-scientific-pioneer-and-a-reluctant-role-model/article6373885/">A scientific pioneer and a reluctant role model</a><br />
<br />
In the early 1950s, Wilder Penfield, one of the world’s leading
neurosurgeons at the time, performed what should have been a
straightforward elective surgery. The patient, an engineer who headed
his department, had come to the Montreal Neurological Institute and
Hospital, affiliated with McGill University, with epileptic seizures.
The results of the surgery were catastrophic. “He couldn’t remember
anything that happened. He couldn’t go out for dinner and follow a
conversation,” recalls the neuropsychologist Brenda Milner. “He had to
be demoted to draftsman. But there was no loss of intelligence, no loss
in reasoning.”
<br />
<br />Dr. Milner was then a 30-something PhD candidate, one of the few
women employed by The Neuro (as those who work there call it). “Dr.
Penfield was shocked. He didn’t know what happened.” She and the master
surgeon wrote up the case, not knowing what would come of it. Soon
after, she received an invitation from a neurosurgeon at Harvard. He had
a similar case he hadn’t thought significant; did she have any
interest?<br />
“I couldn’t imagine why he would invite a young woman to
study this case,” remembers Dr. Milner, who at 94 continues her
research full-time. The patient, identified for decades only as H.M.,
became the most important case study in the history of neuroscience,
leading to many discoveries about how the brain creates memories.
Although doctors had assumed H.M. was unable to form any new memories,
Dr. Milner’s groundbreaking research showed that he could develop new
motor skills and spatial memories, proving for the first time that there
are different types of memory. The Nobel Laureate Eric Kandel credited
Dr. Milner with creating a whole new field called cognitive
neuroscience.<br />
On November 21, Dr. Milner became the ninth woman to
be named to the Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame, joining
53 other history-making researchers such as Alexander Graham Bell and J.
Armand Bombardier. But she doesn’t like to to be recognized as being
one of the few women who have reached the highest ranks of science in
Canada.<br />
After her Hall of Fame acceptance speech, a group of young
female scientists swarmed her eagerly to snap photos with her, showing
how Dr. Milner, albeit somewhat unwillingly, has become an icon of what
female scientists can accomplish in a male-dominated field.<br />
“I
have not set myself up to be a role model for women, but it does seem to
be more of an issue than it used to be,” Dr. Milner explains, recalling
how she increasingly gets mobbed by women after public lectures in the
past five years. “There is rarely a man in the group.”<br />
Although
the landscape, particularly at medical schools, has changed
significantly since Dr. Milner began her career, women continue to be
underrepresented in many scientific fields. They make up only 39 per
cent of students in physical sciences and 17 per cent in engineering and
computer science. According to a recent study from the Council of
Canadian Academies, only a third of faculty members in Canada are women,
and that number shrinks to 15 per cent in the physical sciences,
engineering and computer science.<br />
Yet the toughest competition
that Dr. Milner says she ever faced was against other women. When she
was in high school she announced her intention to pursue mathematics
against her headmistress’s wishes she go into languages. The best
science students in her native Britain went to Cambridge, yet the
school’s rigid college system only allowed for 400 female students to
enroll. “It was tremendously difficult to get in,” she says. “My
competition was all women.” Her all-girls school didn’t have the calibre
of teacher in math and physics to get her up to a competitive level, so
they sent her elsewhere to a male lecturer.<br />
For the rest of her
career, however, Dr. Milner was determined to compete with the best
scientists, male or female. “She never wanted to win prizes that were
only for women, she wanted to win prizes open to both genders so she
could beat the men,” says Denise Klein, who has worked at The Neuro
since starting a post-doc with Dr. Milner in 1992.<br />
Early in her
studies at Cambridge, Dr. Milner realized she would never be a great
mathematician and switched to psychology, earning her degree in 1939.
She met her husband Peter Milner while working for the military during
the Second World War. They hastily married when he was asked to launch
Canada’s atomic energy program, and moved to Montreal.<br />
After a
teaching stint at the Université de Montréal, she realized that “in
North America you were nobody if you didn’t have a PhD.” Dr. Milner
wanted more than a teaching career. “I knew I had it in me to do
something big,” she says.<br />
When she arrived at The Neuro in June,
1950, to begin her PhD, she was one of few women. “The institute was
authoritarian,” Dr. Milner recalls. “People who were junior would not
speak out of turn. But it was not sexist.” Dr. Klein goes a step further
in describing it as a “chauvinistic environment.”<br />
Dr. Milner’s
response to the male-dominated atmosphere was to challenge stereotypes
about psychology being a less rigorous approach to brain science than
the work of the primarily male neurosurgeons. “She took what she did
seriously enough that other people took her seriously and did not
dismiss her work as soft science,” says Dr. Klein. “She showed people
that her field could be as scientific, as useful and as data-driven as
other fields that are taken more seriously.” During this period before
brain imaging, when surgery was required to see what was happening in
the brain, Dr. Milner’s behaviour-based diagnostic work was eventually
seen as crucial.<br />
Dr. Milner insists she never encountered any
barriers because of her gender. Her resistance to being recognized as an
outstanding woman seems to stem from her desire to be a great scientist
in general. “Brenda was good at showing people she was necessary,” says
Dr. Klein. “She showed people that the pieces of information she was
providing from thinking about the brain and behaviour were important.
She told me to make myself useful and I would have a job.”<br />
Far
from being dismissed as a woman, Dr. Milner intimidated people.
“Remember that she was a very strong woman,” explains Gabriel Leonard, a
clinical scientist at The Neuro. “There were very few people that had
the courage and the necessary tenacity to fight her. She was a
formidable person to debate, with a large vocabulary and a great
knowledge of literature.”<br />
Three years ago, Dr. Milner received the
prestigious international Balzan Prize, netting $1-million for her
research. Now, she is in the midst of launching into a new research area
looking at how the hemispheres of the brain interact. This year she is
taking on two new post-docs and her colleagues reckon that she may be
the oldest scientist in the world to do so.<br />
<br />
<h1 class="entry-title" title="Now in her 90s, Brenda Milner continues to do research in cognitive neuroscience, the field she created">
</h1>
Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-62165653111760507882012-12-25T13:35:00.000-05:002012-12-25T13:35:08.106-05:00Unequal Access to Resources Depresses Women Scientists' Publication Rates, Study FindsFrom ScienceMag: <a href="http://blogs.sciencemag.org/sciencecareers/2012/12/unequal-access.html">Unequal Access to Resources Depresses Women Scientists' Publication Rates, Study Finds</a><br />
<br />
<div class="asset-body">
Why do women scientists publish less than their male colleagues? A study appearing in <i><a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0051332">PLOS ONE </a></i> on 12 December suggests an answer: women get a "lower level of institutional support" from their universities. <br /><br />Jordi
Duch of Northwestern University and her co-authors took a circuitous
route to this conclusion. They compared the publication rates of male
and female research university faculty in chemical engineering,
chemistry, ecology, industrial engineering, material science, molecular
biology, and psychology. These seven disciplines vary considerably in
the amount of resources that scientists need to do research, as measured
by what they typically spend in a year. At the low end is industrial
engineering, in which much of the work is "theoretical and computational
in nature" and "faculty tend to train a small number of students at a
time." At the high end is molecular biology, which requires extensive
labs, lots of expensive equipment, and, often, numerous grad students
and postdocs to do the bench work. <br /><br />Because of their relatively
small requirements,industrial engineering faculty "do not need to
compete against one another for limited resources," the authors state.
The "institutional support" needed to do battle for funding is therefore
a relatively unimportant "factor in productivity" in the field, the
authors suggest. For molecular biologists, on the other hand<i>, </i>winning
large competitive grants is crucial to supporting their labs.
"Institutionally granted resources or institutional support for securing
large grants" are vital to this competition and therefore become
"crucial components of academic success," the authors write.<br /><br />
</div>
Universities have a long history of favoring men over women when
allocating resources and support among their faculty members, note the
authors, who reason that differences in publication rates should be
expected to reflect this discrepancy. Gender differences in publication
rates, the hypothesize, should therefore be much smaller in fields like
industrial engineering that impose low resource demands than they are
fields like molecular biology, where resource demands are very high. <br /><br />An
analysis of the publications of more than 4000 faculty members "fully
confirms our hypotheses," the authors state. The differences between the
publication rates of male and female industrial engineers are
negligible. Female molecular biologists, on the other hand,
"consistently publish at a rate significantly lower than" their male
colleagues. This shows, the authors conclude, that "gender differences
in institutional support have had a crucial effect on the publication
rates of females."<br /><br />Although the authors caution that their
results show only correlation, co-author Luis Amaral of Northwestern
University finds them "very suggestive of causality," according to a an
article in <a href="http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/12/13/study-suggests-resource-inequities-may-impact-publishing-records-women-science"><i>Inside Higher Ed</i></a>. You can read the <i>PLOS ONE</i> study <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0051332">here</a>.<br />
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Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-49488335871137045662012-12-19T17:11:00.001-05:002012-12-19T17:11:52.840-05:00New posting scheduleNow that I've got this new full-time job, I'll be posting in this blog twice a week - on Monday's and Wednesdays.<br />
<br />
So the next post for this blog will be on Monday.<br />
<br />
Thanks for your patience.Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-66669917410202942362012-12-17T18:52:00.001-05:002012-12-17T18:52:11.657-05:00Posts resume this WednesdayI'm a freelance writer and I am way behind on a job I have to do, so I won't be posting here until Wednesday..<br />
<br />
Thanks for your patience!<br />
<br />Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-1037681266490240192012-12-14T17:44:00.001-05:002012-12-14T17:44:51.491-05:00Three female Rebel pilots were discharged from ‘Return of the Jedi’From YahooNews: <a href="http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/three-female-rebel-pilots-were-discharged-return-jedi-193622991.html">Three female Rebel pilots were discharged from ‘Return of the Jedi’</a><br />
<br />
<cite class="byline vcard"><abbr title="2012-12-12T19:36:22Z"></abbr></cite>
<br />
<div class="yom-mod yom-art-content yahoo-analyze-include">
<div class="bd">
<div class="first">
<span class="yom-figure yom-fig-right" style="width: 630px;"><img alt="" class="alignnone " height="354" src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/dpsv5hl7QdM8PJHGtvu3IQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en-US/blogs/movietalk/starwarsfemalepilot-jpg_193312.jpg" title="Photo: Star Wars Aficionado Magazine" width="630" /><span class="legend">Photo: Star Wars Aficionado Magazine</span></span></div>
The Rebel Alliance now seems a little bit less like a galactic Boys Club.<br />
The final battle against the Death Star in "<span class="yptw" id="lw_1355524237_2"><em class="ywp-page-play-pause ywp-page-video ywp-link-hover"><em class="ywp-page-btn ywp-page-btn-play" title="Play Video"></em><a class="ywp-entity" href="http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/three-female-rebel-pilots-were-discharged-return-jedi-193622991.html#" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(15, 74, 163);">Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi</a></em></span>"
(1983) used to have a bit more of a woman's touch as it's been revealed
that there were actually three female Rebel pilots taking on TIE
Fighters and Star Destroyers as they waited for Han Solo and the gang to
blow up the shield generator bunker on Endor (ah, old war stories!).<span id="more-13936"></span><br />
There were <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/donnad/star-wars-female-fighter-pilots-cut-from-final-f">three unnamed lady pilots</a><span> </span>in "Jedi," two of which can be seen in the extras for the Blu-ray release of the original "<span class="yptw" id="lw_1355524237_3"><em class="ywp-page-play-pause ywp-page-video ywp-link-hover"><em class="ywp-page-btn ywp-page-btn-play" title="Play Video"></em><a class="ywp-entity" href="http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/three-female-rebel-pilots-were-discharged-return-jedi-193622991.html#" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(15, 74, 163);">Star Wars</a></em></span>"
trilogy. Both of them were A-Wing pilots, with one even getting a line
("Got it," which was actually dubbed by a male actor in post-production)
before getting shot down by a TIE Fighter seconds later. The second
pilot is, surprisingly, considerably older ... and could now indeed be
the inspiration for a new wave of fan fiction (she's a retired Rebel vet
who's allowed to come back for one last hurrah against the Empire after
being deemed too old for duty during the Battle of Yavin in "A New
Hope," perhaps?).<br />
There was a third female pilot in the Battle of Endor as well. French
actress Vivienne Chandler didn't make it into the Blu-ray extras, even
though she spent three days on the "Jedi" set and had an entire line of
dialogue between herself and another pilot. She also got to fly the much
more iconic X-Wing, the ship of choice for her Rebel colleague, Luke
Skywalker. Even though actual footage of her in full Rebel mode doesn't
seem to exist, she's managed to stay a part of the "<span class="yptw" id="lw_1355524237_4">Star Wars</span>" universe as she's now a staple on the convention circuit.<br />
There's been no official explanation as to why these characters were
cut, though fan speculation suggests that the filmmakers may have deemed
the sight of ladies getting blown to smithereens to be too intense for
moviegoers ... especially when one could pass for your grandmother.<br />
We have a feeling a lot of the Rebellion's apparent gender discrimination will have dissolved in time for "Episode VII." "<span class="yptw" id="lw_1355524237_5">Star Wars</span>" needs women, and "<span class="yptw" id="lw_1355524237_6">Star Wars</span>" will get them if Disney has anything to say about it.<br />
</div>
</div>
Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-69522499707107202202012-12-14T14:39:00.000-05:002012-12-14T14:39:11.266-05:00US Dept. of State Announces Webinars for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) FieldsFrom eNewsChannels: <a href="http://enewschannels.com/2012/11/28/enc15643_204132.php">US Dept. of State Announces Webinars for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Fields</a><br />
<br />
WASHINGTON, D.C. /eNewsChannels/ — The Secretary of State’s Office of
Global Women’s Issues, in partnership with the Institute of
International Education (IIE) and the global engineering firm CH2M HILL,
will host a series of webinars starting November 29th to support
emerging women leaders in the science, technology, engineering, and math
(STEM) fields who are studying in the United States as part of Brazil’s
“Scientific Mobility Program” (also known as “Science Without
Borders”).<br />
The first webinar on “Career Paths for Women in STEM” will focus on
the successes and challenges of women leaders in the STEM fields, and
will take place at 12:00 p.m. EST Thursday, November 29th. IIE’s Center
for Women’s Leadership Initiatives will moderate the panel, which will
include a top executive from CH2M HILL, a leading scientist from the
National Cancer Institute, and a leading engineer from Juniper Networks.
To view a recording of the webinar after the event, visit <a class="autohyperlink" href="http://www.iie.org/women." target="_blank" title="http://www.iie.org/women.">www.iie.org/women.</a><br />
This series of webinars for women in STEM falls under the U.S. –
Brazil Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Advancement of Women
signed by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former Brazilian
Foreign Minister Celso Amorim in March 2010. Through the MOU, the
United States and Brazil focus on recruiting, retaining, and advancing
women and girls in STEM fields. The two countries have jointly conducted
numerous professional and educational exchange programs and events to
promote these goals.<br />
<br />
<h1>
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Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-51524906481456297742012-12-13T12:20:00.000-05:002012-12-13T12:20:15.577-05:00 NOAA chief says she will leave in FebruaryFrom WKRN Nashville: <a href="http://www.wkrn.com/story/20326597/noaa-chief-says-she-will-leave-in-february"> NOAA chief says she will leave in February</a><br />
<br />
NEW YORK (AP) - The woman who was a key figure in the federal
government's response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010
said Wednesday she will leave her post at the end of February.<br />
<br />
"I have decided to return to my family and
academia," Jane Lubchenco, administrator of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, wrote to NOAA employees.<br />
<br />
No successor was immediately announced for
Lubchenco, who has held the job since 2009. She became well-known to the
public for her role in response to the BP oil spill off the coast of
Louisiana in April 2010.<br />
Her agency was accused of accepting for too long
the oil company's low estimates for the amount of oil leaking. It also
was criticized for a report saying that by August of that year most of
the spilled oil was gone, or at least not visible. The agency said much
of it had dispersed naturally, had burned or was removed.<br />
<br />
A few weeks later, a study by independent
scientists reported an invisible, 22-mile underwater plume of oil
ingredients. And NOAA acknowledged the deepwater oil was not degrading
as fast as they initially thought.<br />
<br />
Still, Lubchenco was praised Wednesday by the Ocean
Conservancy. "Dr. Lubchenco and NOAA were quick to respond to the BP
Deepwater Horizon oil disaster and continue to play a pivotal role in
ensuring that the Gulf region, including the marine ecosystem, is
restored," said interim president and CEO Janis Searles Jones.<br />
Lubchenco also oversaw in 2010 the controversial
transition to a new fishery management system in New England that allots
fishermen individual shares of the catch, which they pool and manage in
groups.<br />
<br />
The system aimed to give fishermen flexibility to
fish when the market and conditions were good, and free them from being
restricted to an ever-dwindling number of days they were allowed to
fish. And it pleased environmentalists because it established hard,
enforceable catch limits to better prevent overfishing.<br />
<br />
A marine ecologist and environmental scientist by
training, and a former president of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science, Lubchenco is one of several prominent scientists
hired by the Obama administration.<br />
<br />
She was a professor at Oregon State University when
the president appointed her in 2009. She said in her email Wednesday
that "as many of you know, my home and family are on the West Coast."<br />
<br />
<h3 class="">
</h3>
Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-1531828202088757282012-12-10T12:53:00.000-05:002012-12-10T12:53:00.061-05:00Encouraging women in scienceFrom IowaNow: <a href="http://now.uiowa.edu/2012/12/encouraging-women-science">Encouraging women in science</a><br />
<br />
With 100 billion nerve cells interconnected via a vast network of
neural pathways, the complexity of the human brain is awe-inspiring.<br />
Your brain serves as command center for your body’s vital functions,
houses your future hopes and cherished memories, and serves as the seat
of consciousness through which you draw purpose and passion.<br />
Shreya Ahuja marvels at how the human brain executes these countless functions, especially after holding one in her hands.<br />
“It was a lot lighter than I thought it would be,” Ahuja says. “For
the number of capabilities the brain has, it is pretty amazing it only
weighs three pounds.”<br />
Ahuja and Emily Wechsler, 16-year-old high school students at The
Hockaday School in Dallas, received an intensive two-week introduction
to neuroscience at the University of Iowa last July. Melissa Duff,
faculty member in the UI’s <a href="http://neuroscience.grad.uiowa.edu/" target="_blank">Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience</a>, hosted the students in her laboratory as part of this pilot program. <span>Duff holds a faculty appointment in Communication Sciences and Disorders in the <a href="http://clas.uiowa.edu/" target="_blank">College of Liberal Arts and Sciences</a>.</span><br />
The Hockaday School—an independent college preparatory day and
boarding school for girls—has established an informal partnership with
the UI allowing its students to gain summer research experience in UI
laboratories. The relationship between the two schools was initiated by
Hockaday science teacher Katie Croft, who earned her doctorate in
neuroscience at the UI in 2009.<br />
“Melissa is a perfect choice to work with. Her research is cutting
edge, very accessible, and very interdisciplinary,” Croft says. “She’s
had lots of experience mentoring students with all different abilities.
Furthermore, she’s a perfect role model of a young, successful female
scientist. I want our students to have an appreciation for science and
feel like they have a good understanding of the real scientific process,
which is best taught by doing it.”<br />
Duff, who was a postdoctoral scholar in neurology at the UI when
Croft was a graduate student, enjoyed introducing the young women to the
world of neuroscience.<br />
While at the UI, the students gained hands-on experience working
alongside Duff. The students observed patients with neurological
disease, read basic neuroscience research papers, assisted on a project
in Duff’s lab, and learned more about traumatic brain injury.<br />
“I’ve never mentored 16-year-old ladies, so I was intrigued about how
this research experience would look for younger women,” says Duff,
director of the Iowa Traumatic Brain Injury Registry. “As a woman in
science and the mother of a little girl, it was fantastic. We talked a
lot about the science process, the experience of going to graduate
school, and what careers in science look like.”<br />
Ahuja and Wechsler presented a poster about their Iowa experience at
the Society for Neuroscience’s 2012 annual meeting in New Orleans in
October. Their presentation was part of the conference session <em>Teaching of Neuroscience: K-12</em>.<br />
“The poster focused on what we learned and the partnership between
The Hockaday School and the UI,” Ahuja says. “It also was about how we
plan to carry this experience to Hockaday.”<br />
Both students agreed that the most valuable aspect of their research experience at Iowa was the people.<br />
“We talked to graduate students, Ph.D.s, undergraduates,” Ahuja says.
“Picking up on those conversations throughout the two weeks expanded
our knowledge tenfold.”<br />
“The most important thing we did was talk to all different people.
They’re who made this experience great,” Wechsler says. “This was
probably the coolest thing I’ve ever done. Being here and doing the
things we did probably has changed what I will do later on in life. Now,
I might do neuroscience because I absolutely love it.”<br />
Barbara Fishel, dean of studies and director of the Hockaday Research
Program, wants Hockadaystudents to participate in authentic scientific
investigation, and says the UI is a great place for that to happen.<br />
“(In our research program), we’ve seen a maturing in our girls’
scientific reasoning and understanding of the process of science, which
enriches their learning experience,” Fishel says. “We would like to make
this partnership a formal partnership. This has potential to be a
flourishing long-term model for us.”<br />
In addition to presenting a poster at the Society for Neuroscience’s
annual meeting, Ahuja wrote an essay about traumatic brain injury for
the International Science Essay Competition at Dartmouth College.<br />
Ahuja’s entry—“Humpty Dumpty without the King’s Men”—placed second
out of more than 80 submissions from more than 20 countries and has been
selected for publication in the <em>Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science</em>.<br />
In her essay, she calls for more researchers, funding, and awareness
to be given to patients with traumatic brain injury—an “invisible”
condition that is complicated to diagnose and treat. The essay was
inspired by the two weeks studying neuroscience at the UI.<br />
“I wanted to go into medicine, and I had been leaning toward
surgery,” Ahuja says. “When I came to the University of Iowa, I knew
nothing about neuroscience. This experience opened up a whole new world
of research. Now, there are so many more possibilities for me to look
at.”<br />
Those words bring a smile to Duff’s face.<br />
“What’s exciting about this partnership is the mission of The
Hockaday School to give young women opportunities in science, coupled
with the investment to make neuroscience more accessible and more
attractive to younger and younger people,” Duff says.<br />
<br />
<h1 class="title" id="page-title">
</h1>
Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-2610270573964608012012-12-09T12:53:00.001-05:002012-12-09T12:53:18.001-05:00Book recounts activism, struggles of U.S. women scientistsFrom Chronicle Online:<a href="http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Dec12/RossiterBook.html"> Book recounts activism, struggles of U.S. women scientists</a><br />
<br />
For four decades, Cornell science historian Margaret Rossiter has
been researching, writing and publishing on the history of women
scientists in America. She started in 1972, when everyone assured her
that there had never been any women scientists in the United States, or
anywhere, she said.<br />
"Not even Madame Curie counted. But the more I looked, the more I
found," said Rossiter, the Marie Underhill Noll Professor of History of
Science.<br />
Rossiter has completed a trilogy on the topic, with her third book
focusing on women scientists' most recent pioneering efforts and
contributions. In "Women Scientists in America: Forging a New World
Since 1972" (Johns Hopkins University Press), she guides us from the
"rather quiet, mundane, even ladylike" emergence of female researchers'
first interest groups to their later direct confrontations.<br />
Central to this story are the struggles and successes of "clever,
astute, hardworking and determined" women scientists in the era of
affirmative action. Scores of previously isolated women scientists were
suddenly energized to do things they had rarely, if ever, done before:
form organizations and recruit new members, start rosters and projects,
put out newsletters, confront authorities and even fight (and win)
lawsuits. Rossiter follows the major activities of these groups in
several fields -- from engineering to the physical, biological and
social sciences -- and their campaigns to raise consciousness, see
legislation enforced, lobby for passage of the Equal Rights Amendment
and serve as watchdogs of the media.<br />
The 528-page book also covers the changing employment picture in the
federal government, academia, industry and the nonprofit sector and
discusses contemporary battles to increase the number of women in the
National Academy of Sciences and of women presidents of scientific
societies.<br />
Rossiter mined nearly 100 previously unexamined archival collections and more than 50 oral histories to write the book.<br />
The previous books in her series are "Women Scientists in America:
Struggles and Strategies to 1940" and "Women Scientists in America:
Before Affirmative Action, 1940-72," also published by Johns Hopkins
University Press. The former won an award for the best book by an
American woman from the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians. The
latter was the winner in 1997 of the History of Science Society's Pfizer
Award for Outstanding Book in the History of Science.<br />
<br />
Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-89147312533067446302012-12-06T00:30:00.000-05:002012-12-06T00:30:01.137-05:00Women in Science: Florence Bascom 1862-1945From Daily Kos: <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/11/29/1162274/-Women-in-Science-Florence-Bascom-1862-1945" id="titleHref">Women in Science: Florence Bascom 1862-1945</a><br />
<br />
<div id="intro">
When the subject of geology is raised it is only recently that women
usually get some mention (although there were more in the past than is
generally thought.) It took the efforts of a very unusual person to
break the ground for other women. Florence Bascom's work resulted in our
knowledge of Appalachian geology being to a large extent defined by a
women, who was also a top-notch scientist and recognized as such even
fairly early in her career. She was in fact the first professional
female geologist in the United States. Although not the first woman to
obtain a Ph.D. in geology (Mary Holms did that at the University of
Michigan in 1888), she was the first to be hired as a geologist by the
United States Geological Survey and, not only the first, but the sole
woman listed in the premier issue of "American Men of Science" in 1906.<br />
Florence Bascom was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts in 1862,
during the Civil War. Her mother was active in the women's voting rights
movement and her father, who was a professor of rhetoric, supported
equal opportunities for women. She was awarded a Ph.D. by Johns Hopkins
University in 1893, after having earned two bachelor's degrees at the
University of Wisconsin in 1882 and 1884. She was able to go to the
University of Wisconsin because when her father became president in
1874, one of the first of his actions (1875) was to admit women to
classes. She also was awarded a master's degree from the same
institution before going on to Johns Hopkins. Bascom went on to
establish herself as one of the formost geologists and experts in
crystallography in the country. Her life was a series of being the first
woman in a number of other geological areas. In 1901, she became the
first woman speak at a meeting of the Geological Society of Washington.
In 1924 she was elected as the first woman on the Council of the
Geological Society of America and became the society's first woman
officer. She published more than 40 articles and became recognized as an
expert especially in the geology of the Appalachian Mountains.<br />
Not only a researcher, she taught at several colleges and
universities, including one for blacks and Native Americans, finally
being appointed to teach geology, then considered to be a secondary
subject, at Bryn Mawr in 1895. She founded the geology department there
and made geology into a respected discipline at the college. The
graduate program that she developed trained the majority of women
geologists in the first third of the Twentieth Century. She also built
up the geological collection. Bascom was a demanding, but highly
respected teacher and was a pioneer in both research and instruction.
She deserves much more than being virtually unknown except to those in
the field.<br />
Internet References<br />
Florence Bascom, Pioneer Geologist <a href="http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/usgs_top_story/florence-bascom-pioneer-geologist/">http://www.usgs.gov/...</a><br />
Florence Bascom <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Bascom">http://en.wikipedia.org/...</a><br />
Rock Stars: A Life of Firsts: Florence Bascom <a href="http://www.gsahist.org/gsat/gt98feb8_9.pdf">http://www.gsahist.org/...</a><br />
</div>
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Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281833234942559518.post-52529155790990310532012-12-05T00:30:00.000-05:002012-12-05T00:30:00.840-05:00Women scientists join the men on Antarctica mission to collect meteoritesFrom Cordis: <a href="http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=EN_NEWS&ACTION=D&SESSION=&RCN=35305">Women scientists join the men on Antarctica mission to collect meteorites</a><br />
<div align="justify">
A team of women scientists will be joining their male
counterparts on a mission to collect meteorites in Antarctica, from 3
December until 12 December.
<br />
<br />The meteorite research team consists of five Belgian scientists, led
by Vinciane Debaille (Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Laboratoire
G-Time, Faculty of Science), and three Japanese scientists from the
National Institute for Polar Research (NIPR) in Tokyo.
<br />
<br />This mission follows the success of a previous Belgo-Japanese
collaboration, the Belgian SAMBA team (Search for Antarctic Meteorites,
Belgian Approach), with the collection of over 800 meteorites in the Sør
Rondane Mountains region. Now they are set for their latest mission to
take on the Nansen blue ice field, to the south of the Princess
Elisabeth station, in Antarctica.
<br />
<br />Meteorites provide valuable information on the 4.5 billion years of
evolution of the solar system and planets, including Earth. Studying
these helps researchers to better understand the formation and age of
the solar system, the planets, asteroids and comets. Micrometeorites
constitute the largest fraction of the extraterrestrial material that
falls on Earth, totalling an average of approximately 40,000 tonnes per
year.
<br />
<br />The systematic collection of meteorites, using Ski-doo snowmobiles,
will concentrate on the southern and eastern sections of the Nansen blue
ice field, where the scientists hope to find a piece of Mars or the
Moon.
<br />
<br />However, their research may be hampered by the fierce weather
conditions expected in Antarctica. Climatic conditions are set to be
very difficult, with temperatures in the region of -20 degrees Celcius,
and with an average wind speed of 50 km/h giving a perceived temperature
of -37 degrees Celcius. These inclement weather conditions will dictate
the pace of work, as strong blizzards can sometimes halt all specimen
gathering for several days at a time.
<br />
<br />During the previous mission in 2010-2011, after searching for 13
days, 4 to 6 hours a day, a team of 5 people had found a total of 218
meteorites, varying in size from 1 to 15 cm. However, it was the types
of meteorites found that proved exceptional. Among the 218 meteorites,
two rare types of achondrite (stony meteorites that attest to magmatic
activity in the solar system) and a carbonaceous chondrite (the most
primitive meteorites having a similar composition to that of the initial
material of the solar nebula) were identified.
<br />
<br />Their mission will be carried out as part of the Vrije Universiteit
Brussel (VUB) and ULB research programme, run by Philippe Claeys (VUB)
and Vinciane Debaille (ULB). Funding for the mission has come from the
Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO) and logistical support is
provided by the International Polar Foundation (IPF).
<br />
<br />In 2010, Steven Goderis (VUB) and Vinciane Debaille (ULB) were
awarded the InBev-Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship to carry out a
detailed study of micrometeorites in order to better understand the
formation of the planets and the development and evolution of our solar
system. Recent studies have shown that micrometeorites can accumulate in
the cracks and interstices of the nunataks in the Frontier Mountains,
Queen Maud Land, Antarctica.</div>
<div align="justify">
For more information, please visit:
<br />
<br />Expedition blog:
<br /><a href="http://antarctica.oma.be/">http://antarctica.oma.be/</a>
<br />
<br />Université libre de Bruxelles:
<br /><a href="http://ulb.ac.be/">http://ulb.ac.be</a></div>
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Ms. Cairohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06742194583779611894noreply@blogger.com0