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Posted: Thursday, October 15, 2009Women in Science Lecture Series Continues
The number of women who earn a bachelor’s degree continues to exceed the number of men. However, the number of women in the science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines continues to lag behind the number of men.
The Women in Science and Mathematics (WISM) Speaker Series presents scientists who work in these disciplines to “support the role of women in science and math at Buffalo State,” said Karen O’Quin, associate dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences and a longtime member of the WISM committee. The invited speakers also serve as role models to female students, helping them to envision themselves in a similar role.
This year’s speakers promise a series of compelling presentations. The first speaker of the 2009–2010 series is Debbie Yen Dao, a graduate student in the Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Rochester, where she is pursuing both an M.D. and a Ph.D.
“I’ve heard her speak, and she has a great story,” said Kelly Boos, assistant to the dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences and adviser to students in the pre-health program. “I’ve told students interested in a career in medicine to attend the presentation.”
Dao will be on campus on Thursday, October 22, at 12:15 p.m. in Classroom Building C122 to present “Paradigm Shifts: My Journey to and through M.D./Ph.D. Training.” Dao, a member of the American Physician Scientists Association, has completed the first two years of medical education and is in the fourth year of ongoing research. Upon completion of her dissertation, she will transition to the third- and fourth-year medical clinical phases of training.
Three more speakers have agreed to come to Buffalo State this year:
Libby Jewett, an oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is among the scientists who are leading efforts to understand, predict, and mitigate harmful algal blooms that are threatening ecosystems and coastal communities. She earned her Ph.D. in marine ecology from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Carolyn Hurley, a professor in the Department of Oncology and Microbiology and Immunology at Georgetown University, is also the research director of the C. W. Bill Young Marrow Donor Recruitment and Research Program. She earned her Ph.D. in genetics at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Martha Muñoz, a doctoral student in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, is an entomologist.
More information on these speakers will be announced at a later date.
