On Wednesday, March 3 at 12 p.m., the Student Members of the American Chemical Society (SMACS) and Biologists in Observation of the Master’s Earth (Biome) hosted their annual Women in Science event, where female science professors shared their personal insights as women in the historically male-dominated field.
Women in Science Day is celebrated typically through individual events hosted by Biome and SMACS, but this year the clubs decided to collaborate on one event.
Assistant Professor of Biology Esther Choi, University Professor of Chemistry Sally Henrie, Assistant Professor of Chemistry Betsy Caceres and Associate Professor of Science and Adult & Professional Studies Beth Madison were interviewed by Collette Truitt, a junior biology major and president of Biome. The first questions ranged from the professors’ views on strong leadership to the most rewarding parts about their jobs, but later questions focused on their gender-related experiences in science.
When asked what advice they would give to women and men pursuing science fields, Henrie said, “Be a woman,” which resulted in laughter from the audience, but she quickly clarified her statement.
“If you’re a woman, be a woman, and be a scientist as a woman is what I’m trying to say,” Henrie said. “Women and men a lot of the time approach things very differently, and what I’m saying is don’t think that you have to approach it in a way that’s not comfortable for you.”
“I’ll second that,” Madison said. “Some of the best advice I’ve gotten multiple times and reinforced recently is, ‘just be you.’ And I have to add the aspect of ‘be me, but be gracious.’ Speak the truth graciously in the way that God has made me as a woman—as a scientist with this particular niche that he’s put me in at this point.”
“I really hope that I do see a little more abrasiveness,” Choi said. “If you think that this is really it for you, then you really have to go for it until, really, God confronts you that maybe you want to move on to something else.”
Truitt opened the floor to audience questions for the final ten minutes of the event. The final question of the afternoon was how the panel puts their identity in Christ apart from their achievements.
“I think as a sinner, I fall sometimes in the mindset of ‘I am not doing enough,’ and then I have to remind myself that my identity is in Christ and that I won’t be able to accomplish everything in life, but that’s okay if I accomplish what God has told me to,” Caceres said. “Maybe I won’t get a Nobel Prize, but that’s not what God wants me to do, and that’s okay.”
Photo by Judy Black.
