Women in Science Day Comes to Einstein
The United Nations has designated Tuesday, February 11, 2020, as International Day of Women and Girls in Science and, thanks to the vision of several Einstein students, our campus will be part of it. Fourth-year Ph.D. students Elise Ishida and Erica Moore, Maryl Lambros, and other board members of the Einstein Women’s Networking Group (WNG) have developed a Women in Science Day conference to take place at Einstein that day.
An event on February 11 celebrates women in science. Some of the pioneering scientists at Einstein whose work has paved the way for those who have followed includes, from right, clockwise: Berta Scharrer, Salome Gluecksohn-Waelsch, Isabelle Rapin, Marie Daly, Susan Band Horwitz, and Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller.
“We want it to be a positive, proactive celebration,” said Elise, who is completing her thesis work in the laboratory of Dr. Jacqueline Achkar, associate professor of medicine and microbiology & immunology. People of all genders are welcome.
The afternoon conference will start with “Speaking Up” workshops on negotiation, self-advocacy, and networking. After an introduction by Dr. Libusha Kelly, associate professor of systems and computational biology and of microbiology & immunology, a “Sparking, Supporting, & Soaring in Science” panel, featuring women in science from both within Einstein and other institutions. Dr. Victoria Freedman, associate dean for graduate programs in biomedical sciences, will then introduce keynote speaker Dr. Sandra Masur, professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and former chair of the Women in Cell Biology committee of the American Society for Cell Biology. “Dr. Masur has written career strategy columns for women in science that resonate with the members of the WNG. Her keynote address will be particularly special to the Einstein community because Dr. Masur told us that she recalls some of the first female scientists at Einstein,” said Elise. A networking reception will cap off the conference.
Valuable Takeaways
“This conference will help build professional and personal skills,” said Elise. “We hope to create a better network of women scientists on campus, because a lot of times we’re just in our labs or departments. And we want everyone to be aware of the current state of women in science.”
“Scientists at different levels will be able to ask questions that they may not feel they can otherwise ask,” added Kassidy Lundy, a second-year Ph.D. student and WNG board member.
The free conference will take place in the Lubin Dining Hall, located in the Block Building (formerly Mazer). Those interested in taking part can register online. For questions, please contact the WNG at wng.einstein@gmail.com
Posted on: Friday, January 31, 2020