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YSU’s Women in Science Day smashes sexist stereotypes
By Bob Jackson
YOUNGSTOWN
Career paths toward jobs in science and engineering aren’t just for boys with slide rules and pocket protectors any more.
Organizers and participants said that was a main focus of the 15th annual Edward W. Powers Women in Science and Engineering Career workshop Saturday at Youngstown State University.
Open to girls from middle schools and high schools in Mahoning and Trumbull counties and western Pennsylvania, the workshop shined a spotlight on a wide variety of science-related careers that are open to women — an area in which women have historically been underrepresented.
“I think one of the primary reasons for that [under-representation] is social pressures,” said Dr. Heather E. Lorimer, assistant professor of genetics at YSU and one of the workshop’s presenters. “Girls have tended to be told when they’re younger that girls aren’t as good [as boys] at math or science, which is baloney.”
She also said there is an old stereotype associated with science and engineering.
“If you asked somebody what an engineer looks like, they’d probably say it’s some guy with a pocket protector,” she said. “We want to help eliminate that stereotype and promote careers in science and technology for women.”
The daylong workshop included six panel discussions, from which the workshop participants could learn about possible careers in food and nutrition education, veterinary medicine, electrical engineering, organ transplant family support, forensic chemistry, pharmacy, physical therapy, neurobiology and air-pollution control, among others.
The panel discussions were followed by time in laboratories and workshops doing hands-on experiments in bioengineering, forensic anthropology, crime-scene forensics, physical therapy, DNA processing, protein research, electricity and chemistry.
Lorimer led the DNA workshop, in which girls were taught to isolate DNA strands from split peas. They added dish-washing detergent to break down the fat and meat tenderizer to break down proteins, and finally added rubbing alcohol, and were left with white strands of DNA.
“It’s very basic, but it’s just to show them how you can isolate DNA using commonhousehold products,” Lorimer said.
Megan Yarabenetz, 11, of Austintown, who attended the workshop with her mother, Penny Callahan, said she’s interested in a career as a crime scene investigator.
Callahan, 39, said she is an elementary school counselor and wanted to tag along so she could learn about the careers herself and then be able to better counsel her students.
“They did a great job here. They had it all so well broken-down, where the girls could learn about possible salaries and what kind of work hours they could expect in certain careers,” Callahan said.
“It’s fabulous that they’re making science more accessible to girls. It’s good to know there are so many options available.”
Awareness of opportunities is another key toward increasing the number of women in science and engineering professions, said Dr. Johanna Krontiris-Litowitz, YSU professor of biological sciences. She conducted a hands-on workshop at which participants learned about proteins.
“We’re showing these girls that there are so many careers out there that theyprobably weren’t even aware of,” Krontiris-Litowitz said.
Areceli Perez, 15, a Struthers High School freshman, said she signed up for the workshop because she wants to pursue a career as either an athletic traineror a physical therapist. The workshop gave her a chance to look at basic body structure and ways to put her interest in science to use in a career.
Carole Bratton, 15, a freshman at P. Ross Berry School in Youngstown, said she’s also interested in crime- scene investigation, so she was especially interested in the DNA and fingerprinting portion of the workshop.
The featured speaker was Dr. Pamela Gay, assistant research professor of Graduate Studies and Research at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. She also is executive director of the Astrosphere New Media Association.