by Beth Sefton

“Have you thought about scheduling your next committee meeting?” Dr Margrit Urbanek asks me. She continues, “I always thought that committee meetings were a pain when I was a graduate student. Now I realize how helpful they can be. You should really consider setting one up.”  These kind of thoughtful statements are characteristic of Dr. Margrit Urbanek, an influential woman in my graduate studies. I first met Margrit when I spent the summer working in her lab at Northwestern University prior to beginning my graduate program and she continues to be involved in my research by serving on my thesis committee. I recently spoke with her about how she became interested in science, and the challenges she has faced in securing her position at Northwestern.

Dr. Margrit Urbanek’s interest in genetics began at a young age, while she was attempting to learn English as a second language. Her family had relocated to the United States from Switzerland when she was in the fourth grade. While learning English she read many books, some of which had stories about Native American culture. These stories made her think about how people migrate and establish new cultures. This joint interest in genetics and anthropology continued into college – in fact, when she was at Pennsylvania State University she debated between undergraduate majors in biology or anthropology. She found a compromise in majoring in biochemistry while taking a large number of elective in anthropology, allowing her to begin her career as a scientist without giving up her intellectual curiosity in cultural development.

For her doctorate thesis, Margrit studied growth hormone receptor expression in human placentas with Dr. Stephen Liebhaber. After receiving her doctoral degree in Molecular Biology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1993, Margrit looked for a post-doctoral position that would allow her to unite her interests in genetics and Native American ancestry. At the National Institutes of Health (NIH), she worked on one project that focused on the population substructure of Native American populations of the American Southwest, as well as a second project dealing with the genetics of alcoholism. After being exposed to the genetics of human disease at the NIH, Margrit returned to the University of Pennsylvania to complete a second post-doctoral position, this time focusing on the genetics of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

After her second post-doctoral position, Margit began searching for tenure track positions in academia. Her search was complicated by the fact that her husband, Dr. Greg Smith was also looking for an academic position in virology. Fortunately for them, Northwestern University was conducting faculty searches for both a geneticist and a virologist, and they both managed to secure tenure track positions at Northwestern University’s Chicago campus in 2001. Margrit feels that they were able to do so because both she and her husband were on a similar time frame, and each was worthy of a position independent of the other, both of which she realizes were important factors in their hiring.

Newly tenured at Northwestern University, Margrit is enjoying her life as an academic principle investigator. While her interest in human disease may have made her a good candidate for jobs in industry, she feels she can experience more scientific freedom in academia than she would have in industry. Margrit feels that the study of genetics can often lead to surprises, since the “next gene or pathway associated with a condition can be unexpected”. Margrit is happy that when such discoveries occur, she appreciates the collaborations that can develop across broad disciplines and finds that she always has colleagues to consult with. In addition, Margrit enjoys mentoring young scientists, while learning new ideas from her mentees. She equated the graduation of her first graduate student to the “bittersweet feeling of having a child leave for college”. However, academic life is not without its drawbacks. According to Margit, “The largest disadvantage of academic institutions is securing funding.” While she enjoys the process of writing grants, as she feels it helps to “focus her thinking”, she finds it stressful that both her career, and that of her lab personnel depend on successful grant applications.

While being a woman in science has not presented Margrit with any particular challenges, she has found herself as “the only woman in the room,” highlighting a lack of women scientists. Even though Margrit believes that striking a balance between work and home life is an ongoing challenge for women and men, she does see differences between the ways men and women handle such situations. From her experiences, she believes that women will not push for higher level professional positions because they believe that such positions may compromise their abilities to attend to family matters. She has also found that men and women approach professional issues differently- while women tend not to ask for items that they need on a basic level, many men will not think twice about addressing the same issue. She thinks this stems from a tendency in women to deal with the issues at hand, rather than ask for assistance from others.  She remembers, “When I grew out of my current lab space, I did not even think to ask for more.” She encourages parents and educators to teach young women how to ask for what they need.

When asked what advice she would give to young women scientists interested in academia, Margrit thinks the most important thing is that they work to gain confidence to apply for tenure track positions. While the landmarks required for tenure may seem intimidating at first, it is really just a series of steps that can be addressed systematically. However, if a scientist is afraid to start taking those steps, she can never succeed professionally. Having the confidence to take the first step, and then the next, is the key to achieving one’s goals. In Margit’s opinion, “Women just need to go for it!”

Nomination and article submitted by AWIS Chicago Staff Writer Beth Sefton.  Ms. Sefton is a PhD candidate at Northwestern University.

Know a scientist you think should be featured in an upcoming “Scientist of the Month” article?  Send nominations to communications@awis-chicago.org. Your nominee does not need to be an AWIS member or a woman, but should promote the advancement of women in science, technology, mathematics and engineering.

Want to keep yourself up-to-date on AWIS Chicago activities? Follow AWIS Chicago on Twitter! You can request to be added to our listserve by clicking here, and join the AWIS Chicago group on LinkedIn and Facebook by clicking the icons on the bottom right of this page.

By Beth Sefton

I first met Dr. Julie Kim when I was a summer rotation student in my first year of graduate school. During my rotation, I found that  enjoyed working in the lab and appreciated Julie’s mentoring style. I opted to join the lab and have been a graduate student in the Kim lab for the past  three  years. . From the time that I rotated, Julie has never made me feel as if  I am “just a graduate student”. She treats me as an equal and respects my opinions.  As I am exploring multiple career paths, I feel that Julie will be very respectful of whatever career choices I will make, which is not always the case in academia.. Julie is extremely supportive of my participation in extra-curricular activities and taking on leadership positions that will  help me prepare for my life after graduate school. I believe Julie’s own career path and family life give her a realistic approach to life inside and outside of science. She is very  supportive of  women scientists in her lab and encourages young women to explore science careers.

 Julie received a Microbiology degree from the University of Toronto in 1990. She then went on to receive a Ph.D in Cellular and Molecular Biology from Laval University where she studied with Dr. Patricia Quinn and Dr. Michel Fortier. Her PhD research introduced to her to reproductive biology, but she implemented  her microbiology background to study how infectious agents affect the bovine endometrium. After graduate school, Julie moved to the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) to train with Dr.Asgi Fazleabas from 1995-1998. While in Dr. Fazleabas’s lab Julie studied the how the primate endometrium prepares for embryo implantation, a process known as decidualization. In 1998, Julie joined the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UIC as a Research Assistant Professor and continued to research decidualization of the endometrium but with a focus on the progesterone receptor. Currently, Julie is an Assistant Professor at Northwestern University in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department. Her lab researches the role of the progesterone receptor and AKT pathway in female reproductive tract diseases, such as uterine fibroids, endometrial cancer, and endometriosis.

 Have you always liked science even as a small child?

As a child and growing up, I enjoyed doing well in school and learning.  Science was interesting to me and came easy to me.

 What sparked your decision to pursue science as a career?

Upon completion of my undergraduate degree, I was unsure of what I wanted to do. I worked in a research lab at Laval University in Quebec City for the summer, under the direction of Dr. Patricia Quinn who was a Professor at the University of Toronto and was doing a sabbatical in Quebec City for a year with Dr. Michel Fortier. I enjoyed working at the bench, discussing science with Dr. Quinn and Dr. Fortier and designing experiments. I fell in love with Quebec and the people. Naturally, I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to not only go to grad school but to learn French at the same time. Neither was easy but I got through it.  I defended my thesis in French and got my PhD degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology. 

 Did you always want to work in academia? Why or why not?

After obtaining my PhD, I did a postdoc at UIC.  I was open to exploring different options for my career so I didn’t have a preference to work in academia. I knew that I enjoyed research and the intellectual workout it gave me on a daily basis.  However, I knew that there were lots of additional opportunities. To explore, I taught some classes at UIC, shadowed an embryologist in an IVF lab, talked to scientists in industry, considered medical school, as well as continuing in academia. I went to many scientific meetings and talked to people regarding a future in research. I was overwhelmed with all the different paths that I could take.  I decided to try out academia and told myself, if I didn’t like it, I’d do something else.  I’ve been at Northwestern University for over 7 years now and I think it was the best decision that I made.  I love what I do.  I love being intellectually challenged on a daily basis and every day holds something different.  I can’t see myself doing anything else. 

 What has been your greatest challenge as a woman in academic science? 

 If I were to pinpoint a particular challenge in my life as a woman in science, it’s hands down, work/family balance.  This can be a challenge that is faced by both men and women that have families, and not just for women. I am married with 2 children, ages 11 and almost 7.  My husband is very dedicated to his career in the corporate world and successful.  At the same time he’s extremely supportive of my career and is my biggest fan. My children were in daycare by the time they were 6 months old until they were ready for first grade at the local public school.  They also attend before and after school programs. We never had a nanny and our extended family was far away (Canada to be exact!).  So, the biggest challenge was to be able to juggle work and family life and do well in both. 

 How have you dealt with that challenge?

I can’t say that I no longer struggle to balance work and family. However, I can confidently say that I have come to a point where the juggling family and work has become a way of life for me that I find extremely gratifying. I was able to come to this point after some soul searching and implementing appropriate support systems. While my career and my family are very important to me, my family has taken that number one slot and my career comes a close second.  When faced with a tough decision where I have to choose between work and family, I weigh the pros and cons and lean towards the decision that will be best for my family.  Luckily, this doesn’t happen very often and this approach has not kept me from succeeding in my career. Another issue that I had to come to accept is that I don’t have to be the best nor have things perfect all the time. I am more realistic in what I am able to do with the time that I have. But, I began to realize that I could change the way I work to get more accomplished in a shorter time, like multi-tasking and delegating.  From a practical standpoint, it was essential that I implement a solid support system to make sure both career and family are taken care of and happy.  My husband is extremely supportive and does his best to contribute. My children went to a fabulous child care program at Northwestern University. Currently, my kids attend a great school with wonderful before and after school programs. At Northwestern, I have exceptional colleagues with whom I can truly be myself. My lab consists of dedicated and talented people who generate data and ensure smooth daily functioning. The particulars of everyday life change all the time and I have learned that flexibility is essential. It’s an incredible thing to have come to this point in my life where I feel extremely fulfilled and satisfied as a woman in science.  Recently, I asked my children, “would you rather have a mom at home all the time to take care of you and be with you whenever you want?”  And their response was, “No way Mom, your job is so cool and fun. And you’re doing something really important!”

 What do you think is the greatest obstacle for young women scientists today?

According to studies that have been done at the NIH as well as other big institutions, one of the main reasons why women leave science is because of their personal choices regarding family.  I have experienced first hand, women leaving the field because of family.  I think these choices are very personal and should be respected to the fullest. We need to realize that all women are different and have specific lifestyle preferences. Some women choose a family over career and some choose a career over family. If there are young women who want both and they are realistic about it, it is absolutely possible to be a scientist and have children. It comes with hard work but the rewards that come with having both are far beyond what can be imagined. Personally, I would like to see more women in basic science research and continue on to be tenured professors and head of departments. 

 What aspects of your job do enjoy most? What don’t you like?

I enjoy mentoring people.  I find great joy in seeing someone learn the scientific process and getting excited about the data they’ve generated. I love exchanging ideas with my trainees and coming up with new ones together.  I enjoy making discoveries together.

 I do not like the negative criticisms that sometimes come with reviews of papers and grants.  I think we should be encouraging each other more. 

 Any advice for young woman scientists?

Definitely, more women are needed in science. As with anything else, if you are good at it and are passionate about it, there is always a way to work things out to achieve your goals.  If those goals include being a successful woman scientist and having a family, YOU CAN DO IT!

Nomination and article submitted by AWIS Chicago Staff Writer Beth Sefton.  Ms. Sefton is a PhD candidate at Northwestern University.

Know a scientist you think should be featured in an upcoming “Scientist of the Month” article?  Send nominations to communications@awis-chicago.org. Your nominee does not need to be an AWIS member or a woman, but should promote the advancement of women in science, technology, mathematics and engineering.

Want to keep yourself up-to-date on AWIS Chicago activities? Follow AWIS Chicago on Twitter! You can request to be added to our listserve by clicking here, and join the AWIS Chicago group on LinkedIn and Facebook by clicking the icons on the bottom right of this page.

Lisa Gilbert-Hill, Illinois State Police, Forensic Scientist

By Heather King

Lisa Gilbert-Hill, a forensic scientist with the Illinois State Police, is always bubbling with positive energy, but becomes noticeably more excited when she talks about her ideas for outreach and education. “I’ve been working on a total immersion science program for youth for a few years with the help of Project Exploration, and I think it’s finally coming together,” she explains, then launches into a description. The program would include everything needed to allow high school students to get a taste of what it would really be like to be a forensic scientist (in real life, not on TV), including training, a crime scene, the use of a laboratory, help from lawyers and other scientists, and a real courtroom for them to testify in. “They would actually be able to walk in our shoes and learn what it is really like to be us!”  Hearing not only how fun, but educational and beneficial this would be to the students, I am ready to enroll in high school again just so I can sign up. This is just one of the many things Lisa excels at- inspiring people and getting them excited to help others.

Lisa grew up in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood, where she became interested in science at a very young age. “My mother likes to tell the story that I had two crushes when I was little – one was Tom Jones and the other was Jacques Cousteau. My first professional claim was that I wanted to be an oceanographer, because I would sneak out and watch Jacques Cousteau on TV after I was supposed to be asleep, and my mother had to follow me to see what I was doing before she figured out why I kept talking about oceanography!” This early interest was the foundation for a life-long passion for science, which led Lisa to major in biology and dabble in pharmacy courses at Xavier University of Louisiana. Lisa finished her bachelor’s degree in biology at Governors State University in University Park, Illinois, in Chicago’s south suburbs. With advice from her advisors at Governors State, Lisa decided to pursue a Master’s degree in Analytical Chemistry. Her master’s project with Dr. Karen D’Arcy focused on chelating agents used to remove contaminants from well water.

Lisa was presented with an unexpected opportunity when Mary McCarthy of the Illinois State Police came to Governors State to recruit graduate students for employment as forensic scientists. Until that time in the early 1990s, the city of Chicago performed its own forensic investigations, but due to political tensions between Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and Illinois Governor Jim Edgar, forensic investigations was to be run by the Illinois State Police starting at that time. A new, state of the art forensics laboratory was being built in Chicago, and the center would be filled with the choicest scientists from around the country. Mary encouraged Lisa to apply, and after a year-long process, Lisa was hired as part of the first team of 85 scientists responsible for forensics in the Chicago area under the new system.

“Real life as a forensic scientist is very different from what you see on TV,” Lisa tells me. I ask her how she became involved in outreach, and she tells me a story from a few years ago in which she was testifying about a case in court. “I was addressing the jury, as is protocol when testifying, when I realized that one of the jurors was actually shaking her head at me while I was speaking, as if she disagreed with my testimony.” Lisa recalls that this was during a time in which the ‘CSI effect’ was in full force, and her experiences showed her that people often confused what they saw on television with the reality of her occupation. “I was so bothered by her head shaking that I stopped my testimony and told the judge that one of the jurors seemed to disagree with me, and he called a recess. When we came back, the head shaking had stopped.” But Lisa didn’t forget this, and the experience fueled her involvement in education and outreach. “I see outreach as a chance to inform the public,” Lisa says.

Lisa had previously spoken with students through requests that came in to her department, but branched out after meeting Jameela Jafri (see AWIS scientist of the month September 2010) at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Jameela asked Lisa to do an experiment with some students through Project Exploration’s (PE) Sisters4Science program in 2007, and Lisa has been involved ever since. “I love PE’s mission and work, and it’s so important to help expose youth to what’s out there, and to let them know that someone other than their family cares about them, and is cheering for them to succeed. In some ways, I think this makes the child feel as though they are accountable, that someone is paying attention to what they’re doing and wants them to do well.” Lisa knows how important it is to be exposed to new ideas and how this exposure can lead to important opportunities. “I don’t think I really knew what forensics were until I applied for my job!” she tells me candidly.

In 2009, Lisa joined PE’s board of directors, giving her even more opportunities to help the community and inspire young people to become interested in science. She hopes that her ‘total immersion’ forensic science program will be launched soon, potentially this summer. We wish Lisa luck in this and all future endeavors.

Nomination and article submitted by AWIS Chicago Staff Writer Heather King.  Ms. King is a PhD candidate at the University of Chicago.

Know a scientist you think should be featured in an upcoming “Scientist of the Month” article?  Send nominations to communications@awis-chicago.org. Your nominee does not need to be an AWIS member or a woman, but should promote the advancement of women in science, technology, mathematics and engineering.

Want to keep yourself up-to-date on AWIS Chicago activities? Follow AWIS Chicago on Twitter! You can request to be added to our listserve by clicking here, and join the AWIS Chicago group on LinkedIn and Facebook by clicking the icons on the bottom right of this page.

By Eunji Chung

Louise Giam is a PhD candidate in Dr. Chad Mirkin’s group at Northwestern University. Originally from Maryland, Louise pursued her B.S. in material science and engineering at MIT before moving to Chicago. Today, Louise’s research has evolved into learning how biological functions can be tailored using nanoscaled biomaterials. Like her research, Louise is open to stepping out of familiar territories to gain interesting experiences in her personal life such as running the marathon, completing a triathlon, taking culinary classes, and attending the Olympics in South Africa. Louise continues to strive for excellence and passion both in and out of the laboratory.

EJC: Please take us through your career, from undergrad to now. How did you choose your major?/get interested in science? How was Boston and what sparked you to move to Chicago?

LG: I started college (MIT) thinking I might pursue architecture and biology, both for completely different reasons. I thought architecture might suit me since I have always been artistically inclined and believed it would merge design and purposeful engineering well. On the other hand, I had worked two of my high school summers in the late Dr. Anita Roberts’ lab at the National Cancer Institute (part of NIH) on some proteins involved in the TGF-b signaling pathway. I thought biology was fascinating, but hesitated to choose it as my major since research proceeded rather slowly and was so specific.

We had to fulfill a chemistry requirement, and rather than doing the traditional chemistry class, I ended up taking the version taught by the materials science department. The professor who taught that core class always ended the last five minutes of each lecture with some real world application of what we had learned—whether it pertained to winemaking or rubber tires—and really engaged my interest in this applied view of chemistry and physics. It was definitely different and unconventional from classic chemistry. Furthermore, I ended up choosing to major in materials science and engineering since I felt like it uniquely combined fundamental and applied science to real world challenges. This major offered many tangible opportunities to explore ideas ranging from drug-delivery polymers to efficient solar cell designs to glass sculptures since after all, everything is made up of some kind of material.

When I was looking at graduate schools, my dad gave me some advice about expanding my horizons, meeting new professors, and learning about other ideas beyond what I had seen at MIT which was why I decided to go to Northwestern.

EJC: I know you work with a relatively novel field: nanotechnology. What is your lab like in graduate school? What kind of research do you do (be specific)? What have you learned through the opportunities in your lab (besides research) by joining a larger-sized lab?

LG: I chose the Mirkin group because the research was at the forefront of nanotechnology and truly represented an interdisciplinary approach to science. I also respected the fact that Chad was not complacent about the research achievements, but kept pushing the lab in interesting fundamental and applied directions that are important to learn about. My adviser, Chad Mirkin, is a professor in multiple departments: chemistry, materials science, biology, biological and chemical engineering, and even medicine. What is great about these appointments is that the students and postdocs in our lab come from many backgrounds and not only can you learn a lot, but you can approach scientific challenges with combined expertise. I would advise others to also take chances when surrounded by others with knowledge beyond your expertise. It is a great way to learn and expand yourself, both in the science itself and the way you approach solving scientific problems.

For instance, our lab is divided into four subgroups: biomaterials, anisotropic nanomaterials, organometallic chemistry, and nanolithography, where I work. This field is relevant to the miniaturization of electronic devices, but also to patterning biomolecules (e.g. DNA, proteins) on surfaces. Specifically, I use tools which rely on a nanoscale tip coated with ink to fabricate nanopatterns of various materials (e.g. small molecules, proteins, and polymers). It is analogous to quill pens dipped in ink that are then used for writing. Most recently, I have been focused on the controlled synthesis of cadmium sulfide semiconductor nanoparticles and on understanding how patterns of fibronectin, an extracellular matrix protein, dictate stem cell differentiation down osteogenic (bone-like) lineages.

EJC: What do you think of nanotechnology and its significance in the present/future? I once heard that Chicago could be the next “Silicon Valley” for nanotechnology-how true do you think that is in terms of the relevance of nanotechnology?

LG: Just like quantum mechanics and molecular biology were new areas of research 50-60 years ago, I think nanotechnology will always be a developing area of science. “Nano” really just refers to a length scale, and many fields including biology, chemistry, and physics are studying phenomena in this range. If you think about it, proteins in our body are a few nm in diameter; transistors in our laptops or phones can also be tens of nm in one dimension.

Chicago could definitely be a hub for entrepreneurship; not only are there excellent research institutions, but the local government has encouraged nanotechnology start-ups that can grow alongside or partner with large corporations (pharmaceutical, electronic devices, finance) in the area.

EJC: Like most places of science, the gender ratios are uneven in our work places. What is your approach or attitude towards this truth and how do you think you have used it towards your advantage?/do you think it is a positive thing? What kind of support system do you have?

LG: I realize the ratios are not even, but at the same time, I do not expect or hope to be treated differently. In general, if you demonstrate leadership, competency, and command respect of others, I do not think the male-female issue is what people consider first when meeting a female researcher. I have, however, heard women claim there are few female role models they can look up to; while this observation may be true, I think there are supportive male advisors who are strong proponents of their female students advancing their careers.

Within graduate school, I definitely have both female and male friends. I try not to think of these relationships as strictly black and white where girls only understand one aspect of my life and guys relate to another aspect. I think in both personal and professional matters, I get input from family, friends, and even relevant acquaintances.

EJC: How do you balance personal life and career? What do you do to relax? What do you do on the weekends? Do you have hobbies?

LG: My first year of graduate school was characterized by long days in lab and lack of work-life separation, which inevitably led to overall unhappiness with science and graduate school. I decided that living in Evanston was not for me and so moved to downtown Chicago, where on any given night, there were options to do many non-science things: restaurants, concerts, etc. I found roommates who were medical students, and it was great sharing day-to-day experiences. Just because you are not in lab does not mean you cannot learn something new that may someday help your career. So in that vein, I enjoy hanging out with friends, but also meeting new people through volunteering and organizing young alumni events. I really think physical exercise helps balance mental exertion from lab, so used to run and bike regularly when I was training for the marathon or triathlon. I love to cook and eat with friends, and am otherwise pretty normal in that I enjoy watching television shows and movies I borrow from the library. I enjoy music ranging from Lady Gaga to classical guitar and wish I could travel more often; luckily I had the opportunity to go with friends to Amsterdam, Egypt, and South Africa last year.

EJC: Now as a senior graduate student, what kind of lessons have you learned that you would want to advise younger scientists? If there was one thing you would advise younger (women audience) scientists, what would it be?

LG: Try not to take things for granted; a corollary to this lesson may be to not develop an attitude of entitlement. This advice applies to many things. People, whether they may be older students or random strangers, are not obligated to help you; when they do, remember to be thankful, and if possible, try to pay it forward and be generous towards others. Similarly, I feel that as graduate students we sometimes take our youth and freedom for granted. While there may be pressure to constantly be in lab late hours and on weekends, have some fun and do not feel guilty for doing so. Make new friends and explore different activities; these experiences allow you to figure out who you are, what you like and do not like.

EJC: What kind of career goals do you see in the future? Take us through your decision-making process. Why does it resonate with you?

LG: Right now I am leaning towards finding a postdoc and pursuing an academic track; I note that this path is what I had considered much earlier in graduate school, but had lost sight of more recently when I received an attractive offer from a well-known semiconductor device company. At the end of the day, what you value matters most; as others far wiser than me said, “Do what you love, and everything else will come in due time.” I do not think that money should be the sole reason to do something, and perhaps in that regard, I am fortunate to be able to pursue science. I think it is exciting to create new knowledge and figured that while I am still early in my career, it is possible to take more risks and see if I can address some scientific questions or challenges.

Louise and I met back in early 2008 when I rotated in the Mirkin group. She was cool, calm, open, and friendly in the way she approached both science and life, and she continues to be consistently this way. Without taking herself too seriously, she manages to climb to great scientific benchmarks and continues to test new waters and horizons within her own life. This reflects the type of person Louise has been and how I envision her always: someone who can manage and multitask well without that (that being ambition) being the only goal and only defining characteristic. Louise is curious by nature and allows passion to lead, evolve, and bring success naturally to her life. Since early 2008, Louise and I have become great friends and have had countless discussions about science, life, and the life of a scientist over coffee or brunch. It’s always a great time-to further your own scientific knowledge, like Louise mentioned, with scientists beyond your own discipline and to do it in new and great eateries within Chicago. Recently, we went to check out Longman and Eagle in Logan Square.

*Know a scientist you think should be featured in an upcoming “Scientist of the Month” article? Submit your nomination here. Your nominee does not need to be an AWIS member or a woman, but should promote the advancement of women in science, technology, mathematics and engineering.

Want to keep yourself up-to-date on AWIS Chicago activities? Follow AWIS Chicago on Twitter! You can request to be added to our listserve by clicking here, and join the AWIS Chicago group on LinkedIn and Facebook by clicking the icons on the bottom right of this page.

By Marina Pazin

 In a world where women remain underrepresented in computational math and physics fields, Dr. Kawtar Hafidi has been breaking all the rules. A physicist at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois, she has been showing how women can thrive in fields typically dominated by men. She leads by example and promotes success among her students pursuing careers in the sciences.  These characteristics prompted her colleague, John Arrington, to nominate her for AWIS Chicago’s scientist of the month.

For Dr. Hafidi, the path her career would take was apparent to her during adolescence. Born in Morocco, a developing country, she quickly realized that scientific and technological advancement would be critical to drive the country forward, and such developments should come from within.  “My country needs scientists,” she realized.  Drawing on her talent for solving rigorous logical problems that she developed during her high school training, Dr. Hafidi completed her bachelor degree in theoretical physics at Mohammed V. University in her native country in 1995.

One year after receiving her undergraduate degree, Kawtar earned a master’s degree in nuclear physics from the prestigious Paris Sud University in Orsay, France. She was the only Moroccan and, one of the few women in her class. Despite others congratulating her on her accomplishments, Kawtar’s response was “You can congratulate me when I get a PhD.”  With this determination, she entered the Physics department in the French Atomic Agency at Saclay, in France. Kawtar describes maintaining her focus in a highly male-dominated field by saying, “I did not look left or right [in graduate school].  I was always looking straight.” Competing as a woman in a male-dominated arena was of no concern to her, since she had been playing against boys on soccer fields since childhood. She also had a more personal desire for being successful among her male classmates. “My dad had always wanted a boy….All my life I was trying to make him proud…to show him that I can do anything a boy can do,” she recalls.  She used the same competitive approach and desire to make her parents proud throughout graduate school. Unfortunately, Kawtar’s father passed away one year before she received her PhD.

Since receiving her doctorate, Kawtar has been a leading researcher at Argonne National Laboratory, “asking philosophical questions, addressing technical fields in detector and software development.” Expanding on her research interest of understanding the dynamics of subatomic particles (nucleons) and the forces by which they are held together, Kawtar collaborates with a team of scientists to study 3-D distributions of partons (subatomic quarks and gluons) in nucleons and nuclei, by using particle accelerators at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Virgina, Fermilab in Illinois, and DESY in Hamburg Germany. She is planning on sharing this knowledge with the scientists in her native country, by holding a workshop on Partons in Nucleon and Nuclei in Marrakech, this upcoming autumn. However, she would like to be remembered for more than her scientific accomplishments alone. She also hopes to encourage the next generation. “My graduate students are my children. If I do my job well, we will have more scientists, better scientists.” With this outlook, Dr. Hafidi heads the Women in Science and Technology (WIST) program at Argonne, working with other men and women to hire, retain, and promote women in laboratories, particularly at upper level management. With WIST, she also helps to organize outreach programs for high school and junior high school young women, in which students are exposed to the exciting options of careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Kawtar continues to promote her mission by chairing the American Physical Society Committee on the Status of Women in Physics. For her leadership and dedication to her students, she was recently awarded the U.S. DOE Office of Science Outstanding Mentor award.

 Dr. Hafidi’s career reminds us that women can thrive in areas previously set aside for men, and that promoting the advancement of the next generation of female scientists benefits everyone. For me, she is indeed a role model. 

Nomination by Josh Arrington, Argonne National Laboratory.  Article written by by AWIS Chicago Staff Writer Marina Pazin.

 *Know a scientist you think should be featured in an upcoming “Scientist of the Month” article?  Send nominations to Michelle Merrigan and Carrie Heusner.  Your nominee does not need to be an AWIS member or a woman, but should promote the advancement of women in science, technology, mathematics and engineering.

Want to keep yourself up-to-date on AWIS Chicago activities? Follow AWIS Chicago on Twitter! You can request to be added to our listserve by clicking here, and join the AWIS Chicago group on LinkedIn and Facebook by clicking the icons on the bottom right of this page.

Francesca at work in formerly lush Wyoming

When most of us look at a mountain, we see a monolith that seems unchanging. Geologist Francesca McInerney of Northwestern University sees how a landscape has evolved over millions of years, with features growing and changing, “Like a flipbook through time of ecosystems and organisms changing.” She credits an undergraduate course in Paleobiology at Yale University with introducing her to the long view of the earth’s features. “The thing that interested me at first was large scale temporal and spatial patterns in nature. I always really enjoyed landscapes and how they were created,” she says.

Francesca earned a Bachelor’s degree in Geology and Studies in the Environment from Yale University, and a Master’s degree in Geophysical Sciences from the University of Chicago. She earned her PhD in 2002 from the University of Chicago. Francesca is currently an Assistant Professor of in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Northwestern University.

Francesca’s research investigates the response of plants to changes in climate in the geologic past. Describing how plants responded to past episodes of climate change may inform scientists about how ecosystems may fare in response to current climate change. She also studies how current plants acquire and turn over basic elements such as hydrogen and carbon, so as to better understand how these features are related to climate features such as humidity.

Over the history of the earth, there have been many cycles of climate change, and Francesca studies one particular event, the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), which occurred about 55 million years ago. Global temperatures increased by 5-8 degrees Celsius due to increased carbon in the ocean and atmosphere. “It happened rapidly on a geologic time scale, taking under ten thousand years. We know that from carbon isotopes and deep ocean acidification. It caused major changes in where organisms lived, so there were huge migrations,” she explains. While a concern of modern climate change is the effect it may have on many species, during the PETM, “Not that many groups experienced extinction,” she says. However, one of the main differences is that while the Paleocene-Eocene event took thousands of years, the current change is being accomplished in centuries.

How do scientists determine the environment that a particular plant lived in 55 million years ago? When a plant is alive, it produces wax that covers its leaves and retains moisture. Even after millions of years, when other biological material have been destroyed, some lipids in leaf waxes are still present in the rocks as molecular fossils. And those waxes can tell you about the climate that the plant lived in. In particular, she looks at a component of leaf waxes, straight chain alkanes, one type of which is produced almost exclusively by vascular plants.

Francesca studies vascular plants that lived in the Big Horn basin in Wyoming during the PETM. “Wyoming used to be quite lush and green, 56 million years ago.” To study carbon cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, the rocks must be cleaned and ground up, and the lipids extracted using solvents, heat and pressure. The carbon and hydrogen isotopes in the lipids are analyzed using mass spectrometry. “An isotopically distinct pool of carbon was added to the oceans and atmosphere, and that signal is seen in the oceans and in tooth enamel (of animals), soils, and plants.” On land, there was a larger shift than in the ocean. Francesca explains that, “We are trying to understand what the real global shift was, and why it was different between the terrestrial and marine.” Comparing the isotope profile of the hydrogen in the plants, versus that in the tooth enamel of grazing animals, who also drink surface water, describes how precipitation and humidity may have changed.

She also studies the relationship between the environment and the cycling of carbon and hydrogen isotopes in modern plants in collaboration with the Chicago Botanic Garden. Studying current plants helps to calibrate standards for paleontological samples.

In her laboratory, she has two PhD students, one Masters student and “a slew of undergrads.” She describes herself as an informal but involved mentor, characterized by a lot of contact, both at Northwestern and in the field. “I meet frequently with the lab group as a whole and with each student individually.“ She also promotes the students mentoring each other, with the graduate students mentoring the undergraduates.

Her teaching duties include undergraduate courses on Paleobiology, which deals with the history of life through geologic time, and introduces the methods to study the evolution of ecosystems. She also teaches a freshman seminar titled “Global Warming: The Scientific Evidence.” She says, “I like them both because they’re both fairly inter-disciplinary in what you talk about.” She also teaches graduate seminars in stable isotope ecology and paleoecology.

Describing her work, Francesca says she’d always been interested in environmental issues and conservation, but that had not been a direct driver of her research until recently. She says, “It’s come full-circle. I was initially interested in very local environmental issues, and found my interest in geology was something separate. Now it’s come around to where I feel that studying past climate change is extremely relevant to global environmental issues, but I didn’t see that connection when I started – it wasn’t so clear then.”

Nomination and article submitted by AWIS Chicago VP for Communications Michelle Merrigan.

*Know a scientist you think should be featured in an upcoming “Scientist of the Month” article?  Send nominations to Michelle Merrigan and Carrie Heusner.  Your nominee does not need to be an AWIS member or a woman, but should promote the advancement of women in science, technology, mathematics and engineering.

Want to keep yourself up-to-date on AWIS Chicago activities? Follow AWIS Chicago on Twitter! You can request to be added to our listserve by clicking here, and join the AWIS Chicago group on LinkedIn and Facebook by clicking the icons on the bottom right of this page.

November 2010 Scientist of the Month: Sacha Patera

By Eunji Chung

Sacha Patera is the Associate Director at the Office of Corporate Relations at Northwestern University. Dr. Patera connects corporate funding with scientific needs, focusing primarily on linking faculty members in the areas of physical and life sciences, technology, engineering and math to companies involved in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, technology and engineering efforts.

Born in Prague but a native of Canada, Sacha graduated from McGill University with a B.S. in Biochemistry and later received her Ph.D. in the Chemistry department at Brandeis University. It wasn’t a surprise that Sacha decided to pursue a doctoral degree; both her mother and father, grandmother and grandfather all received Ph.D.’s in various disciplines including physics, Russian literature, and math. In fact, the academic track was all she knew: her mother is a retired professor at McGill University and her father is a professor at the University of Montreal.

With her scholastic and educational pedigree, Sacha was aware that monetary and capital gains were not her motivational roots. Her current position at Northwestern speaks of her passion for linking the right connections and her understanding of the importance of intentional collaboration. Sacha understands that in many cases, the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts. And so, between undergraduate and graduate schools, Sacha jumped at the chance to work with Payloads Systems (Cambridge, MA) on a protein crystallization experiment in space. At the time, NASA was still recovering from the Challenger accident and shuttle flight schedules were uncertain. Using the Russian space station MIR seemed the most viable option for this experiment. With Sacha’s biochemistry background and her fluency in Russian, she was the right link to come onboard. The project entailed collaboration with Greg Petsko’s crystallography group to grow crystals in space in an attempt to assess the effects of gravity on crystal growth. While the first mission in December 1989 was a success on many levels, subsequent missions had to be curtailed due to the fall of the USSR in 1991.

In 1989, Greg Petsko’s move to Brandeis University motivated Sacha to pursue a graduate degree there. Once at Brandeis, Sacha became unexpectedly intrigued with protein structure determination using NMR spectroscopy. Specifically, her thesis determined the structure of the active site loop of serpins (serine protease inhibitors) in the laboratory of Dr. Thomas Pochapsky. However, near the end of her graduate career, after attending a conference to find another investigator cracking the code to the same project, Sacha found herself somewhat deflated. As she was finishing her studies, Sacha met her husband and relocated to Chicago where she began post-doctoral work in crystallography with Dr. Alfonso Mondragon. When she started having children, Sacha was then faced with the issue of time management. Flexibility to be with her children became an imminent need, and after two years as a post-doc and four as a research associate in two different labs, Sacha realized that she was no longer happy doing bench work. It did not allow her to thrive the way she wanted to.

Though the decision to leave was very difficult, Sacha felt relief as well. On one hand, she felt she was disappointing her PI, her colleagues, parents, friends, and all professional women, and on another hand, she felt this was the beginning of the right path. Sacha stayed involved in science by teaching biochemistry and immunology courses at Northwestern’s School of Continuing Studies before becoming the Assistant Director of the Interdepartmental Biological Sciences Graduate Program (IBiS).

Before her decision to leave the lab, she says she hadn’t formulated what she wanted to do. It took soul searching and self-assessment for Sacha to honestly admit that her scientific talents were best served outside of the lab. That’s when she understood that she was an excellent go-between liaison between the “lay public and scientific community.” In many ways, her role in the IBiS program was just that. She reflects back on her time with IBiS as an incredibly rewarding experience as she facilitated discussion among students, faculty, and administration, participated in graduate education programming development and witnessed students coming into their own as they rose to their next step.

The time with IBiS was a period of tremendous growth for Sacha both personally and professionally. Her move to the Office of Corporate Relations was also motivated by the potential for growth and learning in a new area of University administration. While she can’t predict what her next move will be, she is excited about the professional opportunities that lie ahead.

Sacha considers herself lucky to have had mentors from all areas of the University who helped her appreciate her values, bring back self-confidence, and reaffirm her talents. She emphasizes that “all paths are valuable, not just academic paths,” and encourages everyone to seek out mentors who may or may not be your PI, and make the most of University career resources. Not all mentors have to come from the world of science.  For example, Yvette Davis, Business Administrator of the Life Sciences Financial Services at Northwestern, has also been very significant in Sacha’s professional development.

To the AWIS audience, Sacha advises to “be honest with yourself about what it is you want for yourself out of life, personally and professionally. Don’t do something because that’s what someone else thinks you should do. Ask yourself what do you want to do? When you have a terminal degree, you have to trust that there are many options out there for you, with the academic path being the only one that is well charted. It’s like what Dr. Alicia Löffler said at the AWIS dinner last year. Don’t be afraid to take a chance and jump from the comfort of this lily pad to the next one. And if the place that you land is not all that you thought it would be, learn what you can jump again. You will learn something with each jump and will be changed with each experience. But all of this happens only after you are honest with yourself – and optimistic.”

As a student in the IBIS program, I had the opportunity and privilege to be recruited by Sacha and form a friendship with her throughout my graduate studies. Sacha was always cheerful, willing, and persevering—rewards that come from someone, like her words above, who is honest with herself and the world around her.

Eunji is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Dr. Guillermo Ameer’s lab at Northwestern Unviersity. Her thesis consists of fabricating various biodegradable grafts for orthopaedic applications.  After graduation, she will move on to her post doctoral fellowship with Dr. Ramille Shah at Northwestern University and hopes to be a professor committed to both research and teaching.

*Know a scientist you think should be featured in an upcoming “Scientist of the Month” article? Submit your nomination here. Your nominee does not need to be an AWIS member or a woman, but should promote the advancement of women in science, technology, mathematics and engineering.

Want to keep yourself up-to-date on AWIS Chicago activities? Follow AWIS Chicago on Twitter! You can request to be added to our listserve by clicking here, and join the AWIS Chicago group on LinkedIn and Facebook by clicking the icons on the bottom right of this page.

October 2010 Scientist of the Month: Jacklyn Naughton – An Advocate for Research

by Marina Viktoria Pazin

I recall the challenging curriculum and passionate teachers in my science courses at Niles North High School. The introduction to experimentation, the captivating demonstrations, and the triumph I felt with each successful examination all lead me to choose science as a career. I came to admire my honors biology teacher, Jacklyn Naughton, most of all. Though we had not always kept in touch following my graduation from Niles North, we reconnected when I serendipitously took advantage of an opportunity to judge a science fair she was overseeing. I have been judging science fairs and mentoring her pupils in her laboratory ever since. Now, it is an honor for me to feature Jacklyn as a “Scientist of the Month.”

Jacklyn began to teach as a “happy accident.” She began to tutor as a premed student in the 1960s. The gratification she received from teaching and a desire to spend time with her child led her to defer acceptance into medical school and to go into teaching instead. Because she strongly believed in promoting science education among women, who at the time were not expected to be “more than a nurse,” Jacklyn first taught women only, emphasizing research over lectures. When she learned of a biology teaching position available at a co-ed and culturally-diverse Niles North High School in Skokie, she applied. In 1989, her belief in introducing independent research to students landed her the job over 200 candidates.

Jacklyn’s passion for research is reflected in the curriculum she has developed at Niles North over the past twenty years. As soon as she was hired she began to mandate independent research, for the first time in the district’s history, as a component of honors biology courses. Her first mission was accomplished within a year of teaching at Niles North. The following year she developed RIOT (Research and Investigators of Tomorrow) club, to promote STEM-related career development for students. As part of RIOT, students selected research questions and, using the scientific method, conducted experiments that answered these questions to competition. Leading by example, Jacklyn spent many summers conducting research herself, most recently in 2007 at ECCLES Institute for Human Genetics where she met Noble-Prize winning Mario Capecchi. The success of RIOT prompted Jacklyn’s desire to develop a course exclusively for teaching research skills. Jacklyn’s proposals to the board of education for this were initially rebuffed. “For twenty years I was pushing…research class was not a mainstream component of high school education.”

Recently, luck fell on Jacklyn’s side. With the public realizing the need for improved education in the STEM fields, school district 219 received a governmental grant to build STEM labs forming a space for the course Jacklyn had been envisioning. “I remember STEM labs opening at our school in September of 2009, with architects only starting to renovate our space in April of that year.” Finally, in the 2009-2010 school year, Mrs. Naughton unveiled her SIRs (‘STEM Inquiry and Research’) course. Through it, by completing a series of modules, students learn the proper way to develop and test hypotheses in a variety of disciplines, depending on their individual interests. Seeing the opportunity to work in professional labs as an asset, she encouraged students to do so, forming collaborations with prestigious universities Northwestern University, Loyola, and University of Chicago and pharmaceutical companies such as Abbott and Searle in the process.

In just one year the SIRs course has become a success. Its students competed at an International Science and Engineering Fair, with one winning five awards, including an all-paid research internship at Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. Many more won ‘best in category’ merits at the Illinois Junior Science Academy competition. The number of students interested in SIRs has more than doubled within a year.

Thanks to Jacklyn Naughton, the science experience at Niles North will never be the same.

Nomination and article submitted by AWIS Chicago Staff Writer Marina Pazin.

*Know a scientist you think should be featured in an upcoming “Scientist of the Month” article? Submit your nomination here. Your nominee does not need to be an AWIS member or a woman, but should promote the advancement of women in science, technology, mathematics and engineering.

Want to keep yourself up-to-date on AWIS Chicago activities? Follow AWIS Chicago on Twitter! You can request to be added to our listserve by clicking here, and join the AWIS Chicago group on LinkedIn and Facebook by clicking the icons on the bottom right of this page.

September 2010 Scientist of the Month: Jameela Jafri

by Heather King

Jameela Jafri has just spotted a red-tailed hawk, calls out to the group, and raises her arms in triumph over her head.  “There it is!”  she shouts, and we all look into the sky to see the majestic bird of prey ride the thermals above us.  The ‘we’ is myself, Jameela, two other educators, and nine high school girls from Chicago’s inner city.  We are in Yellowstone National Park for the week, participating in the All Girls’ Expedition, a yearly program run by Project Exploration (PE), a non-profit organization dedicated to science education and outreach in the Chicago area.

Jameela has coordinated girls’ programs at PE since 2007, but her interest in science and science education began much earlier.   Her father, a medical technologist, and her mother, a math teacher, came to New York from Karachi, Pakistan in the 1970s and brought with them their passion for the natural world.  They passed this knowledge and passion on to Jameela and her sisters by taking them on camping and fishing trips while the girls were growing up.

Jameela felt as a child that she was meant to be a part of science, but didn’t do well on tests and was weeded out of science honors classes in middle school.  She also struggled with her identity as a first-generation American and a woman of color.  “I really needed encouragement, and someone to believe in me,” Jameela said of her middle school days.  She got that encouragement while enrolled in high school at the Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, NY.  The most influential experiences Jameela had were outside of the classroom, and included school camping trips and birding expeditions.  These experiences with her high school teachers reinforced her passion and curiosity for the natural world and inspired her to share that passion through education.

In 1997, Jameela graduated with a Batchelor’s degree in Biology and a minor in Anthropology from Barnard College (Columbia University), and in 1999 with a Master’s degree in secondary science education from Teachers College (Columbia University).  She taught science at several high schools, including the Masters School, where she created curriculum that is still being used today.  “It was such a privilege to give back to a place that had given so much to me,” said Jameela of her time teaching at the Masters School.

After teaching science in the United States for several years, Jameela lived in Damascus, Syria for sixteen months to accomplish a life-long dream of learning Arabic.  While there, she met educators and informally spoke with them about how science is taught in Syria.

In 2007, she returned to the United States and moved to Chicago, where she began working for Project Exploration.  Project Exploration was founded in 2000 by University of Chicago paleontologist Paul Sereno and his wife, educator Gabrielle Lyon.  The mission statement of the organization is “to ensure that communities traditionally overlooked by science, such as minority youth and girls, have access to personalized experiences with scientists.”  PE acts as a bridge between local scientists and Chicago youth through after-school programs.  Scientists volunteer to design and execute lesson plans with the guidance of program coordinators like Jameela.  Since many PE programs are held weekly, the students involved become part of something larger, building lasting relationships with the program coordinators and scientists.

Perhaps because of her own experiences as a student, Jameela was very interested in how students’ after-school time complimented their time in the classroom, and understood the potential of afterschool programs like PE:  “The power of this format, with the scientists coming to give personalized lessons to the students after school, is that the lessons can be more hands-on and in-depth.  In addition, the lessons are informal, and once a scientist starts sharing about her personal challenges and triumphs, the students can see that this scientist is a real person, and that they could someday follow that same path.  The scientists can also learn about the students, and this turns the tables as if to say to the students ‘you’re just as interesting as I am.’”

Jameela began as the Girls’ Programs Coordinator and was promoted to Manager of Girls’ Programs after two years.  She and PE co-founder Gabrielle Lyon recently published an article about their work in the June 2010 issue of Afterschool Matters.

After three and a half years with PE, Jameela will be doing some scientific research of her own.  The seeds planted during her time in Syria have grown into a Fulbright fellowship to perform a case study on the teaching practices of a female science teacher in urban Damascus.  The study will address why science is important to Syrians culturally and socially, and what factors affect teaching practices in science.  “I’m interested in a cross-cultural understanding of how science is taught to youth, but I don’t think ultimately that we’re all that different.   I predict that many of the same factors that influence teaching and learning in the United States, such as race, gender, and economic status, will also influence teaching and learning in Syria,” says Jameela of her study.

I nominated Jameela for AWIS Scientist of the Month because she has been such a role model to me, and has inspired and encouraged me to become involved in my community and reach out to young women in the Chicago area.  Some of my first teaching experiences were through the PE programs, and she helped me expand my definition of a ‘scientist’ to see that there isn’t much separating me from a seventh-grade girl from the Chicago urban area; we both have a curiosity for the world around us, and we want to learn more about it.  We wish Jameela the best of luck during her time in Syria and beyond.

Learn more about Project Exploration.

To read the Jameela’s June 2010 article published in Afterschool Matters click here.

Nomination and article submitted by AWIS Chicago Staff Writer Heather King.  Ms. King is a PhD candidate at the University of Chicago.

*Know a scientist you think should be featured in an upcoming “Scientist of the Month” article?  Send nominations to Jessica Reimer.  Your nominee does not need to be an AWIS member or a woman, but should promote the advancement of women in science, technology, mathematics and engineering.

Want to keep yourself up-to-date on AWIS Chicago activities? Follow AWIS Chicago on Twitter! You can request to be added to our listserve by clicking here, and join the AWIS Chicago group on LinkedIn and Facebook by clicking the icons on the bottom right of this page.