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0:00
GOOD AFTERNOON. AND WELCOME TO THE AMERICAN WOMEN'S HISTORY INITIATIVES 2020 SYMPOSIUM, AMERICAN WOMEN OF SCIENCE, RECOVERING HISTORY, DEFINING THE FUTURE. I AM YOUR HOST, JENNIFER SCHNEIDER, PROGRAM MANAGER. I THINK I SPEAK FOR ALL OF US WHEN I SAY THAT WE ARE SO GLAD YOU COULD JOIN US FOR AN AFTERNOON OF TRULY UNIQUE SECTIONS. THE AMERICAN WOMEN'S HISTORY INITIATIVE BECAUSE OF HER STORY IS AN AMBITIOUS UNDERTAKING TO RESEARCH AND DISPLAY THE
0:00
COMPELLING LEADERSHIP OF WOMEN. WE BELIEVE BY TELLING A MORE COMPLETE HISTORY WE CAN BETTER UNDER OUR NATION'S PAST. OUR YEARLY SYMPOSIUM SERIES IS A PART OF OUR LARGER EFFORTS TO SHARE AMERICAN WOMEN'S HISTORY. TODAY WE'LL EXPLORE A SMALL PIECE OF THE HISTORY OF WOMEN IN SCIENCE. WHILE WE CAN'T POSSIBLY COVER EVERYTHING WE INTEND FOR TODAY TO SERVE AS A REFLECTION ON SOME OF THE CHALLENGES AND TRIUMPHS THAT WOMEN SCIENTISTS HAVE FACED THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES.
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BEFORE WE BEGIN THE SYMPOSIUM I AM GOING THROUGH A FEW DETAILS ABOUT HOW THIS WILL ALL WORK. FIRST WE ARE RECORDING THE SESSION. THE RECORDING WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE AFTERWARDS TO ALL MEMBERS. WE ARE ALSO OFFERING LIVE CLOSED CAPTIONING OF THIS EVENT WHICH YOU CAN UNABLE ON THE BOTTOM BAR. THIS PROGRAM IS CONDUCTED IN LISTEN AND VIEW ONLY MODE. AUDIO IS MUTED. CAMERAS ARE DISABLED. A BRIEF RUNDOWN. FIRST WE'LL HEAR FROM OUR SYMPOSIUM CO-CHAIRS. NEXT WE'LL
0:00
HEAR FROM STEPHANIE STEBICH, THE DIRECTOR AT THE SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM AND CO-CHAIR OF THE AMERICAN WOMEN'S HISTORY INITIATIVE, FOLLOWED BY DR. EVA PELL WHO WILL GIVE A KEYNOTE ON DOCUMENTING SMITHSONIAN UNDERSECRETARY FOR SCIENCE. THEN WE'LL LEARN HOW WOMEN GAINED ENTRY INTO STEM FIELDS. WE'LL FINISH OUR DAY WITH THE PANEL CONVERSATION ABOUT THE DOUBLE BIND WITH DR. SHIRLEY MALCOLM. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE YOURS THOUGHTS WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA USING
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#BECAUSE OF HER STORY. >> WE ARE THRILLED TO WELCOME YOU TO THIS YEAR'S SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN WOMEN'S HIT. DR. KATRINA LOHAN AND I HAVE JOINED FORCES AS A SCIENTIST AND A HISTORIAN TO CREATE A PROGRAM THAT ADDRESSES THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF WOMEN IN SCIENCE. UNDERSTANDING THE PAST AND PRESENT CHALLENGES WOMEN IN SCIENCE HAVE FACED IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER. THE ONGOING PANDEMIC HAS EXACERBATED GENDER INEQUITIES AT
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HOME AND IN THE WORKPLACE. WE URGENTLY NEED TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THESE DISPARITIES AND CREATE SOLUTIONS TO SUPPORT AND KEEP WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE. WHILE THE CAREER COSTS RELATED TO COVID-19 I ARE MOST RECEIVE SEVERE FOR WOMEN OF COLOR. WE HAVE TRIED TO ADDRESS ALL OF THESE ISSUES AND MORE WITH THE HOPE THAT THIS SYMPOSIUM IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORICAL AND ONGOING ISSUES THAT IMPACT WOMEN IN SCIENCE AND TO PROVIDE A PLATFORM TO CONTINUE THE
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SEARCH FOR SOLUTIONS THAT WILL HELP IS A SHAPE THE FUTURE WE WANT. WE LOOK TO THE PAST NOT FOR A ROAD MAP BUT TO UNDERSTAND HOW INSTITUTIONS AND POLICYMAKERS HAVE CREATED SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WE FACE TODAY, BUT ALSO HOW THEY HAVE HELPED CREATE SOLUTIONS WE CAN IMPLEMENT. WE LOOK TO MUSEUM COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVAL RECORDS TO IDENTIFY GAPS OF THE HISTORICAL WOMEN IN SCIENCE. THE SMITHSONIAN IS ONE OF THE UNITED STATES OLDEST NATIONAL MUSEUMS AND SCIENTIFIC
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INSTITUTIONS. BY MY COUNT WELL OVER 500 WOMEN HAVE WORKED IN THE SCIENCES AT THE SMITHSONIAN SINCE THE LATE 19TH CENTURY. THAT'S A TOTAL NUMBER. IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IT HASN'T BEEN A STORY OF MORE WOMEN JOINING EACH DECADE. ACROSS THE 20TH CENTURY THERE WERE PERIODS OF CONTRACTION. IT TOOK UNTIL THE END OF THE 1950s FOR THAT TOTAL NUMBER TO CREEP UPWARDS TOWARDS 100. AND IT WASN'T UNTIL AFTER THE CIVIL RIGHTS LEGISLATION OF THE 1960S AS WELL AS AN EXPANSION OF
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THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION IN GENERAL THAT THAT NUMBER STARTED TO GO UP. BY 2000 THERE HAVE BEEN WELL OVER 300 WOMEN IN THE SCIENCES. THAT'S ACROSS SMITHSONIAN RESEARCH AND CENTERS. LIKE THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, THE NATIONAL ZOO AND THE CONVERSATION BIOLOGY INSTITUTE AND LATER THE NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH CENTER, THE TROPICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE AND THE MUSEUM CONSERVATION INSTITUTE. I WANTED TO GET ALL OF THOSE IN.
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THROUGHOUT THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS YOU WILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO HEAR FROM SOME OF THE RESEARCHERS WHO HAVE SPENT DECADES WORK BEING IN THE SCIENCES OF THE SMITHSONIAN AND MANY WHO WORKED IN SCIENCE, EDUCATION AND HISTORY. WE HAVE ALSO REACHED OUT TO COLLEAGUES AT MAJOR ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS AND SCIENCE INSTITUTIONS. I AM GOING TO HAND THINGS OVER NOW TO KATRINA WHO WILL FINISH THINGS OFF >> THANK YOU, LIZ. THROUGH THE SYMPOSIUM WE ALSO ADDRESS THE MANY
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ISSUES THAT WOMEN IN SCIENCE FACE TODAY, INCLUDING PAY INEQUITY, LACK OF RECOGNITION, DISCRIMINATION AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT. WHILE THE NUMBER OF WOMEN RECEIVING DEGREES IN STEM FIELDS HAS BEEN INCREASING OVER TIME, MANY MANY DO NOT REMAIN OR ADVANCE IN STEM CAREERS. RESULTING IN A PAUCITY OF WOMEN LEADERS IN SCIENCE. THIS LACK OF FEMALE LEADER SUBPOENA IN SCIENCES IS APPARENT AT OUR SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, WHERE MALE DIRECTORS DOMINATE AND ONLY ONE IS A FEMALE.
0:00
ACCORDING TO THE UNESCO INSTITUTE PORE STATISTICS ONLY 30 PERCENT OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHERS IN THE WORLD ARE WOMEN. THE ONGOING STRUGGLES CAN BE SEEN OUT ON TWITTER WITH WOMEN SPEAKING OUT ABOUT SEXISM AND RACISM. ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE NATIONAL ACADEMY MICHIGAN OF SCIENCE ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE CONDUCTING A STUDY TO DETERMINE THE AFFECT OF COVID-19. EVEN ONGOING TWITTER CAMPAIGNS TO HIGHLIGHT THE RESEARCH. AND HAS CONTINUED THROUGH ORGANIZED EFFORTS. FOR THE
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FIRST TIME THIS YEAR, TWO WOMEN WERE AWARDED THE NOBEL PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. WE HOPE THIS SYMPOSIUM WILL HIGHLIGHT BOTH THE STRUGGLES AND THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF WOMEN IN SCIENCE ACROSS THE SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES, FROM ILLUSTRATORS TO BIOLOGISTS TO ASTROPHYSICISTS. WHILE MY CO-CHAIR LIZ IS ON, THIS CONVENTION DOESN'T HAPPEN WITH TWO PEOPLE. MANY FOLKS WERE INSTRUMENTAL AND WE OWE THEM A HUGE HEARTFELT THANK YOU. FIRST AND FOREMOST WE HAVE TO
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SAY THANK YOU YOU SO MUCH TO JENNIFER SCHNEIDER. WITHOUT HER ABSOLUTELY NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE. THE SYMPOSIUM COMMITTEE WHO HELPED LIZ AND I COMB THROUGH A LARGE NUMBER OF PROPOSALS CONSISTED OF 15 INDIVIDUALS FROM ELEVEN MUSEUMS AND RESEARCH UNITS. WE OWE ANOTHER DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO OZZIE AND RAFFI AND NICOLE WHO HAVE HELPED WITH SO MANY OF THE LOGISTICS I HAD NO IDEA WERE EVEN ONGOING ISSUES TO PUT ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS. WE OWE
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A HUGE DEBT TO ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS. THE SMITHSONIAN'S OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AN FINALLY A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, ESPECIALLY SARAH COHEN FOR HELPING US GET OUT THE WORD ABOUT THIS SYMPOSIUM THROUGH ALL OF THE DIFFERENT COMMUNICATIONS. THANK YOU YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US FOR THIS SYMPOSIUM. WE HOPE THE PROGRAMMING OVER THE COMING DAYS IS BOTH ENJOYABLE AND CHALLENGES YOU. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH LIZ AND KATRINA
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FOR YOUR WARM WELCOME. WE'LL HEAR FROM STEPHANIE STEBICH, CO-CHAIR OF THE SMITHSONIAN AMERICANS WOMEN'S HISTORY INITIATIVE. >> HELLOS, I AM STEPHANIE STEBICH, THE MARGARET AND TERRY STENT DIRECTOR. I WEAR ANOTHER HAT AS CO-CHAIR OF THE AMERICAN WOMEN'S HISTORY INITIATIVE. IN THAT ROLE I WELCOME YOU TO OUR SECOND ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM, TITLED AMERICAN WOMEN OF SCIENCE, RECOVERING HISTORY, DEFINING THE FUTURE. JUST AS YOUNG GIRLS KNOW THAT PIONEERING POLISH
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AND FRENCH SCIENTIST MARIE CURIE WE WANT THEM TO KNOW OF PIONEERING AMERICAN WOMEN IN SCIENCE SUCH AS MARIA MITCHELL WAS THE FIRST WOMAN ELECTED TO JOIN THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES FOR HER PIONEERING WORK IN IDENTIFYING A NEW COMET THE YEAR BEFORE. THE AMERICAN WOMEN'S HISTORY INITIATIVE IS A COMMITMENT FROM THE SMITHSONIAN TO THE NATION TO MAKE KNOWN THE UNTOLD STORIES OF AMERICAN WOMEN. OUR GUIDING STAR IS A VISION OF AN AMERICAN SOCIETY
0:48
WHERE GENDER INEQUITY IS ERADICATED. WHERE THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN HISTORY IS WELL-KNOWN, ACCURATE, ACKNOWLEDGED AND EMPOWERING FOR ALL CITIZENS. TO THIS END THE SMITHSONIAN AMERICANS WOMEN INITIATIVE HAS ACCOMPLISHED THE FOLLOWING. WE HAVE HIRED NINE CURATORS TO FOCUS ON RESEARCHING, COLLECTING AND DISPLAYING WOMEN'S HISTORY DRAWN FROM THE REMARKABLE HOLDINGS OF THE SMITHSONIAN. WE HAVE HOSTED A SUMMER COHORT, AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM FOCUSED ON UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
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INTERESTED IN WOMEN'S HISTORY. WE HAVE WORKED WITH OUR SMITHSONIAN MUSEUMS TO ACQUIRE NEW COLLECTIONS, CREATE NEW DIGITAL PROJECTS, PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS. AS WELL AS DEVELOP NEW DYNAMIC EXHIBITIONS RELATED TO WOMEN'S HISTORY. THIS IS THE SECOND OF A FIVE-YEAR SERIES OF SYMPOSIUM TO BETTER TELL THE STORIES OF AMERICAN WOMEN. THIS YEAR'S SYMPOSIUM AMERICAN WOMEN OF SCIENCE HAS THREE GOALS: FIRST TO RECOVER THOSE LESSER KNOWN HISTORIES OF WOMEN
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IN SCIENCE. SECOND TO SHARE A CURRENT RESEARCH AND PROGRAMMING BREAKTHROUGHS. AND THIRD TO DISCUSS OPPORTUNITIES TO DEFINE A MORE DIVERSE, EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE FUTURE. THIS SYMPOSIUM SEEKS TO INSPIRE AND EDUCATE SCIENTISTS AS WELL AS MUSEUM PROFESSIONALS. AND WE ARE LOOKING ALWAYS TO SUPPORT WOMEN IN THE WORK THEY ARE DOING TODAY IN THE SCIENCES. GIVEN THE SMITHSONIAN'S LONG HISTORY AND GROWTH INTO THE 20TH CENTURY AND 21ST CENTURY AS A PLACE OF 19
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MUSEUMS AND NINE RESEARCH CENTERS, OUR PAST AND PRESENT PROVIDE A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR BOTH INTERNAL REFLECTION AND EXTERNAL COMPARISONS REGARDING THE HISTORY OF WOMEN IN SCIENCE. I VERY MUCH HOPE YOU'LL ENJOY THE SESSIONS AND WORKSHOPS OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. I WELCOME YOU AGAIN AND I INVITE YOU TO SIT UP STRAIGHT AND GET READY FOR WHAT PROMISES TO BE DYNAMIC FASCINATING AND IN MANY WAYS GROUND BREAKING PRESENTATIONS AHEAD. >> STEPHANIE THANK YOU SO MUCH
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FOR BEING WITH US. WE WILL HEAR FROM DR. EVA PELL ABOUT HER JOURNEY TO BECOME SMITHSONIAN UNDERSECRETARY FOR SCIENCE. >> HI EVERYBODY. I AM SO PLEASED TO BE HERE. I WANT TO THANK THE ORGANIZERS FOR INVITING ME. I AM VERY HUMBLED TO GIVE THIS ADDRESS. I REGRET I CAN'T BE DOING THIS IN PERSON AND GIVE A BUNCH OF YOU WHO I KNOW SO WELL HUGS. SO JUST ACCEPT THEM VIRTUALLY.
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I'VE GIVEN A FEW TALKS ON WOMEN IN SCIENCE OVER THE YEARS, AND ONE I PARTICULARLY ENJOY DELIVERING WAS AT A UNIVERSITY IN CHILE IN 2012 WHERE I WAS BECAUSE I WENT WITH CHARLES ALCOCK
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TO WORK ON SOME GIANT MAGELLAN TELESCOPE PROJECTS GOING ON DOWN THERE.
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WHEN I WAS PUTTING THE TALK TOGETHER ON THE HISTORY OF WOMEN -- I FRAMED IT AROUND WOMEN IN SCIENCE IN THE SMITHSONIAN, I RELIED HEAVILY ON SOME OF THE WORK COMPILED BY THE INCOMPARABLE ARCHIVIST
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YOU'RE IN FOR A BIG TREAT, I AM NOT GOING TO STEAL HER THUNDER. WHAT I DID LEARN IN RESEARCHING THE SUBJECT IS OUR FORE MOTHERS HERE AT THE SMITHSONIAN WERE STRONG AND INDEPENDENT WOMEN WHO FACED ADVERSITIES WHICH ECLIPSED ANYTHING THAT ANY OF US TO IMAGINE EXPERIENCING. MY OWN CAREER GOT STARTED WHEN I BEGAN GRADUATE SCHOOL IN 1968, JUST FIVE YEARS AFTER THE DEATH OF MARY AGNES CHASE WHO WAS A BOTANIST OF INCOMPARABLE TENACITY, WHO WORKED AT THE SMITHSONIAN FOR SOME
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50 ODD YEARS. IT'S ON THE SHOULDERS OF WOMEN LIKE HER THAT ALL OF US STAND TODAY. FOR MYSELF AS THE DAUGHTER OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS I WAS THE FIRST IN MY FAMILY TO GO TO COLLEGE. I REALLY HAD VERY LITTLE IDEA OF WHAT A CAREER LOOKED LIKE WHEN I STARTED GRADUATE SCHOOL. I KNEW I WANTED TO GO INTO AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND THAT IT WOULD NOT BE PLANT RELATED. I DID NOT CARE FOR THE COLOR RED.
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PLANT PATHOLOGY HAD AN INTEREST BUT I DIDN'T KNOW. I RECEIVED A DEPARTMENT ASSISTANTSHIP FROM RUTGERS UNIVERSITY. IN THE EARLY DAYS I MET WITH VARIOUS FACULTY MEMBERS. THEY WERE ALL PLEASANT BUT IT WAS NOT UNTIL I ENTERED EILEEN BRENNAN'S LAB, SHE BURNED WITH ENTHUSIASM. SHE HAD ME IN THE GREENHOUSE GROWING PLANTS AND STARTING MY FIRST EXPERIMENTS. SHE CHALLENGED ME EVERY DAY. EVA, WHY DID YOU USE THAT PH. WHY DID YOU SAMPLE AT THOSE INTERVALS?
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WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS MEANS? SHE QUESTIONED ME ALL THE TIME BUT NEVER QUESTIONED MY EXPECTATION FOR BUILDING A CAREER. I WAS AWARE THAT THE MEN IN THE DEPARTMENT HAD A LITTLE TROUBLE FIGURING ME OUT. I WAS ONLY 20 YEARS OLD WHEN I STARTED GRADUATE SCHOOL, AND I HAD LASER FOCUS ALREADY. THEY COULDN'T RELATE TO ME AS EXCEPT MAYBE AS A SURROGATE DAUGHTER. I DON'T THINK THEY REALLY WANTED TO SEE THEIR DAUGHTERS DOING WHAT I WAS.
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BUT BECAUSE I HAD EILEEN BRENNAN AS A BUFFER I MISSED THE SKEPTICISM OF A GIRL WITH GOALS. I FIRST ENCOUNTERED THE REAL WORLD WHEN I WENT TO WORK AS ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT PENN STATE IN 1973. I WAS SO EXCITED. I HAD HIT THE JACK POT, AN EXCELLENT DEPARTMENT OF PLANT PATHOLOGY, A PHYSICIAN TO STUDY THE PHYSIOLOGY AND STUDYING
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VEGETATION, EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED TO DO. THIS WAS GOING TO BE GREAT. AND IT WAS. BUT WHAT AN EYE-OPENING COUPLE OF YEARS. THOSE FIRST YEARS WERE. THE DEPARTMENT HAD NO WOMEN FACULTY. IN FACT THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE IN WHICH THE DEPARTMENT SAT HAD ONLY ONE
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FACULTY MEMBER WHO WAS IN THE RESEARCH AND TEACHING LINE. SHE WAS IN RURAL SOCIOLOGY. I DIDN'T MEET HER UNTIL I'D BEEN AT THE UNIVERSITY FOR FIVE YEARS. I WAS PUT IN A LAB ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF CAMPUS BECAUSE THERE WAS NO MORE SPACE IN THE MAIN BUILDING. EVERY FACULTY MEETING FELT AWKWARD. THE MEN DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO MAKE OF ME. SHOULD THEY STAND UP WHEN I CAME IN, STOP THEIR PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS. THEY HUNTED TOGETHER, PLAYED CARDS, WENT OUT FOR
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DRINKS AFTER WORK. I WASN'T INCLUDED IN HOSE SOCIALZATION ACTIVITIES. I WASN'T EXCLUDE DELIBERATELY, THEY JUST NEVER THOUGHT OF ME. ONCE AGAIN A MENTOR STEPPED IN, THIS TIME A MAN. SAM SMITH WAS A VIROLOGIST, HIS LABS WERE ADJACENT MINE IN THIS OUTPOST. FOR WHATEVER REASON HE DECIDED TO CHAMPION THIS UNDERDOG. SAM WAS AMBITIOUS. EVERY DAY THE MEN, THAT IS TO SAY THE FACULTY IN THE DEPARTMENT HAD COFFEE TOGETHER AT 9:30 IN THE MAIN BUILDING. SAM
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WOULD INSIST THAT WE GO. HE SAID HE WOULD DRIVE. AND IF WE STAYED TOO LONG AND GOT A PARKING TICKET IT WOULD BE HIS PROBLEM. HE TOLD ME THAT I HAD TO GET KNOWN WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. A FEW LAYERS LATER HE BECAME MY DEPARTMENT HEAD AND LATER ON MY DEAN. EVERY STEP OF THE WAY HE ENSURED THAT I SERVED ON IMPORTANT COMMITTEES AND GAINED VISIBILITY. HE UNDERSTOOD THAT DOING QUALITY WORK WAS ESSENTIAL FOR SUCCESS BUT IT WAS NOT SUFFICIENT AND HE WASN'T LETTING ME OFF THE
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HOOK. ONE OF THE AMUSING THINGS THAT HAPPENED -- AT LEAST IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR -- WERE PEOPLE'S REACTIONS WHEN THEY FIRST MET ME.
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MY PREDECESSOR WAS A MAN NAMED AL WOOD. HE ECLIPSED THE ROOM EVERY TIME HE WALKED IN. HUGE PERSONALITY, REAL PRESENCE.
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WHEN CALLS WOULD COME INTO MY LAB I WOULD ANSWER RESEARCH C. THERE WOULD TYPICALLY BE THIS PREGNANT PAUSE.
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SPEAKING I WOULD SAY. OH, I'M SORRY, I GOT CONFUSED. I WANTED TO SAY TO YOU THE PHONE WOULD RING. I WOULD ANSWER IT, RESEARCH C, SOMEBODY WOULD SAY COULD I SPEAK TO DR. PELL AND I WOULD SAY SPEAKING, THAT'S WHEN THE PREGNANT PAUSE OCCURRED.
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AFTER A MINUTE THE PERSON WOULD SAY, YOU'RE A WOMAN.
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YEAH. HAVE BEEN ALL MY LIFE I WOULD SAY. I DID LEARN IT WAS BETTER TO ANSWER THE PHONE AND SAY RESEARCH C EVA PELL SPEAKING. BUT PROBABLY MORE AWKWARD THAN THIS WAS THE EXPERIENCE I HAD WHEN I STARTED GOING TO REGIONAL AND NATIONAL MEETINGS. TO APPRECIATE THIS YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND I WAS 25 YEARS OLD, HAIR DOWN TO MY WAIST. REMEMBER THIS AL WOOD WAS BALD AS A BAT. AND I WORE GRANNY GLASSES.
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A FEW OF THE PATERNALISTIC FACULTY WOULD TAKE ME AROUND AND INSTEAD OF MEET OUR NEWEST FACULTY MEMBER. THEY WOULD SAY THIS IS EVA PELL, AL WOOD'S REPLACEMENT. THEY WOULD STEP BACK, AND THE LOOK ON PEOPLE'S FACE WAS COMPLETELY DUMBSTRUCK. AND EVENTUALLY THEY WOULD BLURT OUT, OH, SHE HAS MORE HAIR THAN AL WOOD.
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WELL, I KID YOU NOT. I HEARD THAT LINE OVER AND OVER AGAIN. WELL, AS THE YEARS WENT BY, 26 OF THEM, MY HAIR GOT SHORTER, A LITTLE GRAYER. MY GLASSES GOT BIGGER, THEN SMALLER.
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MY PROGRAM BECAME VERY SUCCESSFUL AND WELL FUNDED, INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED. BUT THERE IS NO DOUBT WITHOUT THE EARLY MENTORSHIP OF EILEEN BRENNAN WHO GAVE ME THE INNER CONFIDENCE TO BELIEVE IN MYSELF AND THEN SAM SMITH WHO TAUGHT ME THE POLITICAL REALITIES OF THE ACADEMY, I'M NOT SURE THAT I WOULD HAVE BEEN NEARLY AS SUCCESSFUL.
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ONE OF THE GREAT JOYS IN RUNNING A RESEARCH PROGRAM IS HAVING THE CHANCE TO MENTOR STUDENTS. I HOPE THAT I HAVE FOLLOWED THE ADAGE OF PAYING IT FORWARD AS I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MENTOR WOMEN AND MEN ALL ASPIRING TO MEET THEIR GOALS.
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IT'S INTERESTING TO REFLECT ON THE MANY CONVERSATIONS THAT I HAD WITH STUDENTS OVER THE YEARS. THEY ALL HAD INSECURITIES AND HAD TO WEIGH HOW TO USE THEIR EDUCATION. WITH TIME IT WASN'T JUST WOMEN WHO WONDERED ABOUT THE IDEAL TIME TO HAVE CHILDREN OR HOW TO BALANCE A TWO-BODY PROBLEM, NAMELY THE DUAL CAREER CHALLENGE. OFTEN YOUNG MEN HAD PARTNERED UP WITH A MATE WHO WAS ALSO SEEKING A CAREER, SOMETIMES IN THE SAME FIELD. AS A MENTOR IT WAS MY ROLE TO LISTEN AND TO SHARE
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PERSPECTIVE, ALWAYS RECOGNIZING THAT MY PATH WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE. THE ONE MESSAGE I DID GIVE TO THOSE WHO WOULD ASK IS HAVING IT ALL IS AN ILLUSION. YOU CAN HAVE A SUCCESSFUL CAREER AND YOU CAN HAVE A FAMILY. BUT DON'T EXPECT TO HAVE A LOT OF EXTRA TIME FOR ANYTHING ELSE. A CAREER AND A FAMILY WILL CONSUME YOU, IN A GOOD WAY. A NUMBER OF THE VERY TALENTED WOMEN I MENTORED FOR PH.D. PROGRAMS TOLD ME AFTER RECEIVING THEIR DEGREES THAT THEY RESPECTED ME BUT THEY
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DIDN'T WANT MY LIFE. THAT MADE ME KIND OF SAD. I LOVED MY HE CRAZIED EXISTENCE WITH A HUSBAND, TWO CHILDREN ELEVEN MONTHS APART AND A LAB FULL OF PEOPLE I THOUGHT OF A AS MENTEES AND FRIENDS. YES, I WAS ALWAYS CHASING AFTER THE NEXT GRANT TO KEEP EVERYONE FED, GRADING PAPERS, RUNNING TO MEETINGS, TEACHING A CLASS AND THEN HEAD TOGETHER MY DAUGHTER'S FIELD HOCKEY GAME OR PICKING UP A CARLOAD OF KIDS AFTER HEBREW SCHOOL. BUT WHAT A LIFE. I RECOGNIZED THAT I HAD
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TO STEP BACK AND HELP MY STUDENTS FIND THEIR RESPECTIVE PATH. IT IS INTERESTING TO SEE THEY'VE ALL DONE DIFFERENT THINGS WITH THEIR CAREERS FROM THE FOREST SERVICE, ACADEMIA, PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES, LAB MANAGERS IN PRIVATE INDUSTRY. ALL HAVE USED THEIR EDUCATION IN WAYS THAT HAVE MADE SOCIETY BETTER AND I THINK MOST OF THEM HAVE FOUND THEIR CAREERS FULFILLING. AND THAT IS ULTIMATELY WHAT COUNTS.
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THE NEXT PHASE OF MY CAREER TURNS TO THE DARK SIDE. AS I ENTERED UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION. AS MY RESEARCH PROGRAM GREW IT BECAME CLEAR, AT LEAST TO OTHERS, THAT I HAD A TALENT FOR ORGANIZATION AN COMMUNICATION. PEOPLE BEGAN TO HAND ME ADMINISTRATIVE OPPORTUNITIES.
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WITH A YOUNG GROWING FAMILY I HAD NO INTEREST TO GO DOWN THAT ROAD. I KNEW THE LIMITS TO WHAT WAS POSSIBLE, PLUS A PROFESSOR WAS THE BEST JOB AT THE UNIVERSITY. BUT AS TIME WENT ALONG I KEPT GETTING MORE INTERESTING AND BETTER COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS, FINALLY CHAIRING THE SEARCH FOR PRESIDENT AND PROVOST AT PENN STATE.
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THAT'S WHEN I GOT INTO TROUBLE. IT'S TOO LONG A STORY TO GO INTO NOW. BUT WHEN I WAS OFFERED THE POSITION OF VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH AND DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL I HAD TO MAKE A DECISION. MY YOUNGEST WAS A SENIOR IN COLLEGE AND THIS WAS AN INTERESTING JOB. THE TWO THINGS I WAS MOST PASSIONATE, RESEARCH AND GRADUATE EDUCATION. IF I TURNED THIS DOWN THERE WAS UNLIKELY TO BE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY LIKE THIS COMING ALONG ANY TIME SOON.
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IT WASN'T THE WRONG TIME IN MY LIFE AND IT WASN'T THE WRONG JOB, SO I DECIDED TO TAKE THE LEAP. ARRIVING AT PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL FOR THE FIRST TIME WAS VERY DIFFERENT. PEOPLE NEW ME, THEY RESPECTED ME AND THEY BELIEVED I WAS CAPABLE. NOT THAT THERE WEREN'T CHALLENGES IN GOING FROM THE INDEPENDENCE OF YOUR OWN LAB TO THE INTRIGUE OF OVERSEEING RESEARCH AND GRADUATE EDUCATION FOR A UNIVERSITY WITH 24 CAMPUSES.
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THERE WAS STILL A LOT TO PROVE. BUT THIS TIME EVERYBODY WANTED ME TO SUCCEED.
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IN ONE WAY THINGS WEREN'T THAT DIFFERENT.
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OF THE TWELVE OF US ON PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL WHEN I JOINED ONLY TWO WERE WOMEN. THE OTHER BEING THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADMINISTRATION WHO STARTED WITH ME.
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NOT LONG AFTER WE STARTED THE UNIVERSITY HIRED A THIRD WOMAN TO BE THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS. THE TIME FOR 25 PERCENT OF US TO BE WOMEN ON PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL WAS SHORT LIVED. THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADMINISTRATION DIED VERY YOUNG WHICH WAS A SOURCE OF GREAT SORROW TO ME PERSONALLY AS WE HAD BECOME GOOD FRIENDS. THE WOMAN WHO WAS VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS DEPARTED
17:42
FOR OTHER REASONS. I WAS ALONE AGAIN. BY THEN IT WAS FAR EASIER, AS I HAD ESTABLISHED MYSELF AND WAS FORTUNATELY DOING WELL. BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT, I ALWAYS FELT A DEGREE OF SELF CONSCIOUSNESS.
17:58
SWINGING BACK TO THE ROLE OF MENTORSHIP ONE MORE TIME, WHILE THERE WERE FEW WOMEN IN THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM AT PENN STATE, I DID ENCOUNTER A GROUP OF WOMEN PEERS AT OTHER INSTITUTIONS JUST WHEN I NEEDED THEM. PENN STATE IS PART OF THE BIG TEN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE, SOMETHING I'M SURE MANY OF YOU KNOW. WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW IS THERE'S ALSO A BIG TEN ACADEMIC ALLIANCE THAT BRINGS TOGETHER
18:25
PEERS FROM THESE SAME UNIVERSITIES THAT SHARE SIMILAR PORTFOLIOS.
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WHEN I ATTENDED MY FIRST SENIOR RESEARCH OFFICER MEETING OF THE BIG TEN ALLIANCE, I
18:39
WAS VERY PLEASANTLY SURPRISED TO DISCOVER THAT IN 1999 MINNESOTA, WISCONSIN, AND PENN STATE ALL HAD WOMEN IN THAT ROLE. THAT WAS ROUGHLY A THIRD OF THE GROUP. AS AN ASIDE, THE CHAIR OF THE GROUP WHEN I ARRIVED WAS THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA. THE MOST SENIOR OF THE WOMEN IN THE GROUP WAS VIRGINIA HENSHAW FROM WISCONSIN. SHE TOOK IT UPON HERSELF TO MAKE SURE I HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO SPEAK AT ALL THE LARGE
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ORGANIZATIONAL MEETINGS. SHE LATER WENT ON TO BE CHANCELLOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII. WE REMAIN FRIENDS TO THIS DAY. WATCHING THESE WOMEN'S AT THE MEETINGS GAVE ME A BOOST TO HELP ME SECURE MY FOOTING.
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I'M SURE A LOT OF YOU OR ALL OF YOU KNOW WHAT PROFESSORS DO.
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GRADUATE DEAN IS PROBABLY A BIT MORE MYSTERIOUS. THE ORGANIZERS OF THIS CONFERENCE ASKED ME TO TALK ABOUT MY ROLE IN PROMOTING INTERDISCIPLINARY EDUCATION AT PENN STATE. I WAS AT THE SMITHSONIAN.
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IN MY OWN RESEARCH LIFE I WAS ALWAYS COLLABORATING WITH OTHER SCIENTISTS THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSITY AND BEYOND. AND THOSE CONNECTIONS ALLOWED MY GROUP TO GROW AND MORPH OVER TIME. I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE THE VICE PRESIDENT AT A TIME WHEN THE UNIVERSITY WAS BEGINNING TO INVEST IN MAJOR INTERDISCIPLINARY INSTITUTES OUTSIDE THE CONVENTIONAL COLLEGES. THE BIG CHALLENGE WAS PERSUADING THE COLLEGE DEANS, THE ONES WITH THE BIG BUDGETS
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THAT PARTICIPATING WOULD BE GOOD FOR THEM. IT WAS CLEAR TO ME THAT IMPORTANT MOTIVATORS FOR DEANS WERE TWO THINGS: MONEY AND CREDIT.
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I WORKED WITH THE PROVOST TO DEVELOP SIGNIFICANT POOLS OF RESOURCES TO SUPPORT INSTITUTES THAT MY OFFICE OVERSAW IN THE DEVELOPING OF THESE AREAS. AND THOSE INCLUDED LIFE SCIENCES, MATERIALS, ENVIRONMENT, SOCIAL SCIENCES AND SO ON. WE INVITED THE DOESN'T TO WORK WITH THE INSTITUTE DIRECTORS TO IDENTIFY THE AREAS THAT THE INSTITUTES WOULD EMPHASIZE.
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THE INSTITUTES WOULD MATCH THE DEANS ON THE RELEVANT FACULTY WITH 50/50 AND THESE NEW RECRUITS WOULD HAVE THEIR TENURE HOMES IN THE COLLEGES. THAT IS UNDER THE PURVIEW OF THE DEANS.
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MY FACULTY BROUGHT IN CONTRACTS WE ALLOWED THE DEANS TO TAKE ALL THE CREDIT.
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TODAY THE INSTITUTES SUPPORT HUNDREDS OF FACULTY AND PENN STATE IS ONE OF THE PLACES TO GO IN THE COUNTRY IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN WORKING IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT HAS A STRONG INTERDISCIPLINARY FLAVOR. I WOULD SAY THE MORAL OF THAT STORY IS TO INFLUENCE CHANGE BE PREPARED TO CEDE SOME OF THE CONTROL.
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THE EXPERIENCE OF DEVELOPING THE INTERDISCIPLINARY ECOSYSTEM AT PENN STATE LEADS ME TO THE SMITHSONIAN AND HOW I CAME TO BE COURTED FOR THE ROLE OF UNDERSECRETARY FOR SCIENCE. WAYNE CLOUGH WAS SECRETARY AT THE TIME AND HE WAS INTERESTED IN EXPLORING STRATEGIES TO CREATE A MORE COLLABORATIVE CROSS UNIT ENVIRONMENT. I'M GUESSING THAT THE WORK I DID AT PENN STATE IS WHAT GOT THE HEAD HUNTERS ATTENTION AND WHY THEY CALLED ME. WHEN I FIRST HEARD FROM THEM I WASN'T AT ALL
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SURE THAT I WOULD EVER LEAVE PENN STATE. I'D BEEN THERE 36 YEARS AND I HAD SUCH A DEEP LOVE AND COMMITMENT TO THE PLACE. BUT THE INTERVIEWS WERE SO INTERESTING. THE PEOPLE WERE INTRIGUING. AND OF COURSE THE SMITHSONIAN IS, AS WE USED TO SAY AND MAYBE YOU STILL DO, SERIOUSLY AMAZING. IT WAS THE RIGHT TIME TO MAKE WHAT CHANGE. I'D ACCOMPLISHED THE MAJOR GOALS I'D SET FOR MYSELF.
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AND THE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND GRADUATE AGENDAS WERE IN A GOOD PLACE. I JOINED THE SMITHSONIAN ON JANUARY 4TH, 2010.
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I WILL NEVER FORGET THE FIRST MEETING OF THE SECRETARY'S CABINET. I WALKED INTO THE SECRETARY'S PARLOR. FIRST OF ALL, IT WAS A ROUNDTABLE. THE PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL AT PENN STATE WAS A RECTANGULAR TABLE WITH THE PRESIDENT AT THE HEAD. BUT WHAT WAS EVEN MORE SURPRISING WAS WHAT HAPPENED WHEN I SAT DOWN. I LOOKED TO MY RIGHT,
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THERE SAT JUDITH LEONARD. I LOOKED TO MY LEFT. THERE SAT ALLISON MCNALLY. THEN HE HAVE LIEBERMAN.
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RICHARD CURRAN AND WAYNE EXCLUSIVE.
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A FEW MONTHS LATER CLAUDINE BROWN JOINED OUR RANKS. I KNEW WHO THE TEAM WAS BEFORE I JOINED. BUT THE IMPACT OF SITTING THROUGH A MEETING WITH MY PEERS AND THE WOMEN IN THE MAJORITY, THAT HAD NEVER HAPPENED TO ME IN 36 YEARS OF WORKING LIFE.
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THERE ARE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE HOW THE DYNAMICS CHANGE WHEN THE GENDER DISTRIBUTION IS BALANCED. THOSE SUBLIMINAL DISCOMFORTS AND SELF CONSCIOUSNESS JUST EVAPORATE. I THINK WE WERE ALL FREER TO EXPRESS OUR VIEWS WITHOUT THE SENSE OF BEING OBSERVED OR EVALUATED FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE MERITS OF WHAT WE HAD TO SAY. I FOUND POCKETS OF TALENTED WOMEN WHEREVER I WENT IN D.C. AT THE TIME. COMING IN AND OUT OF WASHINGTON OVER THE YEARS ON PENN STATE
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BUSINESS, I KNEW THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WAS MORE OPEN THAN THE ACADEMY. I DIDN'T APPRECIATE HOW LIBERATING THAT WOULD FEEL. I KNOW THINGS AT THE SMITHSONIAN ARE FAR FROM PERFECT AND OPPORTUNITY FOR WOMEN CAN BE SLOW TO EMERGE. PART OF THAT IS THE STABILITY OF THE INSTITUTION. CHANGE TAKES TIME AND THINGS CAN REVERT EASILY. FOR THOSE IN SCIENTIST POSITIONS THERE'S NOT A LOT OF UPWARD MOBILITY. THE ONE THING I FOUND INTERESTING WHEN I WORKED AT THE SMITHSONIAN
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WAS NOTICING THAT PEOPLE WHO STARTED IN ONE ROLE AND OVER TIME HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT WITHIN THE INSTITUTION. IF YOU'RE IN THE ACADEMY AND YOU'RE A PROFESSOR, UNLESS YOU HAVE THE CHANCE TO BE A DEPARTMENT HEAD OR DEAN, THERE ARE ACTUALLY VERY FEW OPPORTUNITIES TO MOVE. FOR MOST PEOPLE THAT'S FINE. BUT FOR SOME PEOPLE THE SMITHSONIAN AND PROBABLY OTHER LARGE FEDERAL AGENCIES MAY OFFER MORE POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS FOR PEOPLE'S TALENTS. NOW, THAT
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DOESN'T MEAN WOMEN SCIENTISTS AT THE SMITHSONIAN HAVE IT EASY. OF COURSE NOT. MANY OF YOU STILL WORK IN MALE DOMINATED FIELDS. MANY OF YOU ENGAGE IN FIELD WORK, THAT CHALLENGES THE ASSUMPTIONS OF WHAT WOMEN CAN DO. SOME OF YOU WORK INTERNATIONALLY WHICH CAN ADD A WHOLE DIMENSION TO HOW WOMEN ARE PERCEIVED. BUT YOU CAN DO IT AND YOU ARE DOING IT. THE ORGANIZERS ASKED ME WHAT I LEARNED THAT HELPED ME KEEP SWIMMING AND DO IT WITH JOY. THAT'S A TOUGH QUESTION TO ANSWER. IT
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REMINDS ME OF A WOMAN I ONCE KNEW WHO WAS A PHYSICIAN. SHE HAD THREE CHILDREN WHEN SHE STILL LIVED IN HER NATIVE COUNTRY OF POLAND. THE FAMILY IMMIGRATED TO ISRAEL WHERE THEY LIVED BRIEFLY AND THEN THEY CAME TO THE UNITED STATES. SHE HAD TO RECERTIFY AS A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SHE COULD PRACTICE MEDICINE, ALL WHILE RAISING THESE THREE KIDS. I ASKED HER HOW SHE DID IT. AND SHE SAID,
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WHEN I LOOK BACK ON IT, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE.
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HER LIFE WAS HARDER THAN MINE. BUT MY JOURNEY WAS ALWAYS CHALLENGING AND GOOD AND NOT OF SOME GOOD WAYS SOMETIMES. FUNDAMENTAL TO EVERY CHOICE I MADE AND EVERY ROAD I TOOK WAS TO ASK: IS THIS SOMETHING WORTH DOING?
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IS IT GOING TO BE INTERESTING AND CHALLENGING? DO I BELIEVE IN THE ENTERPRISE AND THE ORGANIZATION? AND DO I THINK I'M QUALIFIED AND PREPARED TO DO IT? IF YOU CAN CHECK THOSE BOXES AND YOU FEEL PASSION FOR THE WORK, REST WILL FOLLOW. THERE WERE MANY CHALLENGING INDIVIDUALS TO BE RECKONED WITH ALONG THE WAY AND MANY MEN WHO WERE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH ME AROUND. MY METHOD OF CHOICE WAS TO USE HUMOR TO DISARM THEM AND DEFUSE THOSE AWKWARD MOMENTS. I REMEMBER ONE STORY IN PARTICULAR. A
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VERY FLAMBOYANT MAN WAS AT ONE OF THESE COULD HAVE FEES I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT EARLIER. AND I WENT IN AND I SAT DOWN AND HAD MY COFFEE. HE STARTED TELLING MIRON COHEN JOKES. YOU MAY NOT KNOW WHO HE IS, BUT HE'S RATHER OFF COLOR. A NUMBER OF THE OTHER MEN IN THE ROOM, THE FACULTY, WERE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE BECAUSE I WAS THERE. UNFORTUNATELY I WAS SITTING AS FAR FROM THE DOOR AS I COULD BE, AND THE ONLY WAY OUT OF THE ROOM WAS THE WINDOW. THAT DIDN'T SEEM LIKE
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THE BEST WAY TO GET OUT. I JUST KEPT SITTING THERE, MY SKIN JUST WAS CRAWLING. FINALLY I GOT UP, I WALKED TO THE FRONT OF THE ROOM WHERE THIS GENT WAS HOLDING FORTH, PUT MY ARM AROUND HIM AND I SAID BILL, I AM GOING TO LEAVE NOW. I DON'T WANT TO CRAMP YOUR STYLE. EVERYONE LAUGHED. I LEFT. THE NEXT COUPLE OF TIMES I CAME TO COFFEE, I WALKED IN AND HE GOES HERE'S EVA, I AM GOING TO TELL SOME MIRON COHEN JOKES. BUT HE NEVER DID AGAIN. SOMETIMES IT TOOK A LOT OF EFFORT TO
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JOLLY THE MEN ALONG. IN RETROSPECT IT MADE ME MAD TO THINK I NEEDED TO EXPEND THAT TYPE OF ENERGY. BUT ULTIMATELY IT WAS FAR MORE EFFECTIVE THAN DRAWING BATTLE LINES, EVEN IF I DID HAVE THE AMMUNITION TO WIN. THERE ARE OTHER APPROACHES AND EVERYONE HAS TO OPERATE IN THEIR OWN SKINS AND COMFORT ZONE. MY MENTOR, EILEEN BRENNAN USED TO SAY GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK. THAT'S GREAT WISDOM. DO THE BEST YOU CAN. SOMETIMES YOU'LL FALL SHORT. THAT'S OKAY TOO. IN
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THIS TALK YOU'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE MERITS OF MENTORS AND THE APPRECIATION FOR THE PIONEERS WHO PAVED THE WAY. YOU'VE HEARD A FAIR BIT ABOUT MY PERSONAL JOURNEY. THE LAST THING I WANT TO SAY HOWEVER IS THAT EVERY SUCCESSFUL PERSON IS DEPENDENT UPON A LOT OF PLAYERS WHO ARE RARELY ACKNOWLEDGED OR RECOGNIZED. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO EITHER DIDN'T ASPIRE TO BE THE TOP BANANA OR MIGHT NOT HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE BECAUSE OF EITHER LACK OF OPPORTUNITY OR EDUCATION TO MOVE
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INTO THOSE ROLES. FOR ME, THERE WERE A CONSECUTIVE GROUP OF THREE WONDERFUL LAB MANAGERS WHO OVERSAW EVERYTHING IN MY RESEARCH PROGRAM AND HELPED ME EVOLVE THE VISION OF WHERE OUR FIELD MIGHT GO. WHEN I WENT TO WORK AS AN ADMINISTRATOR AT PENN STATE I WAS GREETED BY A WONDERFUL TEAM OF WOMEN WHO DID EVERYTHING FOR MANAGING MY CALENDAR AND ANTICIPATING MY SENSE OF HUMOR WHILE PUTTING TOGETHER POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS TO OVERSEEING FINANCIAL UNITS AND ORCHESTRATING BOARD
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MEETINGS FOR TECH TRANSFER AND VARIOUS OTHER BOARDS WE WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR. THEY ALWAYS HAD MY BACK. AND OF COURSE, HERE AT THE SMITHSONIAN I WAS ONCE AGAIN INCREDIBLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE TEAMMATES WHO MADE EVERY VISITOR FEEL WELCOME, WHO PARTNERED WITH ME TO TELL THE STORIES OF SCIENCE AT THE SMITHSONIAN AND WHO HELPED FRAME THE MANAGEMENT OF OUR FINANCES AND OUR FACILITIES SO THAT WE COULD ARTICULATE A VISION FOR SCIENCE AT THE SMITHSONIAN. AND MAYBE
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JUST AS IMPORTANT THEY BECAME MY FRIENDS. THE PICTURE OF WHAT IT TAKES TO BE SUCCESSFUL CAN NEVER BE FILLED OUT WITHOUT RECOGNIZING THESE PEOPLE. FOR ME THE JOY IN GETTING TO KNOW THESE WONDERFUL INDIVIDUALS, LEARNING OF THEIR WORK HAS AS MUCH TO DO FOR FEELING SATISFACTION IN THE WORK AS ANY LOFTIER GOALS. I'LL CLOSE BY SAYING THANK YOU TO ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN WITH WHOM I'VE HAD THIS JOURNEY THAT VERY FEW ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO TAKE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND
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AGAIN I SEND YOU ALL VIRTUAL HUGS. >>
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WASN'T THAT JUST FANTASTIC. DR. PELL, WE ARE SO GLAD YOU COULD JOIN US TODAY. NEXT UP IS A SHORT BREAK. GRAB SOME WATER. STRETCH IT OUT AND COME BACK IN ABOUT FIVE MINUTES. FOR THE MOMENT WE'LL BE PLAYING A SHORT VIDEO FEATURING A VIDEO OF THE NATURAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY.
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(SHORT BREAK). >> WELCOME BACK. OUR NEXT SESSION IS TRACING HISTORICAL PATHWAYS INTO STEM WITH PRESENTATIONS BY DR. PAMELA HANSON. DR. PEGGY KIDWELL
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AND DR. SALLY KOHLSTEDT. PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS IN THE BOX BELOW THIS VIDEO. >> HELLO AND WELCOME TO OUR PANEL SESSION, TRACING HISTORICAL PATHWAYS OF WOMEN INTO STEM. TODAY WE KNOW THAT THE HISTORICAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF WOMEN IN SCIENCE ARE UNDERRECOGNIZED. ' OFTEN THEIR NAMES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE NOT EASILY DISCOVERABLE ONLINE. EDUCATORS AND MUSEUM PROFESSIONALS WANT TO CHANGE THIS. THEY WANT TO SHARE THE STORIES OF WOMEN IN SCIENCE
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BECAUSE WOMEN, ESPECIALLY WOMEN OF COLOR ARE STILL UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE SCIENCES TODAY. TO INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION WE WANT TO UNCOVER AND SHARE EXAMPLES OF WOMEN AS TRAIL BLAZERS IN SCIENTIFIC FIELDS. THIS CALL FOR MORE RESOURCES IS ONE WE SHOULD ANSWER. BUT I WANT TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND RECOGNIZE THAT THE REASON WE KNOW THAT WE CAN BE SURE THAT WOMEN ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN HISTORICAL ACCOUNTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF AMERICAN SCIENCE
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IS BECAUSE IN THE 1960S AND 1970S HISTORIANS OF SCIENCE FORGED A NEW FIELD OF RESEARCH
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BY ADDING WOMEN TO THE HISTORICAL ACCOUNTS OF AMERICAN SCIENCE OFTEN AS COLLEAGUES QUESTIONED THE SCHOLARLY VALUE OF STUDYING WOMEN IN SCIENCE AT ALL AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF FINDING MUCH TO RESEARCH. IN OTHER WORDS IN THIS EARLIER PERIOD.
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THE ROLE WOMEN HAVE PLAYED IN AMERICAN SCIENCE TO CHALLENGE THIS BELIEF. THAT WOMEN HAVE NOT CONTRIBUTED TO SCIENCE IN THE UNITED STATES. THANKS TO THEIR WORK WE NOW HAVE COLLECTIONS, BOOKS AND ARTICLES THAT PROVIDE US WITH THE NAMES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MANY WOMEN IN SCIENCE WHOM WE CAN CONTINUE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT.
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TODAY WE WILL HEAR FROM THREE HISTORIANS WHO HAVE HELPED ESTABLISH THE HISTORY OF WOMEN IN SCIENCE AS A FIELD OF RESEARCH. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THEIR BIOS ON OUR CONFERENCE WEBSITE. TO GET STARTED I'LL TURN THINGS OVER TO DR. KOHLSTEDT. THE SMITHSONIAN IS A SPECIAL PLACE THAT AS WE WILL LEARN. WOMEN LIKE COLUMNIST JANE COLDEN, WHO WAS PRODUCED A LOCAL BOTANICAL CATALOG USING THE THEN STATE-OF-THE-ART NOMENCLATURE. BY THE 20TH CENTURY OF COURSE THERE
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WERE MORE WOMEN IN SCIENCE. BIOGRAPHERS HIGHLIGHTED THE DIFFICULTIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF WOMEN'S WHOSE NAMES YOU'LL RECOGNIZE, LIKE BARN BRA MCCLINTOCK, BIOLOGY RACHEL CARSON. SEVERAL OVERSIZED VOLUMES OF BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARIES ADDED TO A GROWING LIST OF OUTSTANDING WOMEN WHO MADE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS.
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STAGE TWO IS MOVING BEYOND INDIVIDUAL CONCEPTIONS TO DOCUMENT WOMEN WHO PROVIDED ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE. BY THE 1970S HISTORIANS WERE PROBING DIARIES, LETTERS. WHERE SCIENCE WAS PURSUED.
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THEY WERE THE ARTISTIC ILLUSTRATORS FOR NATURALISTS. EDUCATORS AND WRITERS LIKE EMMA WILLARD AND HER SISTER AND OTHER WOMEN PRODUCED LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF ILLUSTRATED TEXTBOOKS
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FROM GEOGRAPHY TO BOTANY TO ASTRONOMY. BY THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY WOMAN PARTICIPATED IN SEASIDE LABORATORIES. I LOVE THIS PHOTO BECAUSE IT SHOWS THEIR DETERMINATION CLIMBING THE CLIFFS THIS THOSE LONG SKIRTS. YOU'LL NOTICE THEY WERE SYSTEMATICALLY CUT 14 INCHES ABOVE THE GROUND.
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RESEARCH ALSO REVEALED THAT WOMEN WERE UNDERRECOGNIZED PARTICIPANTS IN SCIENCE IN VARIOUS WAYS. A CLOSE LOOK AT HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL MEN OFTEN REVEALED WOMEN WORKING WITH HUSBANDS IN CHEMICAL LABORATORIES. IT HELPED SHIFT THE HISTORY TO SEEING THE REALITY THAT SCIENCE IS A COLLABORATIVE ENTERPRISE. THE DARWIN CORRESPONDENCE PROJECTS REVEALS CHARLES DARWIN HAD AN AMAZING INTELLECT HE WAS A GREAT SYNTHESIZER OF DATA AND HAD COLLABORATORS
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FROM AROUND THE WORLD, MANY WOMEN. BUT WHAT EXPLAINS THE EARLY OVERSIGHT OF WOMEN,
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RECORDING OR LARGELY FORGOTTEN FROM VIEW WERE THEIR SOMETIMES ASTONISHING RECORD OF ENGAGEMENT. BY THE 1980S, SCIENCE STARTED TO AGGREGATE TO REVEAL PATTERNS BY FIELD, LOCATION AND OVER TIME.
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OUR COLLEAGUE MARGARET ROSSITER RECENTLY FEATURED IN SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE IN THE 1970S WHAT BECAME A LIFE LONG COMMITMENT TO DOCUMENTING WOMEN IN THEIR STRUGGLES AND STRATEGIES. MARGARET ROSSITER RESULTED IN THESE THREE CLASSIC VOLUMES FILLED WITH TALES ABOUT NETWORKS. EQUALLY IMPORTANT SHE OFFERED NEW CONCEPTS AND FRAME WORKS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH. SHE IDENTIFIED INITIALS IN WOMEN'S WORK IN AND BEYOND SCIENTIFIC FIELDS.
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THE ROLE OF COMPENSATORY RECOGNITION AND SPECIAL PRIZES FOR WOMEN AND THE MATILDA EFFECT WHICH EXPLAINED THE FACT FOR LACK OF RECOGNITION OF WOMEN'S ACHIEVEMENTS. YET WHEN SHE APPLIED FOR NSF FUNDING SHE WAS REBUFFED. WHEN SHE GOT A GRANT THE CONGRESSMAN SAID IT WAS UNNECESSARY AND WASTEFUL BECAUSE THERE WERE ALREADY SEVERAL ENTRIES ON WOMEN IN SCIENCE IN THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG. SO EVEN WOMEN HISTORIANS FACED CHALLENGES. A MAJOR CONFERENCE IN THE 1990S
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ATTRACTED AN INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE OF OVER 450 PEOPLE TO ADDRESS ANOTHER KIND OF QUESTION, THAT IS HOW TO RESEARCH ON WOMEN AND SCIENCE AND RESEARCH ON GENDER AND SCIENCE RELATE TO EACH OTHER. QUESTIONS LIKE THAT ALSO LED TO OTHER DIMENSIONS OF HISTORICAL WORK. I ONLY COULD REPRESENT THEM HERE IN MY LIMITED TIME TO SHOW YOU WOMEN WERE MAKING OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THOSE GENDER DYSFUNCTIONS ACTUALLY AFFECTED WOMEN'S WORK AND WHAT PARTICIPATION HAS MEANT IN
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THE SCIENCES. I HOPE MY BRIEF OVERVIEW HAS SUGGESTED JUST HOW WE CAME TO BUILD THE STILL GROWING STORIES OF WOMEN IN SCIENCE FROM BIOGRAPHER, TO STRATEGIC REACTION THERE'S MUCH TO INVESTIGATE OF HISTORY OF WOMEN'S IN THE SCIENCE. SUCH HISTORY CREATES LEGACIES BUT PROVIDES DATA ABOUT THE SOURCES THAT ENABLED THESE INTREPID WOMEN TO CHALLENGE STEREOTYPES AND CHANGE SOCIETIES, UNIVERSITIES, CORPORATE AND GOVERNMENT LABORATORIES AND OTHER SITES SO THAT THEY COULD IN
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PURSUE THE RESEARCH THAT THEY LOVED. MOST OF THE RECENT REPORTS FROM NSF, NATIONAL ACADEMIES UTILIZE HISTORICAL DATA. IT IS SIGNIFICANT I THINK ONE OF MY YOU HAD PH.D.S IN THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE HAS BEEN THE LEAD EDITOR ON TWO RECENT REPORTS FROM THE ACADEMIES, ONE ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND THE OTHER ON PROMISING PRACTICES. I THINK THESE REPORTS REMIND US HOW MUCH THERE IS TO BE DONE. LET ME CLOSE BY INVITING EACH OF YOU, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF YOU AT THE SMITHSONIAN, TO
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JOIN THIS INVESTIGATORY WORK ABOUT OUR PAST TO DIRECT EVEN BETTER PLANS FOR THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. >>
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THANK YOU SALLY. TODAY I AM FOCUSSING ON THE CONTRIBUTIONS AND CHALLENGES SMITHSONIAN WOMEN SCIENTISTS, BEGINNING WITH THE 1924 QUOTE ABOUT WHY WOMEN SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO DO WORK IN PANAMA.
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IT BEGINS, I AM MYSELF A MARRIED MAN AND AS FOND OF MY WIFE AS ANY COULD BE, IF THEY LET WOMEN IN THEY CAN'T KEEP THE SAME INTELLECTUAL LEVEL AS A GROUP OF MEN. WOMEN DISRUPT THE SACRED ELEMENT OF MALE FELLOWSHIP. WOMEN INTRODUCE PETTY CONCERNS. NO ONE CAN ELIMINATE THE SEX ELEMENT. AND WOMEN COST MONEY FOR SEPARATE FACILITIES. HE CLOSES, LET US KEEP A PLACE WHERE REAL RESEARCH MEN CAN FIND QUIET, KEEN, INTELLECTUAL STIMULATION
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FREE FROM OUTSIDE DISTRACTION. THESE ARE THE OBSTACLES WOMEN FACED AND CONTINUE TO FACE. BUT WE'LL HEAR ABOUT MEN WHO WERE STRONG MENTORS TO WOMEN AND WOMEN WHO CHARTED FABULOUS PATHS.
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WOMEN BEGAN CONTRIBUTING TO SMITHSONIAN SCIENCE WAS FOUNDED IN 1846 BY SENDING WEATHER OBSERVATIONS FOR A METEOROLOGICAL PROJECT CREATED BY SECRETARY HENRY. WIVES OF OBSERVERS PITCHED IN, SO DID TEACHERS AND OTHER PEOPLE. FAMILY CONNECTIONS WERE VERY IMPORTANT. IN 1886 MARY JANE RATHBUN BEGAN ASSISTING HER HUSBAND IN MARINE INVERTEBRATES. AS HE MOVED INTO ADMINISTRATION SHE BECAME CURATOR. SHE SOON GAVE UP HER SALARY SO A YOUNG MAN COULD BE HIRED.
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SOME PARTICIPATED IN SCIENCE AS ILLUSTRATORS, SINCE ART WAS DEEMED APPROPRIATE FOR WOMEN. OTHERS BY SERVING AS LAB ASSISTANTS OR NUMERICAL CALCULATORS.
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THERE ARE TWO FIELDS THAT WERE RECEPTIVE TO WOMEN. ANTHROPOLOGY AND BOTANY. IN THE 1880S, THE BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY HIRED WOMEN TO CONDUCT RESEARCH WITH NATIVE AMERICAN WOMEN. HOWEVER, THEY WERE ALL CONTRACT EMPLOYEES WITH LITTLE STATUS.
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BOTANY WAS ALSO MUCH MORE OPEN TO WOMEN. INDEED BY THE 1890S, SCIENCE MAGAZINE ASKED IF BOTANY WAS STILL AN APPROPRIATE SUBJECT FOR YOUNG MEN.
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AGNES CHASE BEGAN ILLUSTRATING GRASSES ENCOURAGED BY MALE MENTORS. SHE WORKED AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. SHE BECAME A NOTED GRASS SPECIALIST. AFTER SHE PARTICIPATED IN SUFFERAGE HUNGER STRIKES THEY TRIED TO FIRE HER. BUT HER MENTOR HITCHCOCK WOULD NOT ALLOW IT. EVENTUALLY SHE BECAME AN HONORARY SI CURATOR. IT WAS HITCHCOCK
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WHO GETS SMITHSONIAN FUNDING FOR HER PANAMA FIELD WORK THAT LED TO FAIRCHILD'S LETTER.
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AN IRONY, FORMER DIRECTOR LARSON SAID THE AMERICAN NATIONAL OF FELLOWS, THE FIRST FOUR WERE WOMEN. A STEADY STREAM OF WOMEN BOTANISTS FOLLOWED CHASE. INCLUDING VICKY FUNK WHO IS AT CENTER.
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AS RATHBUN AND CHASE BROKE GLASS CEILINGS A NEW ONE WAS CREATED IN 1896 WHEN THE CIVIL SERVICE WAS APPLIED TO SI. OVER 60 PERCENT OF REQUIRED CIVIL SERVICE EXAMS WERE CLOSED TO WOMEN. HIRING OFFICIALS COULD ALSO INDICATE GENDER AND RACE DESIRED FOR THE HIRE AND MOST SAID WHITE MALE. WOMEN COULD NO LONGER EVEN APPLY.
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AFTER WOMEN'S SUFFERAGE THE EXAMS WERE OPEN TO EVERYONE. BUT JOBS STILL INDICATED GENDER AND RACE. AFRICAN-AMERICANS EVEN WHEN THEY DID MUSEUM AND SCIENTIFIC WORK WERE ALWAYS CLASSIFIED AS LABORERS. WHICH PAID MUCH LESS. WOMEN IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS WERE NOT SO FORTUNATE. EVELYN MITCHELL, A SUFFERAGE ILLUSTRATOR IN THE 1910S WAS DRIVEN OUT BY HER SUPERVISOR. SHE THEN PURSUED A GREAT CAREER AS A MEDICAL DOCTOR. PERILEE BOONE WAS DRIVEN
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OUT. BARCH WAS KNOWN AS THE BOTTOM SAMPLER FOR HIS STUDIES OF MARINE ORGANISMS BUT ALSO FOR HIS HABIT OF GRABBING WOMEN'S BOTTOMS. WOMEN
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BEGAN TO RECEIVE DEGREES FROM THE WOMEN'S COLLEGES. AND EVEN PH.D.S. IN 1930 DR. FLORENCE MYER CHASE JOINED THE STAFF OF THE BIOLOGY LABORATORY TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF SUNLIGHT ON PLANTS. SHE MAY BE THE FIRST WOMAN WITH WITH AN EARNED PH.D. AT THE SMITHSONIAN. DORIS COCHRAN RECEIVED A PH.D. IN 1933. SHE DID NOT ADVANCE TO ASSOCIATE CURATOR UNTIL 1942, AFTER FILING GRIEVANCES SHE WAS MADE CURATOR IN 1956. BUT THE GREAT DEPRESSION DELIVERED MORE BLOWS TO WOMEN. THE
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ECONOMY ACT OF 1932 SINGLED OUT MARRIED WOMEN TO BE LAID OFF FROM FEDERAL JOBS IF THEIR SPOUSES WERE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES. THESE ANTI-NEPOTISM PRACTICES FOR DECADES. IN WORLD WAR II, JOBS AND PROMOTIONS OPENED UP TO WOMEN. CONVINCED ONE CURATOR TO HIRE HER AS A RESEARCHER. SHE LOVED HER JOB SO MUCH SHE SAID SHE HATED TO RETIRE AFTER 40 YEARS. IN 1950s DID NOT SEE GREAT ADVANCEMENT FOR WOMEN. BUT SOME MOVED FORWARD QUIETLY. ROXIE LAYBOURNE ARRIVED IN 1944 TO
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PREPARE BIRD SPECIMENS. BY THE 1950 SHE DEVELOPED A NEW FIELD OF SCIENCE, FORENSIC ORNITHOLOGY, STUDYING THE REMAINS OF BIRDS INGESTED INTO AIRPLANE ENGINES CAUSING CRASHES. SHE WAS ENCOURAGED BY SECRETARY WESTMORE AND JOHN ALDRIDGE AND HER CAREER SOARED.
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OTHER WOMEN STRUGGLED. IN 1942 LUCILLE ST. HOYME BECAME MUSEUM ANTHROPOLOGY BUT HAD TO FILE GRIEVANCES AFTER RECEIVING HER DEGREE TO ADVANCE TO ASSISTANT CURATOR.
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THE 1960S SAW AN ERA OF CHANGE AND OPTIMISM. UNDERSECRETARY RIPLEY WE GREW EXPONENTIALLY AND OPENED UP MANY OPPORTUNITIES. MARIAN PETTIBONE JOINED INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY AND PAVED THE WAY FOR MARION RICE IN 1966 WHO THEN BECAME OUR FIRST WOMAN SCIENCE DIRECTOR AT THE SMITHSONIAN MARINE STATION AT FORT PIERCE. WOMEN ASTRONOMERS DID MORE THAN CALCULATIONS.
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ANDREA DUPRIX AND MARGARET GELLER. 1970S A WOMAN SCIENTIST FINALLY JOINED THE STRI STAFF ALTHOUGH SHE WAS WIFE OF THE DIRECTOR. BUT OLGA SOON PROVED HER SCIENTIFIC TALENTS. THE SMITHSONIAN WOMEN'S COUNCIL CREATED IN 1972 ADDRESSED WOMEN'S ISSUES. THEIR NEWSLETTER, THE FOUR STAR HIGHLIGHTED WOMEN ACROSS THE INSTITUTION.
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WOMEN HAD RAISED THE ISSUE OF DAY CARE FOR YEARS AND IT FINALLY OPENED IN 1986. IN 1979 THE COUNCIL INVITED GLORIA STEINEM TO LECTURE ON HER YEAR AT THE WOODROW WILSON CENTER, THEN IN THE CASTLE. SHE NOTED A SMITHSONIAN EMPLOYEES HOLDING GRADES 8 OR BELOW 51 PERCENT WOMEN. GRADE
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15 AND ABOVE FIVE PERCENT WOMEN.
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TODAY WOMEN SCIENTISTS CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS,
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ALTHOUGH OFTEN TWO STEPS FORWARD ONE STEP BACK. TODAY WE HAVE A FABULOUS ARRAY OF WOMEN SCIENTISTS LEADING RESEARCH ACROSS THE GLOBE. THERE ARE STILL ISSUES OF HARASSMENT, INEQUITIES AND OPPORTUNITY. CHALLENGES OF FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES. AND IMPLICIT BIAS AFFECTING OUR WORK. I HOPE THIS CONFERENCE PROVOKES STRATEGY THINKING THAT LEADS TO CONCRETE ACTIONS TO ASSURE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL. THANK YOU. >>
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TODAY I'LL BE TALKING ABOUT WOMEN IN STEM EDUCATION. AS YOU SEE IT FROM EVIDENCE IN THE SMITHSONIAN MATHEMATICS COLLECTIONS. THE SMITHSONIAN MATHEMATICS COLLECTIONS ARE A GROUP OF OBJECTS WHICH I SPEND A GREAT DEAL OF TIME STUDYING.
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MANY OF THE THINGS IN THE COLLECTIONS IN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY THAT GET ATTENTION ARE ASSOCIATED WITH WELL-KNOWN AMERICAN SCIENTISTS AND MATHEMATICIANS. SO FOR EXAMPLE WE HAVE THE TELESCOPE USED BY MARIA MITCHELL AS SHE WAS TEACHING AT VASSAR COLLEGE.
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WE HAVE THE MICROSCOPE OF BARBARA MCCLINTOCK WHO WORKED STUDYING CORN GENETICS. AND ACTUALLY ENDED UP WINNING A NOBEL PRIZE. BUT WHAT I -- AND I ALSO WANT TO MENTION A DRAWING OF COMPUTER BUGS BY GRACE MARY HOPPER. SHE WAS A MATHEMATICIAN BY TRAINING. SHE STUDIED AT VASSAR AND YALE UNIVERSITY AND WENT BACK AND TAUGHT AT VASSAR. BUT WHEN WORLD WAR II BROKE OUT SHE DECIDED SHE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. SHE WENT TO HARVARD AND WORKED ON A COMPUTER.
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THE FIRST COMPUTER, CALLED THE MARK 1. WHILE SHE WAS AT HARVARD SHE LEARNED THE TERM COMPUTER BUG AND SHE DREW THIS PICTURE OF VARIOUS KINDS OF BUGS THAT SHE ENCOUNTERED AS A PERSON PROGRAMMING THE MARK 1. SHE WOULD REMAIN IN THE COMPUTER INDUSTRY FOR THE REST OF HER VERY LONG CAREER, AND WE HAVE WONDERFUL THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH HER WORK. BUT THOSE ARE NOT THE KIND OF PEOPLE I WISH TO EMPHASIZE TODAY.
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INSTEAD I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE WOMEN WHO TAUGHT MATHEMATICS AT MANY DIFFERENT LEVELS.
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MOST AMERICANS HAVE STUDIED MATHEMATICS AT SOME LEVEL UNDER A WOMAN.
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THIS BLACKBOARD FROM A SCHOOL IN NEW HAMPSHIRE SUGGESTS THE ROLE OF WOMEN AS CLASSROOM MATHEMATICS TEACHERS, A ROLE THEY ASSUMED INCREASINGLY IN THE COURSE OF THE 1820s AND 1830s, PARTICULARLY IN THE NORTHERN STATES. WE DO NOT KNOW THE NAMES OF THE WOMEN OR MEN WHO USED THIS BLACKBOARD. IT CAME FROM A SCHOOL HOUSE. WE KNOW THE NAME OF THE SCHOOL BUT NOT THE NAMES OF EVERYBODY WHO TAUGHT THERE. THE DRAWING SHOWN IS A DRAWING THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN USED BY A TEACHER
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IN ROUGHLY 1830. WE DO SOMETIMES KNOW THE NAMES OF THE PEOPLE WHO OWNED VARIOUS TEXTBOOKS. THIS IS A WORN OUT COPY OF A BOOK BY A GUY NAMED JOSEPH RAY CALLED TEST EXAMPLES IN ARITHMETIC. THIS EDITION IS FROM 1862, ACTUALLY FIRST PUBLISHED CONSIDERABLY EARLIER. THIS COPY OF IT IS SIGNED BY A STUDENT. WE HAVE SEVERAL TEXTBOOKS THAT WERE SIGNED BY THE GIRLS WHO OWNED THEM. THIS IS ONE VERY SMALL WAY OF SHOWING HOW WOMEN INTERACTED WITH MATHEMATICS AS THEY WERE GIRLS.
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ANOTHER KIND OF OBJECT THAT WE HAVE IN THE COLLECTION IS CALLED A NUMERAL FRAME, OR KIND OF ABACUS. IT IS A SET OF BEADS. THEY ARE ALMOST ALWAYS TEN BEADS GOING CROSS-WISE. THEY MOVE CROSS-WISE AND INDICATE VARIOUS NUMBERS. IT WAS A DEVICE THAT WAS WIDELY USED IN TEACHING ARITHMETIC STARTING IN THE 1820s AND INTO THE END OF THE CENTURY. WE ALSO HAVE SOME THINGS THAT WERE ASSOCIATED WITH SPECIFIC WOMEN. AS WOMEN CAME TO INCREASINGLY TEACH IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS,
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SEMINARIES WERE ESTABLISHED, WHERE WOMAN COULD LEARN TO TEACH ARITHMETIC AND OTHER MATHEMATICAL SUBJECTS. EMOLINE KETCHUM WENT TO SUCH A SCHOOL IN MISSOURI AND THEN SHE WENT TO BROWN UNIVERSITY. SHE WAS NOT ACTUALLY TO BE AN ENROLLED STUDENT BUT SHE WAS A SPECIAL STUDENT. WHILE SHE WAS A SPECIAL STUDENT SHE DEVELOPED THESE FRACTION BALLS. A FRACTION BALL IS SORT OF LIKE AN APPLE THAT YOU CAN SLICE UP TO INDICATE WHETHER YOU'VE GOT A HALF, WHICH IS ON THE
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CASE IN THE LEFT OR A THIRD OR SOME OTHER FRACTION. KETCHUM PATENTED HER FRACTION BALLS IN 1895. THEY NEVER SOLD VERY WELL, BUT SHE WAS VERY PROUD OF THE INVENTION.
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OTHER GIRLS STUDIED WITH TEACHERS WHO ENCOURAGED THEM TO MAKE GEOMETRIC MODEL. THERE WAS A TEACHER NAMED HARRY WHEELER WHO TAUGHT IN MASSACHUSETTS. THESE WERE SOME OF THE MODELS MADE BY GIRLS IN HIS CHARGE. WHEELER ALSO GOT A SPECIAL APPOINTMENT AT WELLESLEY COLLEGE AND SHE -- IT WAS LOIS PARKER WHO MADE THIS ONE STUDYING UNDER WHEELER.
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SHE WENT ON TO BECOME A MATH TEACHER. WE HAVE LOTS OF OBSCURE LITTLE OBJECTS THAT REFLECT THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN LEARNING MATHEMATICS AND TEACHING. WE ALSO HAVE THINGS THAT WOMEN DEVISED TO ENCOURAGE VERY YOUNG CHILDREN TO LEARN ABOUT NUMBERS. IT WAS A WOMAN NAMED KATHERINE STERN WHO WAS BORN IN GERMANY. SHE GREW UP IN GERMANY AND THEN IN 1938,
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EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS EMPLOYED AS A MONTESSORI SCHOOL TEACHER, SHE WAS REALLY WORRIED BECAUSE SHE WAS JEWISH AND SHE WAS AFRAID AS TO WHAT HITLER MIGHT DO TO HER AND HER FAMILY. SO THEY ALL UP AND LEFT GERMANY AND SHE CAME TO THE UNITED STATES, WHERE SHE MADE THIS STRUCTURAL ARITHMETIC KIT WHICH COMBINED ELEMENTS OF THE MONTESSORI TEACHING APPARATUS WITH THINGS THAT KATHERINE STERN HERSELF HAD DEVISED. KATHERINE STERN'S APPARATUS DID NOT BECOME WIDELY POPULAR,
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ALTHOUGH MONTESSORI SCHOOLS CERTAINLY DID. AND WOMEN CERTAINLY HAVE HAD A LONG-STANDING ASSOCIATION WITH ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS INSTRUCTION AS IT EXPANDED DOWNWARD.
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FINALLY I WANT -- WITHOUT GOING INTO HUGE DETAIL, TO SUGGEST THAT WOMEN PURCHASED AND ARRANGED THE PURCHASE OF OBJECTS FOR USE IN TEACHING THEIR STUDENTS. ON THE LEFT IS A CASH REGISTER FROM 1904 THAT WAS PURCHASED BY NANNI BURROUGHS, NANNI WAS AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN WHO WOULD GO ONTO TEACH AT A BUSINESS COLLEGE
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OR A BUSINESS SCHOOL IN WASHINGTON, D.C., WHERE FOR YEARS HER STUDENTS WOULD LEARN HOW TO DO BASIC SALESMANSHIP ON A CASH REGISTER LIKE THAT ONE. YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SEE IT, BUT THIS VERY ELEGANT CASH REGISTER HAS THE NAME BURROUGHS ACROSS THE FRONT OF IT. TWO OTHER OBJECTS THAT REPRESENT THE SAME WOMEN USING OBJECTS TO TEACH STUDENTS ARE THE SLIDE RULE ON THE TOP. IT IS A SIX-FOOT LONG TEACHING SLIDE RULE THAT WAS USED AT A GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL IN
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PITTSBURGH IN THE 1960S AND 70S. AND BELOW THAT AN ELECTRONIC CALCULATOR, A GRAPHING ELECTRONIC CALCULATOR THAT WAS USED BY A WOMAN TEACHING STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA IN THE 1980S. SO I HOPE I HAVE GIVEN YOU SOME SENSE THAT AT THE SMITHSONIAN WE NOT ONLY HAVE ACTIVE WOMEN DOING SCIENCE BUT WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO PRESERVE THE HISTORY OF WOMEN TEACHING AND LEARNING MATHEMATICS. THANK YOU. >>
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WONDERFUL. THANKS TO OUR PRESENTERS. YOUR TALKS REMIND US OF THE INTENTIONAL WORK IT TAKES TO ENSURE OUR ARCHIVES COLLECTIONS AND HISTORICAL SCHOLARSHIP INCLUDE WOMEN. WE HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE NOW. I WANT TO START WITH A QUESTION FOR YOU SALLY.
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TODAY WOMEN ARE STILL UNDERREPRESENTED IN STEM AND IN THE LIBRARIES ARCHIVES AND MUSEUMS WORLD WE STILL TALK ABOUT THE INVISIBLIBILITY OF WOMEN IN OUR COLLECTIONS. CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR RESEARCH
1:06:38
OF WOMEN AND SCIENCE IN THE 1970S AND HOW HAS THE FIELD MATURED AND HOW MIGHT IT DEVELOP? >> THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION. BECAUSE IN POINT OF FACT WHEN WE STARTED, NO ONE HAD REALLY TRIED TO IDENTIFY THE WOMEN IN THESE COLLECTIONS. IT WAS INVISIBLE WOMEN WHO REALLY QUITE INVISIBLE. SO IT BECAME A STRATEGIC THING TO SEE WHEN A HUSBAND CREDITED HIS WIFE. WHILE WHEN THE DICTIONARY SAID AND HIS WIFE WAS ALSO IN THE SAME FIELD AND YOU SAID OH, THEN I WONDER
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WHAT SHE WAS DOING. SO WE BEGAN TO FIND THESE CLUES FOR WOMEN THAT WE COULD INVESTIGATE. I THINK PART OF IT WAS THAT INVESTIGATORY THING. VERY QUICKLY A NUMBER OF WOMEN STARTED IN WISCONSIN CREATED WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT WOMEN IN SCIENCE AND ALL OF US STARTED LOOKING AT THE COLLECTIONS IN OUR BACKYARDS. WE HAD MATERIAL ON SO AND SO AND SO AND SO. IT HELPED GENERATE STUDENT AND ACADEMIC WORK. IT WAS KIND OF A STRATEGIC PLAN TO FIND OUT WHERE THESE WOMEN WERE.
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I THINK TODAY WE HAVE MANY MORE FINDING AIDS TO HELP US GET TO THAT KIND OF MATERIAL. >> THANK YOU. PEGGY, SALLY AND PAM HAVE BOTH STUDIED WOMEN'S ROLES IN NATURAL HISTORY EDUCATION, ESPECIALLY THE NATURE STUDY MOVEMENT. WOMEN'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO MATHEMATICS ARE FAR LESS KNOWN THOUGH. WE HAVE BEEN RECENTLY HEARING ABOUT HIDDEN FIGURES AND NOW WOMEN MATH TEACHERS. WHY HAVE WOMEN'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO MATH BEEN SO HIDDEN? >>
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I THINK IT IS PARTLY BECAUSE THE FIELDS FOR MATHEMATICS IS WIDELY APPLIED SUCH AS ENGINEERING ARE NOT AS CLOSELY TIED AS THE PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF BIOLOGY AND THINGS LIKE NURSING AND SO YOU HAVE LARGE NUMBERS OF STUDENTS AVAILABLE. MY GRANDMOTHER AND HER HUSBAND WERE BOTH CHEMISTS AND SHE WROTE A BOOK SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR NURSING STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA. THERE WERE NO SUCH STUDENTS AT AN ADVANCED -- IN ENGINEERING IN NEARLY AS LARGE A NUMBER.
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>> THANK YOU. AND PAM, WE GOT A REALLY INTERESTING QUESTION IN THE CHAT FOR YOU AS WELL. THIS QUESTIONER WANTS TO KNOW, DID THE WOMEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT EVER REPORT THE ISSUES OF HARASSMENT THAT YOU MENTIONED? AND IF SO, WHAT ACTION WAS EVER TAKEN AGAINST THEIR HARASSERS? >>
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IN THE CASE OF SOMEONE LIKE EVELYN MITCHELL THAT EARLY ON, NO, BECAUSE WHO WOULD SHE REPORT IT TO AND WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE? NOT MUCH. IN LATER YEARS, YES, WOMEN DID. AND THERE WAS ACTUALLY A DEMONSTRATION IN THE 70S OUTSIDE THE AMERICAN HISTORY MUSEUM. THEY WEREN'T GETTING MUCH OF A RESPONSE THERE. AND SO SOME WOMEN WENT OUT THERE WITH SIGNS AND SAID WE ARE BEING DENIED PROMOTIONS DENIED ADVANCEMENT BUT ALSO BEING SEXUALLY HARASSED BY AN ADMINISTRATOR IN
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THIS MUSEUM. AND SOME ACTION WAS APPARENTLY TAKEN THEREAFTER. THE PERSONNEL FILES ARE A LITTLE HARD TO GET AT. BUT WOMEN HAVE IN FACT BECOME MUCH MORE VOCAL AND MUCH MORE VISIBLE. AND THEN AT SOME POINT WE ALL STARTED GETTING TRAINING IN SEXUAL HARASSMENT. AND IT'S QUITE A -- WE ESTABLISHED AN OMSBUDSMAN. THAT'S WHAT IT TOOK TO GET THE FIRST ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSE AT THE SMITHSONIAN. >> THANK YOU. SAMLY, DO YOU WANT TO ADD?
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>> I WAS GOING TO TAG ON. THE SMITHSONIAN IS REALLY AN EXCELLENT MIRROR ON THE EXPERIENCED OF WOMEN AND SCIENCE OVER THE PAST CENTURY.
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CERTAINLY THERE ARE SOME WOMEN WHO STARTED TO GET ORGANIZED IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY. THEY DIDN'T ALWAYS DO IT WITHIN THEIR INSTITUTIONS BUT ELSEWHERE. I WONDER IF THERE IS EVIDENCE AT THE SMITHSONIAN EVEN THOUGH IT TOOK UNTIL THE 1970S FOR A STRONG COORDINATED ACTION, IF THERE'S SOME EVIDENCE FOR THE WOMEN AT SI DOING ACTIVIST KINDS OF THINGS EITHER INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE INSTITUTION EARLIER? >> WELL, CERTAINLY WE HAD SEVERAL SUFFERAGES
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SO THAT TOOK PLACE. FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT BEHAVIOR WE DON'T SEE ANYTHING REALLY THAT COORDINATED EXCEPT THROUGH THIS WOMEN'S COUNCIL WHICH REALLY BEGAN TO ADDRESS ISSUES LIKE THAT AND SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO FILED COMPLAINTS AGAINST THEM. BUT THAT DID NOT GO REALLY BEYOND THE SMITHSONIAN AS FAR AS I KNOW. IN SOME VERY SPECIFIC FIELDS,
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SPECIFICALLY ARCTIC STUDIES THERE HAVE BEEN HUGE ISSUES OF HARASSMENT OF WOMEN IN THE FIELD. REALLY BRUTAL.
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YOU HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ONE OF THOSE FROM ONE OF THE PAPERS ON THE ARCTIC WE HAVE COMING UP. BUT THERE WAS A SMITHSONIAN STAFF MEMBER WHO WAS SUBJECTED TO IT. HE DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE DONE MUCH, BUT EVENTUALLY WOMEN WHO WERE TREATED THAT WAY AS A GROUP GOT THAT GUY KICKED OUT OF HIS UNIVERSITY. AND NO FURTHER GRANTS TO GO THERE. SO THERE HAVE BEEN COLLECTIVE ACTIONS ACROSS UNITS, ACROSS COLLEGES, RESEARCH INSTITUTES THAT HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVE.
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>> THANK YOU. SO THIS IS GOING TO BE OUR LAST QUESTION, UNFORTUNATELY. BUT A TOPIC THAT HAS COME UP IN THE CHAT AND IT COMES UP FREQUENTLY IS HOW DO WE DEFINE THE BOUNDARIES OF WHO IS A WOMAN IN SCIENCE OR THAT CATEGORY? AND HOW HAS THAT CHANGED OVER TIME? I KNOW THIS IS A BIG QUESTION, BUT PEGGY, I WONDER IF YOU'D MIND STARTING. COMPUTATION COMES TO MY MIND AND COMPUTERS, RIGHT. SO I WONDER IF YOU HAVE A PERSPECTIVE ON THIS? >> IT CERTAINLY WAS -- THERE WERE
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CERTAINLY AREAS OF MATHEMATICS SUCH AS COMPUTATION THAT IN SOME COUNTRIES, PARTICULARLY THE UNITED STATES WERE DOMINATED BY WOMEN UNTIL THE INTRODUCTION OF ELECTRONIC COMPUTERS REALLY.
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THE BORDERS AS TO WHAT ONE STUDIES, THE BORDERS AS TO WHAT ONE IS ALLOWED TO DO
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ARE VERY DIFFERENT AT VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS. SO SOME PLACES PEOPLE STARTED THIS COMPUTERS AND THEN WENT FURTHER ALONG IN THEIR CAREERS. SOME PLACES
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THEY WERE VERY DEFINITELY RELEGATED TO A CORNER. >> THANK YOU. DOES ANYONE ELSE A CLOSING THOUGHT ON THAT? >> WELL IT RECEIPTS TO ME WHAT WE HAVE REALLY DONE, WOMEN ARE IN SCIENCE AND THEY ARE EVERYWHERE IN SCIENCE. WHAT WE LEARNED TO DO IS LOOK FOR THE WOMEN WHO ARE JUST AS EXCEPTIONAL AS THE MEN WHO GOT A LOT OF PRIZES AND PRESTIGE AND THE WOMEN WHO ARE CRITICAL TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN VARIOUS PLACES. I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHERE WE ARE GOING FROM HERE IN THE HISTORY
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OF WOMEN IN SCIENCE >> THANK YOU, SALLY. THAT'S WONDERFUL PLACE TO END. THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN I'VE REALLY ENJOYED HEARING YOUR REMARKS. >>
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THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR. HARMON, DR. HENSON AND DR. KOHLSTEDT. NEXT
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THE DR. SHIRLEY MALCOLM, ACTING UNDERSECRETARY FOR EDUCATION, AND DR. CAROL O'DONNELL, DIRECTOR OF THE SMITHSONIAN SCIENCE EDUCATION CENTER. THIS SESSION WILL ALSO BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A, SO PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS IN THE BOX BELOW THIS VIDEO. >> HELLO, I AM RUKI, ACTING UNDERSECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AT THE SMITHSONIAN. LET SMITHSONIAN DURING HER LONG LEGACY HAS FOCUSED ON THE INCREASE DIFFUSION OF KNOWLEDGE. WITH THAT MISSION WE ARE A NATIONAL CONVENOR OF CONVERSATION
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ON TOPICS OF HISTORIC AND RELEVANCE.
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EACH MEMBER OF THIS PANEL HAS A POWERFUL STORY TO TELL. WHAT MAKES EACH OF THEM INCREDIBLE THEIR COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION AND THEIR EFFORTS TO CLEAR PATHWAYS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF WOMEN IN SCIENCE. THIS SESSION IS TITLED THE DOUBLE BIND. THE PRICE OF BEING A MINORITY WOMAN IN SCIENCE. I HAVE THE DISTINCT HONOR OF WELCOMING OUR FEATURED SPEAKER DR. SHIRLEY MALCOLM. SHE IS A SENIOR ADVISOR AND DIRECTOR OF SEA CHANGE AT THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE
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ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. IN HER MORE THAN 40-YEAR TENURE AT THE ASSOCIATION SHE HAS WORKED TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND INCREASE ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND CAREERS IN STEM AS WELL AS TO ENHANCE PUBLIC SCIENCE LITERACY. DR. MALCOLM IS A TRUSTEE OF CAL TECH AND REGENT STATE UNIVERSITY. SHE'S A FORMER MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD, THE POLICY MAKING BODY OF THE U.S. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION AND HAS SERVED ON PRESIDENT CLINTON'S COMMITTEE ON ADVISORS OF SCIENCE AND
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TECHNOLOGY. DR. MALCOLM, A NATIVE OF BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA RECEIVED HER PH.D. IN ECOLOGY FROM PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY, MASTERS IN ZOOLOGY FROM UCLA AND BACHELORS WITH DISTINCTION IN ZOOLOGY FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON. IN ADDITION, SHE HOLDS 17 HONORARY DEGREES. DR. MALCOLM IS A FORMER HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHER AND UNIVERSITY FACULTY MEMBER. SHE SERVES ON THE BOARDS AT THE HEINZ ENDOWMENTS PUBLIC AGENDA, NATIONAL MATH SCIENCE INITIATIVE AND
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DIGITAL PROMISE GLOBAL. IN 2003 DR. MALCOLM RECEIVED THE PUBLIC WELFARE MEDAL OF THE U.S. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, THE HIGHEST AWARD GIVEN BY THE ACADEMY. WELCOME, DR. MALCOLM. >> THANK YOU, RUKI. IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE. IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THE DOUBLE BIND. IT'S INTERESTING HOW THIS ALL CAME ABOUT. I WAS A YOUNG PROFESSIONAL WHO HAD GONE TO WORK AT AAAS, AFTER HAVING LEFT A FACULTY POSITION.
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OF COURSE I WAS EAGER TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. I HAD ALWAYS THOUGHT I HAD GONE TO THE WRONG INSTITUTIONS, BECAUSE I HADN'T SEEN ANYBODY WHO LOOKED LIKE ME IN THE INSTITUTIONS WHERE I HAD ATTENDED.
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MY BOSS JANET BROWN, HAD GONE TO A PROJECT DIRECTORS MEETING. AT THAT MEETING SHE HAD THAT FOCUSED ON PROJECTS THAT WERE UNDERTAKEN TO BRING MORE MINORITIES INTO THE SCIENCES, SHE HAD BEEN THE ONLY WOMAN PRESENT. AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE REST OF THE ATTENDEES WERE MINORITY MEN WHO HAD BEEN RUNNING THOSE PROGRAMS
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WITH SUPPORT FROM THE FOUNDATION. SO THEN SHE WAS INVITED TO SPEAK TO A GROUP OF PROJECT DIRECTORS FOR THE WOMEN'S PROGRAMS NSF WAS FUNDING. WHEN SHE GOT INTO THE ROOM SHE REALIZED ALL THE WOMEN THERE WERE WHITE.
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SHE CAME BACK TO THE OFFICE AND SHE SAID TO ME,
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IS THERE AN ISSUE WITH REGARD TO WOMEN OF COLOR IN SCIENCE? AND I SAID YES. AND THAT WAS THE BIRTH OF THE DOUBLE BIND CONFERENCE IN 1975 THAT LED TO THE REPORT IN 1976. THAT WAS THE ONLY WAY THAT WE COULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO DESCRIBE THAT, THAT IN FACT SOMEHOW WOMEN OF COLOR WERE BEING LEFT OUT OF THE DISCUSSIONS, AND THAT WE WERE NOT INCLUDED IN TERMS OF THE NUMBERS AND WE WERE NOT INCLUDED IN TERMS OF THE ACTIVITIES AND THE EFFORTS THAT WERE BEING
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UNDERTAKEN. SO IF YOU FAST FORWARD, YOU REALIZE THAT THOSE NUMBERS HAD NOT REALLY CREPT UP THAT MUCH. THE NUMBERS ARE STILL LAGGING. YOU LOOK AT COMPUTER SCIENCE, YOU FIND THE SAME KINDS OF ISSUES. YOU LOOK AT ENGINEERING, YOU FIND THE SAME KINDS OF ISSUES WITH REGARD TO WOMEN OF COLOR. I THINK THAT WE HAVE SOME AREAS WHERE WE HAVE SEEN GROWTH, SUCH AS IN THE LIFE SCIENCES. BUT THERE ARE REAL PROBLEMS STILL. AND ALMOST ANY INDICATOR THAT YOU LOOK AT, WOMEN OF COLOR ARE
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STILL LAGGING BEHIND. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS WONDERING 30 SOME YEARS LATER, WHEN WE WERE REFLECTING ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE PUBLICATION OF THE DOUBLE BIND WAS WHERE ARE WE NOW? SO I DECIDED THAT I WOULD DO THAT. I WANTED TO DO THAT WITH MY DAUGHTER. AND SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE WOULD SIT TOGETHER AND WE WOULD TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES, AND WE WOULD SAY, OKAY, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION? AND WHAT SHE SAID TO ME WAS VERY REVEALING. SHE SAID, I
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LOOKED BACK AT THE DOUBLE BIND PUBLICATION, AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT YOU SAID -- YOU BEING THE WOMEN WHO WERE THERE, WHO WERE INVITED TO TELL THEIR STORIES -- ALL OF THE THINGS THAT THE PUBLICATION, THE REPORT SAYS THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE THAT YOU CONTROLLED AS WOMEN SCIENTISTS OF COLOR, YOU DID THEM. YOU ACCOMPLISHED THEM. YOU GAVE CAREER INFORMATION. YOU WERE ACTIVE IN TERMS OF TRYING TO MOBILIZE YOURSELVES. THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED YOU DIDN'T HAVE CONTROL OVER.
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WHAT YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT IS NOT JUST THE PERSONAL ISSUES, BUT THE INSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS. HOW ARE THE INSTITUTIONS FAILING YOU?
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AND I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT, AND I REALIZED SHE'S RIGHT. WE CAN'T JUST ASSUME THOSE OF US WHO ARE WOMEN OF COLOR IN SCIENCE, ENGINEERING OR MEDICINE, WE CAN'T TAKE ON ALL THE ISSUES BECAUSE WE DON'T CONTROL THEM ALL. SO WHAT ARE THE INSTITUTIONS NOT DOING IN TERMS OF SUPPORTING WOMEN OF COLOR? SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALMOST ANY REPORT, FOR EXAMPLE THE NATIONAL ACADEMY'S REPORT ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND IT TALKED ABOUT DIFFERENT IMPACTS ON DIFFERENT WOMEN. THE IMPACT WAS
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GREATEST, FOR EXAMPLE, ON WOMEN IN MEDICINE AS OPPOSED TO IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING. BUT OF ALL WOMEN IT WAS MOST DIFFICULT FOR WOMEN WHO WERE BASICALLY IN THIS INTERSECTIONAL SPACE, WOMEN OF COLOR, LGBTQ POPULATIONS, ALL OF US WHO LIVED IN THIS INTERSECTIONAL SPACE HAD SOME OF THE MAJOR IMPACTS ON US. SO THE QUESTION REALLY RETURNS TO THIS NOTION, WHERE DO WE GO NOW? SINCE WE KNOW THAT IT HAS TO BE AN INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSE, HOW DO WE REALLY RESPOND TO IT? AND THAT
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WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOKED AT WHEN WE WERE ACTUALLY THINKING ABOUT SEA CHANGE, STEM EQUITY ACHIEVEMENT CHANGE, TO AFFECT WHAT HAPPENS IN INSTITUTIONS. I'VE ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK NOT JUST ON THE U.S. SIDE BUT ALSO ON THE GLOBAL SIDE AND REALLY HAVE COME TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES WHO ARE EXPERIENCING THESE KINDS OF ISSUES OF BEING SOMEHOW
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EXPECTED TO OPERATE WITH BOTH RACISM AND SEXISM HAVING AN IMPACT ON US. AND THAT WOMEN IN OTHER PLACES BASICALLY ARE EXPERIENCING MANY OF THE SAME THINGS. I'VE SERVED AS A CO-CHAIR OF THE GENDER ADVISORY BOARD OF THE U.N. COMMISSION ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR DEVELOPMENT. AND I'M CO-CHAIR OF A GROUP CALLED GENDER INSIGHT, WHICH IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE WORLD ACADEMY OF SCIENCES FOR ADVANCING SCIENCE IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD. AND ALSO WITH THE INTERACADEMY PARTNERSHIP.
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THE MAJOR POINT IS THAT WE EXPERIENCE CHALLENGES AS BOTH WOMEN AND AS PEOPLE OF COLOR. AND THAT WE CANNOT MOVE THE NEEDLE BY OURSELVES. THAT WHILE THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH,
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WE MUST ALSO EXPECT THAT INSTITUTIONS WILL PLAY A MAJOR PART BY CHRONICLING THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE WITH REGARD TO RECRUITMENT OR HIRING OR AS STUDENTS OR IN THE WORKFORCE OR WHAT IF YOU, PEOPLE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE ISSUES THAT AFFECT THE DOUBLE BIND THERE SPECIFICALLY. OTHERWISE WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD. SO I WANT TO JUST SHARE WITH YOU WHAT I LEARNED OVER THE YEARS ABOUT WHAT THE CHALLENGES ARE AND HOPE THAT THE WOMEN WHO ARE COMING ALONG
1:25:35
WILL BE ABLE TO PICK UP THE GAUNTLET AS IT WERE, THAT WE HAVE STRUGGLED WITH OVER THE YEARS. NOT ONLY MYSELF, BUT ALSO MY DAUGHTER AND HOPEFULLY NOT MY GRANDDAUGHTER. SO THAT WE CAN BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO MAKING THIS A BETTER, MORE SUSTAINABLE WORLD. THAT IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO. WE WANT TO BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION. BUT WE HAVE TO DEPEND ON SPACE BEING MADE THAT WILL ALLOW US TO DO THAT. >> THAT WAS A VERY INSPIRING. I THINK WHAT I'M MOST EXCITED ABOUT
1:26:21
THE AMERICAN WOMEN'S HISTORY INITIATIVE IS WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO FILL THE GAPS IN OUR HISTORY. BUT IT MEANS THE NEXT GENERATION OF WOMEN WILL HAVE ROLE MODELS. FOR EVERY YOUNG WHOM WHO HAS BEEN TOLD NO BECAUSE THERE ARE NO WOMEN IN THAT FIELD, SHE NOW HAS PEOPLE TO POINT TO TO BE INSPIRED BY AND TO HAVE THE CONFIDENCE SOMETIMES TO BE THE FIRST OR TO BE THE ONLY. YOU'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW SYSTEMS NEEDS TO CHANGE, INSTITUTIONS NEED TO CHANGE. YOU'VE ALSO
1:26:53
TALKED ABOUT HOW YOUR BACKGROUND IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA AND GROWING UP IN THE 50s AND 60S MOTIVATES YOU TO THINK AND ACT DIFFERENTLY. THE YOUNG WOMEN OF TODAY ARE FINDING THEMSELVES IN A GENERATION DEFINING MOVEMENT, BETWEEN COVID. WHAT CAN YOU SAY TO YOUNG WOMEN SO IT DOES NOT REPEAT DURING GENERATIONS AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY GETTING INTO GOOD TROUBLE? >> I LOVE THIS IDEA GOOD TROUBLE. JOHN LEWIS WAS AT CAL TECH, AND I HEARD HIM AND I WAS INSPIRED ONCE AGAIN.
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I HOPE YOUNG WOMEN WILL UNDERSTAND THAT THE MOMENT WE'RE IN, ESSENTIALLY WE ARE IN A PANDEMIC, WE ARE ALSO IN A MOMENT OF RECKONING WITH SYSTEMIC RACISM,
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IT IS THE CONFLUENCE OF THOSE THAT I HOPE WILL INSPIRE THEM TO
1:28:00
CONTRIBUTE. IT WAS THE CONFLUENCE OF LIVING IN A SPACE THAT WAS THE EPICENTER AND THIS SCIENTIFIC MOMENT OF SPUTNIK THAT LED ME TO THINK I COULD CONTRIBUTE AND MOVED FORWARD. I DIDN'T REALIZE THE EXTENT TO WHICH I WOULD BE THE ONLY IN SO MANY PLACES. I THINK THAT THAT IS A REAL CHALLENGE. BECAUSE IT'S VERY HARD TO BE WHAT YOU CAN'T SEE. AND SO MOVING THIS FORWARD I WOULD HOPE THAT THE YOUNG WOMEN OF TODAY WOULD GET AROUND AND LOOK AROUND AND BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THE EXTENT
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TO WHICH WOMEN OF COLOR ARE LEADING WITH REGARD TO MOVING IN THIS SPACE OF THE COVID-19 SPACE ALONG WITH THE SYSTEMIC RACISM AWARENESS SPACE. THERE WAS A RECENT ARTICLE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE THAT FOCUSED ON BLACK WOMEN MICROBIOLOGIST. WE NEED TO NOTE THAT THE NIH RESPONSE AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE, THAT THIS VACCINE RESPONSE IS BEING LED BY A YOUNG AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN. AND THAT THE EFFORTS TO TRY TO ADDRESS
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VACCINE DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING, THAT THERE ARE MANY WOMEN OF COLOR THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THESE EFFORTS ACROSS THE NATION. SO BE INSPIRED. BE INSPIRED BY THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE THERE. AND LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE. BUT IN THE MEANTIME, BE AWARE THAT YOU NEED TO VOTE. THAT YOU NEED TO ENGAGE YOURSELVES IN THE PROCESSES THAT FOCUS ON BRINGING RESOURCES TO RESEARCH, BRINGING RESOURCES TO VACCINE DEVELOPMENT. BRINGING RESOURCES TO ADDRESSING
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WHATEVER THE NEXT PANDEMIC IS LIKELY TO BE. >>
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HELLO, EVERYONE MY NAME IS KATRINA. I AM PROGRAM COORDINATOR OF URBAN WATERWAYS. URBAN WATERWAYS IS AN ONGOING PROGRAM THAT EXPLORES RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN URBAN COMMUNITIES AND WATERWAYS. ONE OF THE INITIATIVES IS WOMEN'S ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP WHICH HAS BEEN DOCUMENTING THE VARIOUS WAYS WOMEN HAVE LED AND WILL CONTINUE TO LEAD IN ENVIRONMENTAL SPACES. OUR WORK IS GUIDED BY THREE AREAS OF FOCUS.
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THERE ARE MULTIPLE PATHS TO LEADERSHIP IN THESE SPACES. SO ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE SCIENCES. DR. MALCOLM I WANTED TO ASK YOU,
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WOMEN ENTERING THESE FIELDS HOPING TO FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF WOMEN THEY ADMIRE, HOW CAN WOMEN IN SCIENTIFIC FIELDS PARTNER WITH
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INSTITUTIONS TO ADVANCE WOMEN OF COLOR IN THE SCIENCES, ESPECIALLY THINKING OF K THROUGH 12, SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT COLLABORATIONS THAT LEAD TO SUCCESS AND THOSE TYPES OF COLLABORATIONS THAT ARE BOUND TO FAIL? >> KATRINA, I'M SO PROUD OF THE FACT THAT YOU ARE OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY. BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO. YOU HAVE TO GO TO WHERE PEOPLE ARE. YOU CAN'T EXPECT THEM TO COME TO YOU ALL THE TIME. AND YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT THEY FACE. WHAT MY ROLE AT AAAS,
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WE HAVE RUN PROGRAMS, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT HAVE BEEN BASED IN THE COMMUNITY. WE HAVE WORKED WITH CHURCHES. WE HAVE WORKED WITH COMMUNITY-BASED AN YOUTH SERVING GROUPS. WE HAVE WORKED TO BRING
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SCIENCE BASED PROGRAMS INTO THE COMMUNITY. IT HAS TO BE DONE IN PARTNERSHIP JUST AS YOU ARE DOING. BECAUSE WHAT REALLY INSPIRES PEOPLE IS WHEN YOU ARE ADDRESSING ISSUES THAT ARE RELEVANT TO THEM.
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THAT IS A KEY POINT, TO BE SITUATED IN THE COMMUNITY, WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY, BEING A REAL PERSON TO THE COMMUNITY. THAT THEY SEE THAT IN ADDITION TO BEING A SCIENTIST YOU'RE ALSO JUST A REGULAR PERSON. AND I THINK THAT THAT'S KEY TO TRYING TO BREAK DOWN SOME OF THE BARRIERS THAT OFTEN OCCUR BETWEEN THE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND THE SCIENCE COMMUNITY. AND WE AS WOMEN OF COLOR OFTEN HAVE A VERY STRONG SERVICE URGE, AND THAT THAT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY AS WELL TO
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BE ABLE TO MESSAGE AND TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT OURSELVES AS ROLE MODELS. AND TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF CAREER GUIDANCE AS WELL ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE LIE TO TAKE TO MOVE FORWARD. >> THANK YOU, DR. MALCOLM FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE WORDS OF WISDOM AND ALL OF YOUR GUIDANCE BOTH HISTORICAL AND CURRENTLY TO SUPPORT WOMEN OF COLOR AND SCIENCE. MY NAME IS CAROL O'DONNELL. I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SMITHSONIAN SIGNS EDUCATION CENTER AND I SERVE ON THE
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GLOBAL COUNCIL SCIENCE EDUCATION PROGRAM. AT THE HEART OF OUR WORK IS THE IDEA THAT ALL YOUTH, REGARDLESS OF THEIR GENDER,
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SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN ABOUT THE SOCIO-SCIENTIFIC ISSUES THAT CHALLENGE US ALL. THE SMITHSONIAN THROUGH THE SMITHSONIAN SCIENCE EDUCATION CENTER PLAYS AN ACTIVE ROLE IN SPARKING STUDENTS INTEREST IN STEM TO ENSURE A SCIENTIFICLY LITERATE AND SUSTAINABLE PLANET. WE EDUCATE GIRLS AND BOYS ON THE SCIENCE THAT UNDERLICENSE THE U.N. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS, THE SDGs. AMBITIOUS GOALS HOPES TO ACHIEVE BY
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2030. YOU WROTE GROWING UP BLACK AND FEMALE IN THE 1950s AND 60S SEGREGATED SOUTH THE CONCEPT OF SUSTAINABILITY WAS NOT ON YOUR RADAR.
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ASSESSING USING RESOURCES WITH LITTLE THOUGHT ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES. YOU SAID LOOKING BACK YOU NOW SEE, AT LEAST FOR THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY, SUSTAINABILITY WAS SOMETHING YOU LIVED AND UNDERSTOOD. YOU WASTED LITTLE, YOU RECYCLED EVERYTHING AND UNDERSTOOD THE TRADE-OFFS IN LIFE. LIVELIHOOD ON ONE AND HEALTH ON THE OTHER. SO GENDER EQUALITY IS ONE OF THE MAIN. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE SDG GOAL 5, GENDER EQUALITY AND SDG GOAL 3, GOOD HEALTH AND
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WELL-BEING BY 2030? AND IF SO WHAT ROLE SHOULD WOMEN OF COLOR IN STEM PLAY IN ENSURING A SUSTAINABLE PLANET? >> CAROL, I'M GLAD THAT YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION.
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I ACTUALLY HAD THE CHAIR OF THE U.N. COMMISSION ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR DEVELOPMENT ASK ME TO COME AND GIVE A PRESENTATION ON THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ASPECTS THAT RELATED TO GOAL 5.
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AND I WAS ABLE TO SAY TO HIM, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT MATERNAL HEALTH, IT'S OFTEN SITUATED LIKE THAT. BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT FOOD SECURITY. IT'S ABOUT WATER. IT'S ABOUT SANITATION. IT'S ABOUT ALL THE OTHER GOALS AS WELL. BECAUSE WOMEN'S ROLES WITHIN THE FAMILY AND THE COMMUNITY OFTEN EMBRACE ALL OF THESE OTHER ELEMENTS. THEY ARE THE ONES WHO GIVE CARE. THEY ARE THE ONES WHO TEND TO THE FAMILY. AND SO I
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HESITATE TO BE A PREDICTOR OF WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE GOING TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS. RIGHT NOW I'M CONCERNED ABOUT OUR ABILITY TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS. BUT I THINK THAT WITHOUT HAVING THE GOALS AND WITHOUT FOCUSSING THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ON THOSE GOALS, WE WILL NEVER EVEN MOVE TOWARDS ACHIEVING THOSE GOALS. AND THAT'S WHY I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO ASK YOUNG WOMEN TO PICK UP THIS MANTLE AGAIN TO ARM THEMSELVES WITH THE TOOLS FROM SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE
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AND PUBLIC HEALTH AND WHAT IF YOU, SO THAT WE CAN IN FACT BEGIN TO MOVE TOWARD ACHIEVING THE GOALS. IT'S GOING TO MEAN THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE ON THE INSTITUTIONS. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ASK THAT YOUNG GIRLS AS WELL AS YOUNG BOYS BE EDUCATED IN STEM. WE'RE NOT JUST AT THE PRIMARY LEVEL, WHICH IS OFTEN THE FOCUS AND WAS THE FOCUS OF THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS THAT WE JUST LOOK AT THE PRIMARY LEVEL. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY ARE GOING TO NEED
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TO HAVE EDUCATION UP TO AND THROUGH THE TERTIARY LEVEL. HIRE EDUCATION. SO THAT THEY CAN BECOME THE AGENTS OF CHANGE THAT WILL ALLOW US TO REACH NOT JUST GOAL 3 AND 5, BUT THE REST OF THEM AS WELL. >> IT GOES BACK TO YOUR COMMENT AT THE BEGINNING. THIS IS A SYSTEMIC ISSUE THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED AT A SYSTEMIC LEVEL. >> ABSOLUTELY. AND THAT MEANS THAT GOVERNMENTS, IT MEANS THAT INSTITUTIONS AND COMMUNITY. IT MEANS THAT EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS,
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FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND ALL ARE GOING TO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND HOW EQUITY FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS, IT'S GOING TO TRANSLATE INTO SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE WORLD. >> ON BEHALF OF THE SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN WOMEN'S INITIATIVE AND SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION AT LARGE, THANK YOU, DR. MALCOLM, FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO ENGAGE IN GOOD TROUBLE. FOR WRITING YOUR SEMINAL PAPER IN 1976, AND FOR YOUR WORK IN THE FIELD OF ADVANCING WOMEN OF COLOR AND ALL PEOPLE IN SCIENCE. THANK YOU.
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>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. >>
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HELLO, RUKI AND CAROL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US THIS AFRICAN FOR THE Q&A. I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS FROM OUR VIEWERS. THE FIRST ONE IS RUKI AND CAROL, CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT HOW YOU GOT INTO THE FIELD OF MUSEUM EDUCATION? HOW ARE YOU COMBATTING SYSTEMIC RACISM AND SEXISM IN THE SCIENCES IN YOUR OWN WORK? >> THAT'S A BIG QUESTION, JEN. IF I COULD ANSWER IN ONE WORD, IT WOULD BE PERSISTENCE. I AM AN IMMIGRANT. I LEFT INDIA NOT ONLY TO
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CHALLENGE THE PATH THAT WAS PREASSIGNED TO ME BUT ALSO BECAUSE IN MY 20s I DIDN'T HAVE THE CONFIDENCE AND FELT I WILL EQUIPPED TO TACKLE
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ISSUES OF SEXISM, AGEISM AND RACISM. SO MY PATH TO THE UNITED STATES WAS NOT AN EASY ONE, BUT DRIVE, GRIT, GOOD MENTORS AND THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS HAVE REALLY HELPED ME GET TO WHERE I AM. I ACTUALLY APPLIED FOR INTERNSHIPS AT MUSEUMS RIGHT AFTER GRADUATE SCHOOL, INCLUDING TO THE SMITHSONIAN, AND DIDN'T GET IT. BUT AFTER A CAREER IN DESIGN, A CAREER IN HIGHER EDUCATION I THINK I HAVE FINALLY JOINED ENOUGH DOTS TO BE IN THE FIELD OF MUSEUM EDUCATION. BUT ALL I HAVE
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TO SAY IS SOMETIME THE LONG AND WINDY PATHS HAVE THE BEST VIEWS. SO I DON'T HAVE ANY REGRETS FOR ALL THE EXPERIENCE I'VE COLLECTED ALONG THE WAY, BUT I SURE AM HAPPY TO BE HERE AT THIS POINT. CAROL, I'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR STORY. >> SO IT'S ALWAYS INTERESTING TO REFLECT ON YOUR STORY AS TO HOW YOU GOT TO WHERE YOU ARE. I AGREE WITH YOU, RUKI, THAT MOST OF US, IF WE REEXAMINE OUR PATH IT'S A VERY WINDY ONE. BUT THERE'S ALSO ALWAYS THE SAME THING THAT IS A HEART OF
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DRIVING YOU AND YOUR PASSION. WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE I LIVED IN A VERY POOR AREA WITHIN THE INNER CITY OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA IN THE U.S.
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WE DIDN'T HAVE SCHOOLS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
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AND AS A RESULT GOING OFF TO COLLEGE WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS EXPECTED. BUT WHEN I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GET INTO A LOCAL COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH, MY FIRST WORK-STUDY PROGRAM
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JOB WAS AT THE CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. I RELIED ON PLACES WHERE YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO NECESSARILY PAY TO GET IN. SO IT WAS THE CARNEGIE LIBRARY OR CARNEGIE CARNEGIE MUSEUM. I FELL IN LOVE WITH JUST THE PLACE WHERE YOU WALK IN AND YOU CAN LEARN, IN THESE KIND OF INFORMAL, UNFACILITATED WAYS. WHILE MY PATH TOOK ME INTO TEACHING, BECAUSE I LOVED LEARNING AND I ALSO SAW EDUCATION AS SOMETHING THAT WAS A PATHWAY TO FINANCIAL SECURITY AND JOB SECURITY,
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I REALIZED THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT DROVE ME BACK TO MUSEUMS. SO IN 1991 I CAME BACK TO MUSEUMS IN MY FIRST JOB AT THE SMITHSONIAN.
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MY WORK AS YOU KNOW,
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IS SPECIFICALLY AROUND K THROUGH 12 EDUCATION. AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT WHAT HAPPENS IN CLASSROOMS
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REALLY DOES MAKE WHAT DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF ADDRESSING RACISM AND SEXISM. IF YOU HAVE TEACHERS IN YOUR CLASSROOM WHO DON'T LOOK LIKE YOU IT'S VERY HARD TO SEE YOURSELF IN OTHERS. SO WE TRY TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM AS DR. MALCOLM SAID, SYSTEMATICALLY. SO HOW DO YOU BRING MORE TEACHERS OF COLOR INTO THE SCIENCE CLASSROOM. >> WONDERFUL. HOW ARE MUSEUMS TAKING THEIR ROLE IN COMBATTING SYSTEMIC RACISM AND SEXISM SERIOUSLY TODAY? HOW HAVE THEY DONE SO IN
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THE PAST AND WHAT ROLE DO EDUCATORS HAVE TO PLAY IN HELPING MUSEUMS ADDRESS THESE ISSUES? >> ALSO A GREAT QUESTION, JEN. I WOULD SAY
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THE FIRST STEP IS OF COURSE AWARENESS, EVEN UNDERSTANDING SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS SHALL SYSTEMIC AND TO REALLY LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM. I THINK AS MUSEUMS AND CENTERS WE OFTEN COME INTO COMMUNITIES AS AN EXPERT. BUT NOT ONLY DO WE SUPPORT LEARNING, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE HUMBLE ABOUT DOING SOME LEARNING OURSELVES.
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MUSEUMS ARE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE COME TO LEARN. SO
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FOR US TO DO THAT I THINK WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT EDUCATION, DEMONSTRATE THAT WE'RE CAPABLE OF LEARNING AND IN THIS ENVIRONMENT THE EDUCATOR PLAYS SUCH A VITAL ROLE AS CONNECTOR, CONVENOR AND FACILITATOR. BUT THE FACT THAT MORE MUSEUMS ARE LEANING HEAVILY INTO THEIR PUBLIC SERVICE ROLE THROUGH EDUCATION I THINK IS ENCOURAGING AND I THINK A POSITIVE STEP TOWARDS COMBATTING SYSTEMIC RACISM AND SEXISM >> I WANT TO ADD TO THAT. ONE OF THE IMPORTANT ROLES THAT MUSEUMS
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PLAY THEY SERVE THEIR COMMUNITIES. IF YOU GO BACK TO DR. MALCOLM'S RESPONSE TO HER QUESTION TO KATRINA, WHO WORKS AT THE COMMUNITY MUSEUM, COMMUNITY WORK MATTERS. MUSEUMS HAVE TO REACH OUT TO THEIR COMMUNITIES. NOW THAT'S ONE THING WHEN YOU ARE IN A MUSEUM THAT SERVES A LOCAL COMMUNITY. BUT WHEN YOU'RE IN A MUSEUM LIKE THE SMITHSONIAN THAT HAVE A MASSIVE COMMUNITY ACROSS THE NATION, WE HAVE TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE WORK THAT WE DO ALSO REACHES INTO
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COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE U.S. AND WE DO THAT. AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT AS EDUCATORS WE ARE NOT ONLY EDUCATING PEOPLE WHO WALK THROUGH THE DOOR BUT WE ARE ALSO EDUCATING PEOPLE BY BRINGING THE SMITHSONIAN'S CONTENT, RESEARCH, COLLECTIONS DIRECTLY TO THEM AND WORKING WITH THEM THROUGH THE WAYS THAT THEY LEARN, EITHER THROUGH THEIR SCHOOLS OR THROUGH THEIR LOCAL MUSEUMS, AFFILIATE MUSEUMS OR OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS
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WITH GROUPS ALL ACROSS THE NATION WHO SERVE PEOPLE DIRECTLY IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. I THINK THAT HELPS TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE OF EQUITY. IF WE WANT YOUNG GIRLS TO SEE THEMSELVES AS FUTURE SCIENTISTS, WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB OF MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE. I THINK THE SMITHSONIAN WITH COLLABORATION, COLLABORATORS LIKE DR. MALCOLM ARE ABLE TO DO THAT. >> WONDERFUL. ONE LAST QUESTION FOR BOTH OF YOU. WHAT DOES THE SMITHSONIAN SEE AS ITS ROLE
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IN PARTICIPATING IN THIS WORK, AND DOES THE SMITHSONIAN COLLABORATE WITH AAAS ON THIS WORK AT ALL? >>
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I THINK THE SMITHSONIAN HAS A REALLY VITAL ROLE TO PLAY. WE ARE SEEN AS A TRUSTED SOURCE. IT'S WHERE PEOPLE COME TO US TO LEARN MORE, TO HELP BUILD THEIR AWARENESS. WE ALSO HAVE THE CAPACITY TO CONVENE AND TO CREATE A PLATFORM FOR PEOPLE TO ENGAGE IN ACTIVE CONVERSATION, TO ASK IMPORTANT QUESTIONS AND TO LEAN ON ALL OF THE RESEARCH AND EXPERTISE THAT WE HAVE TO REALLY LEARN MORE AND ADVANCE THESE IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS. BUT I THINK CAROL COULD SPEAK MORE
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ABOUT HOW MUCH WE COLLABORATE WITH VARIOUS AGENCIES TO REALLY HELP MAKE SOME OF THIS POSSIBLE. >> YEAH, ONE OF THE REASONS RUKI AND I AND KATRINA WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HOST DR. MALCOLM ON THIS PANEL IS BECAUSE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH
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AAAS WHICH GOES BACK A LONG TIME. OUR PREVIOUS ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF EDUCATION AND ACCESS CLAUDINE BROWN, SHE WAS AS DEAR FRIENDS WITH DR. MALCOLM. THEY HAVE HAD A LONG RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH OTHER AND THE TWO INSTITUTIONS HAVE AS WELL. AND SO AS RUKI SAID, ONE OF THE REASONS WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE IN OUR ABILITY TO CONVENE AND TO CATALYZE CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS AROUND ISSUES LIKE RACE AND SEXISM IN SCIENCE IS BECAUSE WE HAVE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS. I
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FEEL VERY FORTUNATE A QUICK EMAIL TO DR. MALCOLM -- TO SHIRLEY, MEANT A QUICK REPLY OF AN ABSOLUTE YES. SHE WAS VERY HAPPY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE AMERICAN WOMEN'S HISTORY INITIATIVE AND THIS SYMPOSIUM BECAUSE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP. THEY ALSO, AAAS HAS PROJECT 2061 WHICH GOES BACK FOR YEARS IN WHICH THEY HAVE ALSO WORKED TO ADVANCE SCIENCE EDUCATION BY WORKING DIRECTLY WITH SCHOOLS AS THE SMITHSONIAN SCIENCE EDUCATION CENTER AND OTHER
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ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE SMITHSONIAN DO. SO WE HAVE A VERY SIMILAR MISSION OF SHARING KNOWLEDGE WITH THE WORLD, EITHER THROUGH PUBLICATIONS OR SHARING KNOWLEDGE WITH THE WORLD THROUGH SCHOOLS. AND SCIENCE EDUCATION AND TRYING TO CREATE A MORE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO SCIENCE EDUCATION IS PART OF BOTH ORGANIZATIONS EFFORTS. >> FANTASTIC. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO BOTH OF YOU FOR JOINING US THIS AFTERNOON. IT'S BEEN TRULY LOVELY TO HAVE YOU HERE WITH US.
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AND THAT'S IT FOR THE DAY, EVERYONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPENDING A FEW HOURS WITH US THIS AFTERNOON. WE HOPE YOU FOUND THE SESSIONS
1:49:18
INTERESTING. JOIN US TOMORROW SAME TIME SAME PLACE FOR SESSIONS FOCUSED ON WOMEN LEADERS IN BIOLOGY. HAVE AREA GREAT EVENING.
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