As the summer comes to an end we are getting ready for our big Fall 2000 event 

You can access a list of our past awardees at our website
http://sites.netscape.net/metronyawis/html.index

In this issue we bring you articles by Alice Deutsch describing AWIS’ role in the UN Beijing +5 conference in New York city, as well as pieces by Kathy Nolan and Tina Lopingco about other events METRO-AWI S has been involved in. 

Five years ago the United Nations held the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. There were 189 countries that adopted the Platform for Action. Also present and meeting nearby were numerous nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).  AWIS members, including Sheila Pfafflin and Cecily Selby, participated in those NGO meetings in Beijing. 

The Platform for Action called for economic opportunity and security for women, quality education and health care, full political and economic participation of women, equality, and the promotion of human rights for  women. It was one of the strongest policy statements promoting  women's advancement ever made by the international community.  On the other hand, it did not have any specific recommendations about women in science and technology.  For this reason as well as many others, AWIS decided to participate in the fifth anniversary celebration of the accomplishments and recommitting to further action at Women 2000, the UN Special Session in June 2000, known at Beijing +5. 

Information about this Special Session, the Platform for Action and NGO activities associated with this meeting can be found at The United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women . 

AWIS, in coordination with several US Government agencies and with support from the private sector, decided to initiate an effort to add a science and technology component added to the Platform for Action in the following areas: Education and training, Health, Environment, Power and decision-making. 

AWIS participated in and cosponsored events for 3 days.  The first day, June 5, 2000, AWIS held a Forum on Women in Science and Technology at the U.S. Custom House at 1 Bowling Green in New York. The forum's goal was:  1) To clarify the value and importance of science and technology in relation to the relevant critical areas of concern from the Beijing Platform for Action, and increase the visibility of women in science in the global arena; and  2) To foster participation and understanding of the scientific community, including professionals and students, in the role they can play in policy initiatives

On June 6, the Forum on Women in Science and Technology, sponsored by AWIS, the Women in Science Section and other organizations, met at the New York Academy of Sciences.  The ultimate goal in this day’s session was to encourage all members of the scientific community, both at a national and local level, to understand and value the relevance of  Beijing + 5 to their work. Sessions were devoted to areas of concern from the Beijing + 5 Platform for Action.  The following is the outline of the topics: 

EDUCATION & TRAINING 

Session I: Mainstreaming Science and Technology within General Literacy
The formal model of science and technology education promoted in industrialized countries is designed to prepare students for jobs and/or college education for the professions.  It is not designed or appropriate for General Literacy.  Appropriate introduction to scientific inquiry and engineering design, starting in primary school, could actively promote the cognitive, aesthetic, physical, and psychological development of all girls and boys worldwide.  This is the first step toward providing job and higher education skills in science and technology. 

Session II: Liberating Science Education from Bias 
Science curricula, in particular, are gender-biased.  Science textbooks do not relate to women’s and girls’ daily experiences and fail to give recognition to women scientists.  Girls are often deprived of basic education in mathematics and science and technical training, which provide knowledge they could apply to improve their daily lives and enhance their employment opportunities.  Advanced study in science and technology prepares women to take an active role in the technological and industrial development of their countries, thus necessitating a diverse approach to vocational and technical training.  Technology is rapidly
changing the world and has also affected developing countries.  It is essential that women not only benefit from technology, but also participate in the process from the design to the application, monitoring and evaluation stages. 

2. ENVIRONMENT 

Session I:  Environmental Chemicals and Women’s Health: A Case Study for Informed Decision-Making
In this session, participants will explore the issue of the differential effects of anthropogenic environmental chemicals on men and women as a case study for how gender aspects of other environmental problems can be determined, explored, and addressed.  There is a clear gender component to addressing the problem of chemical contamination in our air, soil, water, and tissue of animals we consume (such as fish), and the scientific community’s involvement has been critical in characterizing and addressing it.  In the case of other environmental issues (sustainable development, loss of biodiversity, etc.) gendered aspects may be less clear. 

Session II:  Women Environmental Decision Makers: “Bottom-Up” and “Top-Down”
The need for more women in formal environmental decision-making roles is one powerful theme of the Beijing Platform for Action on Women and the Environment.  In some cultures and nations, women are already making “grassroots” environmental management decisions for their families and communities.  For example, women are often responsible for water and fuel use in the home.  This session focused on how to increase and value women’s participation in both types of environmental management, and how that participation might ultimately impact environmental conditions. 

3. HEALTH

Session I:  Improving Access – Women as Consumers of the Fruits of Modern Medicine 
New developments in molecular biology and genomics (availability of sequence data of the entire genomes of various disease-causing pathogens as well as the decoding of the human genome) are predicted to lead to a new era in drug discovery.  The identification of new genes is expected to provide new targets for novel drug development, which will revolutionize treatment of a variety of diseases, including cancer. New technologies from the developed world such as drugs, vaccines, and early detection or screening methods rarely reach the neediest parts of the developing world.  Factors that prevent easy access and use are both economic and legal. Patents issued on a number of new and easy health-related methodologies prevent their use due to high royalty costs.  In the future, new drugs that will be based on information from the genome project will be unavailable to the developing world if the current trend continues.  In this workshop, participants focused on problems of global dissemination of new scientific / technological knowledge for improving women’s health. 

Session II:  Saving and Safeguarding: Women as Providers of Indigenous Health Knowledge 
Indigenous healthcare knowledge and practices (this is often women¹s knowledge as noted in the recommendations from Bangkok, 1999) from the developing world are being continuously and increasingly appropriated and patented by companies and entrepreneurs worldwide.  As traditional knowledge systems do not fit the narrow criteria of currently defined patent laws, they are subject to increasing intellectual piracy.  This enables the pirated indigenous knowledge to be converted to scientific / technological knowledge in the form of "intellectual property" and sold on a global scale.  The benefits of this globalization completely bypass most of the neediest women unable to purchase it.  In the process of development, important indigenous knowledge is often lost due to lack of documentation and changing lifestyles. This workshop focused on ways in which the appropriating of indigenous knowledge can be controlled and how such knowledge about health practices can be saved and linked to modern medical practice to improve women’s health. 

4. POWER & DECISION-MAKING

Session: The Role of Science and Technology in the Advancement of Women Worldwide 
Building on the insight, voices, and work of countless women and women-supportive organizations, this study is intended to help better understand and make evident the key role science and technology may play in helping women worldwide overcome obstacles to their advancement.  Specifically, the vision is that a convincing (perhaps even compelling) case can be made for considering science and technology as important and integral to women’s advancement in each of the 12 critical areas of concern presented in the Platform for Action resulting from the Fourth World Conference on Women (FWCW) held in 1995 in Beijing. 

On the third day, June 7, AWIS cosponsored a forum entitled: Let Everyone Play: Women Crossing the Digital Divide into the Future at the U.S. Custom House 

This meeting was about recognizing the crucial involvement of women in the global economy and addressing how they may be encouraged, educated, trained, and supported to become and remain an integral component in the global workforce in the areas of technology, information systems, and micro-enterprise. The panel discussed bridging the digital divide internationally and connecting the world before the technology divide gets exponentially wider for billions of people, and thus more difficult to bridge. 

Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. Representative to the U.N. made some excellent opening remarks. 

These meetings were an opportunity for Metro-NY AWIS to meet women from all over the US and the world who came together for the Beijing +5 meeting and to discuss our common problems and strategies for solving those problems.  We all came away inspired and full of resolve. 

June 3, 2000 was a special day for science students from New York City middle schools.On this day, the Third Annual New York Hall of Science (NYHOS) Science Fair was held to honor the scientific achievements not only of the students but of their teachers as well. I was fortunate enough to represent AWIS at this special occasion.

The event represented the culmination of the Middle School Science Fair Teacher Training program, a program developed to introduce teachers to the scientific process and operated solely by the NYHOS. Because of this program participating teachers, many of whom had little scientific background, were better able to incorporate research activities and techniques into their daily lesson plans. As a result their students, who had not previously participated in inquiry or research activities were able to do so with their newly acquired skills. 

This project began when the NYHOS responded to a “Request for Proposals” from the  Board of Education and was granted a 3 year contract. Monetary support for the program was provided by both the Board of Ed and a corporate funder, Texaco. Frank Signorello, Supervisor of the Funded Programs and Partnerships in the Hall’s Science Education Department, designed the program and with the help of staff members trained over 280 teachers in the course of 3 years.

The success of the program was clearly evident in the presentations of 63 finalists working individually or in collaboration with up to 3 other students. These were the cream of the crop, award winning projects from public schools in the 5 boroughs. Of these, 10 received the highest honors for projects ranging from Astronomy to Technology.

For these contestants, their teachers, friends and families, the afternoon began with an open viewing session followed by an hour of judging. Sixteen judges from various fields were given the opportunity to assess and discuss the projects with their scientists. Judging was followed by an Honors Dinner, a wonderful buffet at which Dr. Alan Friedman, Director of the Hall of Science officially welcomed all the guests. Richard Brown, director of the Texaco Foundation then expressed his satisfaction upon seeing what the students had accomplished. The Honorable Dan Hevesi, NY State Senator, Member of the Senate Education Committee and product of the NYC public school systems then took center stage and talked about growing up in the system and his pride in being asked to participate in the program.

Dinner was followed by the Awards Presentation at which Phil Minot of Texaco congratulated all the contestants for their exemplary efforts. All the finalists were asked to come onstage and presented with “a bag of goodies”, a medal and certificates from both the NYHOS and AWIS. Then came the big moment when 10 projects were awarded  the highest honors. This was truly a moment of pride for the winners and especially so for their teachers who not so long ago did not know the fundamentals of a scientific experiment.

Three years ago, the NYHOS set out to provide students and teachers with a higher level of confidence and comfort with methods for scientific research in order to better present and evaluate projects in an in-school science fair setting. This years science fair was a testament to the success of  their project. Sadly enough, this may have been the last year of the program. The contract has expired and the Board of Education has not issued another Request for Proposals.

As scientists, we should be concerned that the earliest stage of the scientific pipeline is not being developed. What I saw that afternoon was a group of inquisitive minds, budding scientists eager to explore but clearly in need of guidance and encouragement inorder to succeed. We should make it our mission to encourage the Board of Education to continue these fairs and help fund this highly successful and necessary program.

The tenth Is There Life After Graduate School? Yes! (ITLAG) career conference was held at New York University on Saturday morning, April ,2000.  This popular event was well-attended by graduate students, post docs, and people seeding a job change.  The attendees were treated to stories by eight women who shared their histories and offered us insights into today's hot science careers. 

The first two speakers share the same career as patent attorneys, but each had a different perspective.  Karen Mangasarian works for a large law firm and Cheryl Agris has her own private law practice.  They both moved from post-docs in science into this field, and mentioned that you needed to read and write a lot, as well as have good “people skills”.  They spelled out the differences between patent agents and patent attorneys, with one of the key differences being that a patent attorneys may take on more responsibilities in their practices, such as prosecuting. 

Martha Brumfield went from a career in organic chemistry to one in regulatory affairs.  She works for Pfizer, and the regulations cover clinical drug trials and manufacturing units. She meets with regulators all over the world.  She needs to be familiar with a variety of subjects ranging from how substances can inhibit metabolic pathways to the epidemiology of disease. 

Renato Schiavo spoke to us about careers in health communication.  She is the director of marketing and corporate communication for UNICEF's malaria prevention program.  "You also need to be a people-person for this type of job, as well as a good writer and strategic planner."  One of her jobs is to "market" mosquito nets in malaria-ridden countries. 
 

Jahanara Ali went from a Ph.D. into the  technology transfer arena.  She noted that in 1980 there was a law that was passed that allowed universities to "own" their inventions.  The schools saw this as an opportunity to make money, and they needed specialists to help them exploit their promising ideas.  Negotiation skills are needed, in developing patents and forging license agreements with buyers. 

Susan Gantor from Lab Support has a B.S. in science.  Her company offers the newly-minted graduate student an opportunity to test out different jobs and work situations.  Their positions normally range from three to six months, with  thirty percent of the jobs going from "temp to permanent hire".  This looks like a symbioitc way for a new job seeker to test the waters, and offers the company the same.  Lab Support places mostly MS/BS degree-holders but have placed Ph.D.'s as well 

Karin Dunker, the director of the New York Biotechnology Association cut to the quick with her comments about becoming an entrepreneur: "Either you have it or you don't." works closely with new start-up biotech companies, which can be very stressful.  There is a lot of risk-taking that takes place.  She helps companies develop strategies to sell their ideas to others. 

Katherine Keenan, an experienced professor, and who is currently in training, gave us some behind-the-scenes information about mergers.  Her old company, Hoechst Marion Rousell, was, practically, as we were speaking, merging with Aventis   Her position in training allows her to oversee clinical development of drugs, including how the trials are set up.  She filled us in on how understanding the culture of your workers is key to the success of the organization, and how it is very important to keep abreast of the politics.  She admonished: "Keep your skills up!" She is an "old" hand at surviving mergers! 

Of the eight speakers, three had attended previous ITLAG's and had made career adjustments based on the advice of previous speakers!  Not a bad track record---keep it up, ITLAG organizers!

I recently received an e-mail from Roland, the director of the Wave Hill Environmental Science Camp for middle school girls.  Roland wanted his campers/young scientists to visit an active research lab and perhaps even do an experiment or two. 

Immediately Chandra Bennett came to mind.  I met Chandra in the fall of 1999 at a seminar that is part of a series in population biology at Columbia University.  She seemed very alive and enthusiastic in her current role as a zookeeper-turned-graduate student--a progression that I thought would truly appeal to youngsters. 

The girls arrived at the lab five minutes after I got there.  They were a high-energy group with their bright green T-shirts on, and eager questions about coyotes, the species that Chandra is working on.  She explained that, even though it sounded disgusting, she isolated DNA from cells contained in fecal material that she collected along a grain in the Black Forest around 50 miles north of Manhattan.  Even though I'm sure the girls don't understand that about molecular biology yet, they were able to see a research lab in action.  Undergraduate and graduate students were scurrying around that day either copying down data or running electrophoresis gels. 

She later took the girls to the Calder classroom where the students isolated their own DNA from cheek cells.  The were also able to see homogenized coyote tongue from which DNA can also be isolated, and DNA that had been isolated from calf cells (I highly recommend buying some from Sigma---it forms white threads when it crystallizes---students love to look at it). 

Approximately 40 girls that attend this six-week camp were given the opportunity of  this experience.  This was a wonderful example of how we can network to help middle school girls learn science----in this case by the virtual reality of e-mail!

Education majors and the public alike  discovered new activities and ideas that could be used to stimulate girls in science and math at this workshop. 

Tina Lopingco and Alice Deutsch started off this workshop by regaling us with stories from their experiences with middle school girls.  Girls, Inc., formerly the Girls Clubs, has a program for girls in science and math in which they team up the girls with scientist mentors.  Tina, who is not used to seventh grade gave these girls a tour of her lab at Mt. Sinai, where she is a research associate.  She said, "They seemed interested, but their attention span was definitely short!  Next time I do this type of activity, I will remember to bring clipboards, paper, and pencils!"  Alice played a game with the students when she visited their classroom called, "Can you guess what kind of scientist I am?"  After several clues the students hit their mark, "You're a sperm doctor!"  Alice owns a company called Bioscreen in which she designs kits to test male infertility. 

Kimmara Griffiths described a project with her students from the Satellite Academy that involved dinosaurs.  Her students actually calculated physical characteristics of the dinosaurs from their footprints contained in the American Museum of Natural History.  Then the students reconstructed the walk at their school. 

My student, Cyntra Singh and I, a biology professor at St. Francis College,  presented a slide show that depicted activities from an After School program at the American Museum of Natural History and the Science Olympiad.  The students in the after school program were engaged in activities that centered around the”Epidemic!” exhibit last year at the museum.  They made collages of microorganisms, and even attempted some bacteriophage (virus that infects bacteria) experiments. 

Mary Maier, a chemistry professor at St. Joseph's College, thrilled the group with her chemistry experiments, notably one involving vinegar, eggs, and dye.  She conducts these experiments with Girl Scouts on Saturday mornings. 

The audience was treated to a history of women mathematicians by Marilyn Verna, an education professor at St. Francis College.  She had many facts and figures about women in various fields in math and science and some pertinent information on the first black woman mathematician. 

Before and after the presentations, the audience mingled and had light refreshments.  The feedback was positive; everyone left with at least one new idea or perspective.