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GEM-SET Daily Digest for October 1, 2001
Q: As we embark on this e-mentoring program it is a good time to
think about past mentors in our life. Who are the most important
mentors in your life and why?
-----
A: FROM MENTOR KRISTIN TAGHON at Lucent
My most important "mentor" is my mother. She has shown
me through example how
to be a good person. I am still striving for that! And when I need
inspiration, I think of her. She is a positive person, she has taken
risks and
given selflessly to her children. In school, I have a couple teachers
that I
highly respected. They are good at their jobs and influential to
their
students. They not only imparted so much knowledge, they also were
quick with
praise. One teacher in particular was Jim Dow, a photographer and
teacher in
Boston. He was enthusiastic about his teaching, always on time,
always giving
his most, expecting the most of his students, excited about his
own
photography. He would go to NYC once a month or so to visit all
the galleries,
take slides of work shown and then bring those slides to show to
the students,
knowing they would not be able to get to NY as often as he. He also
took
students on trips to Europe or Argentina to view art and photograph.
At work,
my first mentor at Lucent (AT&T back in 1987) showed me discipline
and
methodology. He was methodical and deliberate in his work. In 15
years at the
company, I still am working on the organizational skills that he
showed. He
didn't work frantically, but took one thing at a time. That didn't
mean he
worked each task start to finish one at a time. He may have a few
tasks on his
plate. He would work one, then put it aside, and work another, put
it aside,
pick up another or work on the first. He never seemed to be stressed
out. He
also kept track of his accomplishments by writing them into a file
everyday.
Then, when it came time to write up his 6-month or year review,
he could go back
to his files that he wrote into everyday.
-----
A: FROM MENTEE ALYSSA C. of Girl Scouts of Chicago
I say all the people that are older than me because they are setting
an example for me as I'm getting older.
-----
A: FROM MENTOR HEATHER SULLIVAN at Daimler Chrysler
My two most important mentors are my parents. My dad introduced
me to the
engineering field and encouraged me to pursue advanced education.
My
mother showed me through example that women can have successful
careers and
still raise a family. Within my specific automotive career, I was
lucky
enough to hook up with a woman executive at work who helped me develop
enough self esteem to forge a career path dominated by men.
_____
End
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GEM-SET Daily Digest for October 2, 2001
Q: It is true that the fields of science, engineering, and technology
are
evolving rapidly. The students in this program are 13-18 years of
age. In
your opinion, what careers in your industry will be most in demand
when
they become part of the work force during the next decade or so?
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GEM-SET Daily Digest for October 3, 2001
Q: It is true that the fields of science, engineering, and technology
are
evolving rapidly. The students in this program are 13-18 years of
age. In
your opinion, what careers in your industry will be most in demand
when
they become part of the work force during the next decade or so?
-----
A: FROM MENTOR HEATHER SULLIVAN, a Product Engineer at DaimlerChrysler
The automotive industry is becoming more global, so people fluent
in
another language (such as Korean) will be in demand. An engineering
undergraduate degree paired with an MBA focused on International
Business
(maybe some overseas studies) would give you an advantage. Knowledge
of
logistics would also be helpful due to the trend towards sourcing
components in the Asia-Pacific region to be used in auto assembly
plants in
North and South America (as well as in the Far East). In addition,
the
trend toward fuel conservation will continue, so the field of hybrid
electric vehicles will likely grow.
-----
A: FROM MENTOR KRISTIN TAGHON, a software engineer at Lucent
With the economy in such flux, I don't think the average person
can predict what will happen in the next 5 years. I hope and think
that there will be abundant jobs in engineering, but this question
is best answered by looking up studies of Careers. Ask your career
counselor at school. They will tell you how to look up studies in
the library.
_____
END
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GEM-SET Daily Digest for October 4, 2001
Welcome to the new GEM-SET participants!
>From Region IV
Sandye Mullins with Christian Council of Metro Atlanta
Wendy Stewart with YWCA Atlanta
From Region VII
Laurie Reed with Galesburg Elementary School
Jean Marie Richter-Strode with Johnson Mortuary
Kathy T. Williams with Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center
Dorothy Witherspoon with U.S. Department of Labor
and new students Ruth B. and Kerri B. from Kansas!
We suggest all newcomers read the Women's Bureau welcome letter
on the GEM-SET web site at http://www.gem-set.org. Also take a look
at the mentors' biographies. As more information arrives, we will
be adding to these pages every week so check back often. Mentors
who would like to include a picture with their bio's can send an
electronic version to gem-set@uic.edu or a hard copy version to
your regional contact at the Women's Bureau.
Here is a question for the new and seasoned mentors: What prompted
you to be a mentor? Have you been in other mentoring programs as
a mentor or mentee?
Here is a question for the GEM-SET mentees: What do you hope to
gain from participating in this mentoring program? Have you ever
participated in other mentoring programs?
_____
End
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GEM-SET Daily Digest for October 5, 2001
Q: What prompted you to be a mentor? Have you been in other mentoring
programs as a mentor or mentee?
-----
A: FROM MENTOR CASSIE FENOSEFF , Design Release Engineer at GM North
America
I wanted to be a mentor because I am always looking for ways to
work with
students, especially girls, to encourage
them to be whatever they want to be. I think that females need to
hear that
they are just as capable of working in science
and engineering fields as males are, which is something they are
not always
told. I would like to see the number of
females working in those fields become equal to the number of males
in those
fields, and I think this is one way to do it. I
also wish that I could have had a mentor, and feel that it can be
a big help. I
have been involved in other mentoring programs
as a mentor, and am currently involved in "A World in Motion",
which is a
similar program. They do science/math experiments
with elementary school students.
-----
A: FROM MENTOR KRISTIN TAGHON , a software engineer at Lucent
I chose to be a mentor for this program because I wanted to be involved
in an
ongoing program to help young women realize their potential and
to build
self-esteem. If we can help them to do this early in their lives,
they can be
more successful and happier. Without help from others, I know that
I took a
long time to feel comfortable with my decision to be an engineer
and am still
developing my self-esteem at 40 years of age!! I'd like to help
young women to
bypass some of the fears and hesitation I had as a young woman.
_____
End
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GEM-SET Daily Digest for October 8, 2001
Q: What career accomplishment gives you the most pride and why?
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GEM-SET Daily Digest for October 9, 2001
Q: What career accomplishment gives you the most pride and why?
-----
A: FROM MENTOR JENNIFER MARSH, Senior Associate, Council on Postsecondary
Education in Frankfort, KY.
I am most proud that I am respected and taken seriously by both
male and
female colleagues, as well as staff. That accomplishment has been
achieved
by knowing my subject, knowing when I don't know my subject, insisting
on a
friendly and civil atmosphere, and being able to make a joke when
appropriate. I take my work, but not myself, seriously. This is
an
important achievement for me because I am in two male-dominated
fields
(biology and law) and many men and a lot of staff don't know how
to work
with a reasonable woman. They expect hysteria and are pleasantly
surprised
to find they are with someone who is stable, pleasant, intelligent,
and
congenial.
-----
A: FROM MENTOR KATHY WILLIAMS, Director of Occupational Therapy
at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute, Kansas.
I take great pride in my career accomplishments. Having been a
nontraditional student, I received my degree in Occupational Therapy.
After finishing my 3rd 3-month clinical affiliation in March of
1997, I
opened the new Occupational Therapy Department at the local hospital
in
my home town in April. Prior to that, they did not have an OT Dept.,
only a Physical Therapy Dept. They contracted with a corporation
to
provide OT services occasionally. Since this was a much needed service
of rehabilitation, I was fortunate to be able to return to my former
place of employment prior to schooling (as a P.T. aide) and start
the
department. I had to write policies and procedures, order equipment
and
supplies, meet with the local doctors to acquaint them with all
the
services that OT has to offer, and send letters to physicians in
surrounding towns and the larger cities to let them know that our
hospital offered OT. I was featured in our local newspaper, informing
the public about OT. I have also spoken to various civic groups
and
organizations, telling about OT and demonstrating adaptive equipment
which can assist persons with dressing, bathing, grooming and eating.
I
feel that accomplishing the startup of a much needed service, and
seeing
the growth and success has been very satisfying. I now supervise
another Occupational Therapist and a Certified Occupational Therapy
Assistant. To help other students prepare for their career, I am
a
clinical instructor to occupational therapy students, working as
their
supervisor and mentor. But the best part is being able to help persons
whose lives have been disrupted by illness, injury or other conditions,
to be able to once again become independent with their activities
of
daily living. It is very rewarding to see that you have indeed made
a
difference in someone's life. It is this that I take the most pride
in.
-----
A: FROM MENTOR KRISTIN TAGHON, Software Engineer at Lucent Technologies
in Illinois
The careeer accomplishment that gives me the most pride is the one
that I
completed in France, in January/February of this year. I was asked
to go to
Paris to help the team there meet their deadlines. I had a choice
of what
feature to work on. I chose the simulator that simulates alarms
coming out
of a shelf of cards in a frame. I researched it and came up with
a design before I
even when to Paris. When I was there, I gave a talk on the design
and began
coding and testing. I also had a team member in the US develop the
user
interface in Java. We worked together to come up with the interfaces
I
needed. I had alot of problems with link errors in the compile because
we were
using 2 other products being developed at other Lucent sites. The
people in Paris
weren't very eager to help. So, I used all my resources back in
the United
States to help me resolve these issues. The timezone difference
created a
challenge!! Finally I was able to test. Then, I integrated it with
the
subsystems that were supposed to handle alarms coming from a shelf.
It
worked!! I felt that I helped our team in the United States resolve
issues
that they would have in the near future, as they would be working
with the same
products I was working with. Also, given the adversity I felt while
in Paris,
being the only woman on the team, I was very proud that I could
accomplish
what I did.
-----More career accomplishments to follow in tomorrow's daily
digest!-----
=========================================================================
GEM-SET Daily Digest for October 10, 2001
Welcome to the new participants from Region IV!
Annaliese Bratcher, Information Technology Trainer, University
of Kentucky
Linda Fuseller, Graduate Student, University of Kentucky
Jeri W. Higginbotham, Associate Professor of Biology, Transylvania
University
Jennifer McGehee Marsh, Senior Associate, Council on Postsecondary
Education
Marsha I. Segebarth, Instructor of Medical Microbiology and Anatomy
and Physiology, University of Southern Indiana
AND ALL THE GEM-SET STUDENTS FROM WOODFORD COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL
IN VERSAILLES, KENTUCKY!
We invite you to visit the GEM-SET web site at http://www.gem-set.org
to learn more about the GEM-SET programs.
-----
Q: What career accomplishment gives you the most pride and why?
-----
A: FROM MENTOR MARY JO MULLEN, a Civil Engineer at Patrick Engineering
Recently in my career I've been given a good deal of project management
responsibility. I'm very proud of this because it shows that my
bosses have
confidance in my technical ability as well as my personal skills.
I have a
couple people working for me right now whom I am teaching a lot
of what I
know to. I feel like I am really helping to develop the Water Resources
group of my company, of which until now I have been one of two,
the other
being in a different office. It makes me extremely happy to know
that I am
moving towards being one of the few women managers in my company.
-----
A: FROM MENTOR CASSIE FENOSEFF, a Design Release Engineer at GM
North America
The accomplishment that gives me the most pride is that I recently
completed my
Master of Science degree by taking classes at night for three years
straight,
while working full time, so I am very proud of that.
-----
A: FROM MENTOR JUDY MCGOOGAN, a Systems Architect/Systems Engineer
at Lucent Technologies.
One of the accomplishment's I'm proud of was my contribution to
standards
for Real-Time CORBA. (CORBA stands for Common Object Request Broker
Architecture). The standards are maintained by a group called the
Object
Management Group (www.omg.org). As co-chair of their Real-Time committee
I helped
write and/or sponsored work on several software specifications that
many commercial
software companies have since used as the basis for software programs
for real-time
and embedded systems. Our work made it possible for people to write
code that
would run on distributed systems using many different operating
systems and
programming languages & still run in a predictable amount of
time. We also extended
this to systems that needed very high degrees of fault tolerance.
In addition, it was lots of fun to work with some of the brightest
folks
from many different companies all over the world to make this happen!
_____
End
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GEM-SET Daily Digest for October 11, 2001
Q: Many of our mentees are just beginning to think about applying
to colleges. Do the mentors have any tips on how to make the right
decision when applying to college? =========================================================================
GEM-SET Daily Digest for October 12, 2001
Q: Many of our mentees are just beginning to think about applying
to colleges. Do the mentors have any tips on how to make the right
decision when applying to college?
-----
A: FROM MENTOR CASSIE FENOSEFF, Design Release Engineer at GM North
America.
My advice on picking a college is 1) do not pick a college just
because your friends are going there, and 2) pick a college that
has a good reputation in general and also in the field you are interested
in (if you know what that is). I would also do research on the internet
or otherwise about what scholarships are available. Even if you
don't have perfect grades, there are hundreds of scholarships out
there pertaining to just about everything, which can really help
with expenses.
-----
A: FROM MENTOR MARY JO MULLEN, Civil Engineer at Patrick Engineering
My high school counselor always told us we had to choose to be a
big fish in a little pond or a little fish in the ocean. For me
it was important to have small classes and personal attention, I
wanted my professors to actually know who I was. I purposely did
not even look at University of Illinois, which is among the best
engineering schools, if not the best, because it was too big for
me. At least half of my high school class attended U of I, but I
knew it wasn't right for me. I wanted to be in a pond. The other
piece of advice I would have is to visit all of the schools you
are interested in. Especially if you can do so while school is in
session. Some schools even have programs where interested high school
students can stay with a student for a day or two, attend class
with them, stay in their dorm. You are not only choosing the place
where you will take 4 years of classes and get a degree from, but
somewhere you will have to live for those 4 years. Experiencing
the atmosphere of a school can make a big difference in your decision.
My parents almost made me go visit Notre Dame. While they had no
ties to the school, my dad really thought that I would like it.
I thought it was a big school of rich kids. When we got there, I
knew almost immediately that I was going to go there. It was smaller
than I imagined, the campus was beautiful and I immediately met
a lot of nice people. Being there made a huge difference in my decision.
-----
A: FROM MENTOR MARSHA SEGEBARTH, Instructor of Medical Microbiology
and Anatomy and Physiology at the University of Southern Indiana.
My suggestions include: 1)researching institutions which offer your
major - if you have already decided which area you are interested
in - and which are regarded highly in that field. Many institutions
are 'stronger' in some areas than in others. 2) Consider the cost
involved. Because of your financial situation, will it be necessary
to attend a state school? I would encourage you to not rule out
scholarship help. There are numerous scholarships available - some
based on academic standing (high school GPA, ACT/SAT scores), some
based on outside and extracurricular activities, some based on need.
3) Visit the campus of any college you are interested in. Set up
a formal campus visit which will enable you to see the various aspects
through the eyes of the registrar's office. Also, spend some time
in the student union listening to students talk. You can get a good
idea of how students feel by eavesdropping! If you know students
already attending these institutions ask them how they like it.
Ask them why they feel that way. Is it because of their experience
with a particular professor, the school's attitude toward student-oriented
approaches, etc. 4) Consider how far that institution is from your
home. Although you may believe you will "never go home"
until Christmas break, you may feel differently after a few weeks
or a couple of months away. Some students do very well far away
from their parents, home, friends, pets, etc. Others struggle with
the separation. You will probably have a fairly good idea of which
group you will fit into. 5) Consider the student/teacher ratio.
Will you be disciplined enough to handle classes of 200 or more
in which the professor has no idea of who you are? Will you be able
to go to her/his office and ask for help if needed? Do you need
a small environment in which the instructor knows you personally
and is readily available if you need help? 6) What about extracurricular
opportunities? If you have been involved in athletics, student government,
drama, band, etc, will you want to have those opportunities in college?
Do you need a school that has these only as varsity sport activities
or will intramural sports be acceptable? Although academics are
certainly the most important part of college life - there is more!
You really need to achieve a balance during your college years.
Find the right balance between studying and playing. These are all
important things to consider. One thing I would caution against.
Don't go somewhere just because your best friend or boyfriend is
going if in your heart you don't feel it is a good match for you
and your aspirations. Another caution: don't be one of the legion
who return home because you couldn't maintain the GPA needed to
stay off of academic probation! It will be much less stress on you
to start out at a community college if you feel you might not be
ready for the big pond and transfer to a larger institution after
a year or so than to be 'forced' home to get your GPA up so you
can go back. One last thing. Don't let deadlines pass you by. Certain
scholarships have early deadlines - perhaps before you have totally
decided on a school. If you are at all interested, fill them out
and get them in. If chosen, you can always decline them if you choose
to go to another school. Good luck! It is an exciting time for you!
____
END 10/12/01, LOOK FOR MORE COLLEGE APPLICATION TIPS ON DAILY DIGEST
FOR 10/15/01 =========================================================================
GEM-SET Daily Digest for October 15, 2001
Q: Many of our mentees are just beginning to think about applying
to colleges. Do the mentors have any tips on how to make the right
decision when applying to college?
-----
A: FROM MODERATOR BEULAH VAZ , Assistant Director of IIT's Women's
Outreach Resource Center.
My suggestion to students looking into different colleges is to
check out their Career Centers. This will help you find out about
how successful their students have been in the job world. They would
also be able to give you an idea about the job market and what majors
are in demand.
-----
A: FROM MENTEE AMANDA W. in KENTUCKY
I'm not a mentor but I think the best kind of college is one that
you know you will enjoy. One that has all the classes you want to
try. One that you'd feel comfortable going to. If your mother wants
you to go to her old college but you don't, I think you should tell
her and make sure she understands that you want to lead your own
life in the college years. The college also needs to benefit your
goals and life plans.
---
A: FROM MENTOR JULIA HOCHBERG, Mechanical Engineer at Motorola.
My advice is to really consider what you want out of college. I
wanted to go to school in a city and take advantage of city activities,
I wanted a place where I could get neat internships, I wanted to
know my professors, and I wanted small classes. Though my school
did not have a nationally ranked engineering department, with the
"big fish in a little pond" theory, I received a first
rate education and invaluable experiences. Each member of my close
knit group of engineering friends could name a school with a much
better known engineering department in which they were accepted,
but we all had our reasons for our choice. One could get a larger
scholarship at a place with a smaller engineering department, one
didn't want to have to wait in line to talk to their professors,
one wanted to graduate at the top of his class instead of being
in the middle of a larger class, one wanted a less competitive school
so they could have time to play varsity sports, etc. And because
I was a student active in my classes and engineering student government,
every ME professor knew me personally and a few of us even had dinner
with our Dean of Engineering on a regular basis senior year. I second
the advice about visiting the school to see and feel the campus,
the attitudes towards your program (our engineering department has
great enthusiasm and pride that was visible on my first visit),
and meet students and professors. And finally, you will find your
place at any school you choose and, really, your experiences are
what you make them anywhere you end up!
_____
END
=========================================================================
GEM-SET Daily Digest for October 16, 2001
Q: Many of our mentees are just beginning to think about applying
to colleges. Do the mentors have any tips on how to make the right
decision when applying to college?
-----
A. FROM MENTOR ANNALIESE BRATCHER, Information Technology Trainer
at the University of Kentucky
in Lexington, KY.
I think it would be wise to apply to several colleges. You might
not be accepted at the one you want most. You might get financial
assistance from some, but not all colleges. Your circumstances might
change between the time when you apply and the time when you accept
a college. I felt very pressured to choose the one best college,
make a commitment, know my chosen major and career plans, graduate
in 4 years, etc. Later when I studied the facts of what my parents
and their peers did, I found out that most had attended at least
2 colleges and changed majors at least once. The ones who were most
vocal about picking one thing and sticking with it had changed colleges
3 or 4 times before obtaining a degree! Most colleges now have excellent
web sites with virtual tours or other features that let you get
to know details about the campus. If you can visit some colleges
(even ones you might not be considering) you may pick up on some
important issues for you. If you are dedicated to a certain program
of study or degree, you can often visit departmental web sites and
read ratings of the programs with web searches and/or with the help
of reference librarians. If you need or want financial aid, you
should definitely contact the colleges and send all information
they request. I hope each of you has an exciting time learning about
colleges and planning for a higher education!
------
A: FROM MENTOR JENNIFER MCGEHEE MARSH, PHD, ESQ, Senior Associate
at the Council on Postseconday Education in Frankfort, KY.
I appreciate the idea that college location is a free choice, but
many students don't have options and must attend where they live
or where they can afford. A subsequent question might be how to
get maximum benefit from wherever you are.
_____
END
GEM-SET Daily Digest for October 17, 2001
For more information on GEM-SET go to www.gem-set.org!
Q: How do you select the best college for you, and once you select
it how do you get the maximum benefit?
-----
A: FROM MENTOR HEATHER SULLIVAN, Product Engineer with DaimlerChrysler
in Detroit, MI.
Many colleges with great reputations have received their great reputations
due to their graduate schools. Be aware that the professors at these
colleges are often focused on their research and don't even teach
undergraduate classes. The undergrad. classes are often taught by
"teaching assistants" who are graduate students trying
to pay the bills. It's a good idea to visit the schools you are
interested in, and make sure that they meet your expectations.
-----
A: FROM MENTOR MOLLY W. WILLIAMS, Professor of Mechanical and Aeronautical
Engineering and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs,
College of Engineering and Applied Science, Western Michigan University
in Kalamazoo, MI.
First, it is not necessary to attend a "Big Name" school
to get a fine education. In fact, students may get more individual
attention at institutions that focus on undergraduate teaching,
rather than on research and football. A local community college
may be an economical way to begin a college career for those who
want to start out close to home. A student who can develop a good
academic record anywhere has a good chance of transferring to a
4-year college or university and of getting financial support to
complete an academic degree program. This is especially true for
students from under-represented groups. In the sciences, mathematics,
and engineering, that includes women. There are often special support
programs available to increase the diversity of student populations.
Also, pay particular attention to summer programs that invite students
to college campuses to focus on science and engineering and on undergraduate
research. These programs generally pay stipends to cover expenses
for student participants. In any case, the primary responsibility
for your education rests with you, not your instructors. Wherever
you go to school, and whatever classes you take, be sure to extract
the most you can out of the experience. Your academic and personal
growth is for your (not your instructor's!) benefit and should occur
to the highest standard you can meet. Regard all of your classes
as foundations for becoming a contributing adult citizen. Never
try to just get by with the minimum effort needed to pass.
_____
END
=========================================================================
GEM-SET Daily Digest for October 18, 2001
Welcome to our new GEM-SET participants:
Mentor Kimberly Anderson, Professor at the University of Kentucky
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering in Lexington, KY
Mentor Fariba Bidgeli-Jahed, Associate Professor of Mathematics
and Chairperson Division of Mathematics and Sciences at Kentucky
State University in Frankfort, KY
Mentor Wanda Bonnel, Clinical Associate Professor at the University
of Kansas in Topeka, KS
Mentor Kelly Brown, Principal Biologist, Midwest Research Institute
in Kansas City, MO
Mentor Deirdre Daniels, Associate Scientist, Midwest Research Institute
in Kansas Ciy, MO
Mentor Ramona Gray, Staff Chemist at Merck & Co., Inc, in New
Jersey
Mentor Leonie Pallikkathayil, Associate Professor, University of
Kansas School of Nursing in Kansas City, KS
Mentor Louise Ranabargar, Medical Technologist at Ashley Clinic
in Chanute, KS
Students and Teachers at Unified School District #413 in Chanute,
KS
As our mentor and mentee list grows, so too do the opinions for
the daily digest. This question goes out to both new and old mentors
and mentees: In your opinion, what are the main reasons that most
science, engineering, and technology fields have fewer women than
men in them? Is this true in your specific field. If it is, why?
=========================================================================
GEM-SET Daily Digest for October 19, 2001
Q: In your opinion, what are the main reasons that most science,
engineering, and technology fields have
fewer women than men in them? Is this true in your specific field?
If it is, why?
-----
A: FROM MENTOR LEONIE PALLIKKATHAYIL, Associate Professor at the
University of Kansas School of Nursing in Kansas City, Kansas.
In my field of Nursing it is the reverse. Traditionally there is
more women in Nursing
than men. One reason for fewer woman in Science Technology and engineering
may be that we, the public,carrer counselors and the prospective
student
probably are influenced by the historical and traditional view of
gender
segregation in the various fields. Also we may be following the
myth that
only men can do certain things and "girls are not good at math"etc.
It is
time to break through these misconceptions.
-----
A: FROM MENTOR ANNALIESE BRATCHER, Information Technology Trainer
at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY.
I think the low numbers of women in science, engineering, and technology
fields has nothing to do with biology. I think girls and women are
able to both study and perform as well as or better than men in
these fields. In some other countries and cultures around the world,
women and girls are more readily accepted in these areas and they
serve as an example of what could be. A shining example is in Sweden.
(Unfortunately, some other cultures and countries are also doing
worse with this than we are.) One reason, women and girls in North
America are underrepresented in
the SET fields, has to do with the status quo. There are less women
and girls already positioned to help others and set examples for
others. In my experience in the science and mathematics field, men
were generally accepting of women. However, in Engineering (in particular,
Mechanical Engineering), men were extremely hostile to women. I
studied Engineering at a major university and worked in the field.
In both settings, the men were extremely sexist, sexually harassing,
and even threatening to the women who dared to try to break into
the field. I hope things have improved since then (the late 70s
and early 80s). I've been in the technology field on and off since
1977, and fulltime continuously since 1987. CIO magazine ran articles
last year showing that the women who entered the field as baby boomers,
have steadily left the field throughout the 1990s, even with the
desperate shortage of IT workers during that decade. In my experience,
women are fairly well represented in the IT field, but are often
stuck with less respect and less opportunity than their male counterparts
with equal credentials. However, I'm glad to have stayed with this
career choice since my peers who accepted career paths outside of
SET are generally faring much worse, especially in terms of salary,
conditions, and job security.
-----
A: FROM MENTOR KRISTIN TAGHON, Software Engineer at Lucent Technologies
in Naperville, Il.
I believe that there are fewer women than men in science, engineering,
and technology fields because women are not encouraged as young
girls to go into these fields. These fields have been predominantly
male since the onset because women have always been encouraged to
marry, stay home with the kids and become teachers and nurses. While
these occupations ARE STILL important, society is beginning to encourage
girls to consider new fields. There are still some in society that
discourage women from being career women, that marriage and children
are much more important and are mutually exclusive from having a
career. Also, the image of the people in these fields is one of
a "geek". I believe that women are more sensitive to that
issue than men are. And lastly, because these fields are male-dominated,
it is intimidating for a young woman to enter into the fields. Just
as it is somewhat intimidating to walk into a roomof strangers,
or a room of men (if you are a woman) or into a room of people all
of a different ethnic background than you, it is intimidating to
go into a field where everyone else is male. Luckily, I think this
is slowly changing. At Lucent, our diversity program encourages
hiring people of all ethnic backgrounds and women and men. Five
years ago, my group had 1 woman out of 20. Today, there are 6 in
that group of 20. So, there has
been some improvement.
___
End
=========================================================================
GEM-SET Daily Digest for October 22, 2001
Q: In your opinion, what are the main reasons that most science,
engineering, and technology fields have fewer women than men in
them? Is this true in your specific field? If it is, why?
-----
A: FROM MENTOR RAMONA GRAY, Chemist at Merck in Rahway, NJ.
The main reasons that most science, engineering, and technology
fields have fewer women than men in them varies. I am a chemist
and can say that it is definitely true in my field. Statistically,
chemistry is a white, male dominated field. Why? I guess, in agreeing
with another mentor, there aren't a lot of female role models in
the industry for young girls to look at and say they want to be
like them. I know when I was growing up, I didn't know any 'real'
scientists. Of course history told a different story, but there
was none I could touch and say, I know this person and they work
in the sciences. Even now when people find out I'm a chemist they
say that I'm the first chemist they've ever met! Another reason
may be that we don't encourage young women to go into the sciences.
Also, in talking to different groups of young women I've found that
early science classes play a major role. If teachers aren't making
science fun, students turn away from it and you'll be hard pressed
to get them back.
-----
A: FROM MENTOR CASSIE FENOSEFF, Design Release Engineer at General
Motors North America in Pontiac, IL.
I think that many teachers, parents, etc. still encourage more boys
than girls to go into science, engineering, and technology fields.
I don't necessarily think that they think boys are smarter, but
it is hard to break old habits and stereotypes. There are definitely
more men than women in the field I work in (engineering), and I
believe it is due to the reason above, as well as the fact that
girls are sometimes intimidated by engineering, especially if they
weren't exposed to it, like working with their Dad on cars while
they were growing up, like a lot of the boys were.
-----
A: FROM MENOR CAROL TOMAN, Distinguished Member of Technical Staff
at Lucent Technologies, Inc. in Naperville, IL.
There are certainly more men in computer science than women, and
I believe the trend is getting worse currently. One theory on the
reason is that girls are not getting as much positive exposure to
computers as boys are, at school and at home. Computer games tend
to be shoot-em-up which appeals more to boys; the games marketed
at girls are too "soft" to support an interest in SET
(e.g., Barbie's fashion whatever). In classrooms, free time with
the computer tends to be dominated by boys. I've seen this in my
own children's schools: groups of boys gather around the classroom
computer and it would take a strong and brave girl to insist on
her turn. In the future, basic computer knowledge (what the hardware
pieces of a computer are, how computers communicate with each other,
etc.) will be a fundamental prerequisite for most good jobs, just
like basic math and writing skills are required today. Girls and
their parents need to buck this trend and make sure girls are getting
the training and experience they need.
-----
Q: How do you select the best college for you,and once you select
it how do you get the maximum benefit?
-----
A: FROM MENTOR RAMONA GRAY, Chemist at Merck in Rahway, NJ.
I don't think there's a 'formula' per say to selecting the best
college. For each person it will differ depending on what you're
looking for and need. My suggestion is to definitely visit any school
you plan on attending, talk to students, teachers and administrators
if you can. Look at the curriculum and know what will be expected
of you. College was four of the happiest/fun/exciting/adventurous
years of my life. And it wasn't all because of textbooks and exams.
There's so much more to it than that. To get the maximum benefit,
to have to open up and be ready. Whether it's meeting new people
who come from different places, cultures, backgrounds or taking
advantage of clubs and organizations on campus. Get involved but
don't stretch yourself thin. Time management is the key to surviving
college...be well rounded. Study, learn and do your best in the
classroom but also have a good time.
New Question FROM MENTEE LEEANN M. in Kentucky
If I am looking at a medical career, what type of high school classes
should I consider taking?
_____
END
=========================================================================
(Note, if you have already received the GEM-SET Welcome letter,
please disregard this message.)
Dear GEM-SET participant,
We would like to extend our warm welcome to everyone participating
in the Women's Bureau Girls' E-Mentoring in Science, Engineering
& Technology (GEM-SET). Your participation is vital in making
sure that the project goals are achieved. The three main goals of
GEM-SET are:
1) To increase student participants' awareness of the benefits
of working in SET fields and the career options within SET.
2) To increase the number of girls taking SET classes in high schools.
3) To achieve high overall satisfaction with GEM-SET from both
the mentor and student participants' perspectives.
The Women's Bureau is committed to expanding the opportunities
for girls and women to enter and succeed in education and careers
in science, engineering & technology (SET). As we begin the
21st century, it is clear that more jobs will be created in SET
than any other field. We know that women can excel in SET careers,
which will provide above-average salaries and ensure economic self-sufficiency.
We believe that women in SET fields can help encourage girls to
take the classes in science, engineering and technology; show girls
that SET careers are fun, exciting and challenging; and share experiences
to help girls overcome the concerns and barriers. This is what we
hope to achieve through our mentoring program, and we thank the
enthusiastic support from our women mentors.
Girls, we hope you will ask questions about education, careers,
obstacles, peer pressure or any other issue that arises with education
and careers in SET.
The moderator of the day will send out discussion questions to
start the dialogue. Girls and mentors can jump in and join the discussion
by sending their questions and comments to GEM-SET@uic.edu.
Guidelines for discussion include:
SET classes, classroom problems, classroom successes
SET education and career decisions
Peer pressure and concerns about SET
SET challenges faced by girls and women
SET future opportunities
Each evening a daily digest will be compiled that combines all
the GEM-SET discussions into one e-mail. These daily digests will
be sent out once each day, Monday through Friday, from September
26, 2001 through September 25, 2002. We want you to participate
at the time that is most convenient for you. Feel free to make comments
any time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Daily digests are intended
to prevent your inbox from overflowing, while also allowing the
discussion to flow daily. List moderators will be responsible for
approving all postings to assure that GEM-SET guidelines are followed.
Thank you for being part of the GEM-SET project. We hope you find
this experience rewarding and fun! If you have any problems sending
to the list or receiving daily digests, please contact Sarah Shirk,
Project Coordinator at GEM-SET@uic.edu or call her at (312)413-1636.
Don't forget to visit the GEM-SET web site at www.gem-set.org.
Sincerely,
Women's Bureau Regional Administrators for the GEM-SET Program
Jacqueline Cooke, RA Region I, (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont)
Cornelia Moore, RA Region III (Delaware, District of Columbia,
Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia)
Delores Crockett, RA & Field Coordinator Region IV (Alabama,
Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee.)
Nancy Chen, RA Region V (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota,
Ohio, Wisconsin)
Rose Kemp RA Region VII (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska) =========================================================================
GEM-SET Daily Digest For October 23, 2001
Q: FROM MENTEE LEEANN M. IN KENTUCKY
If I am looking at a medical career, what type of high school classes
should I consider taking?
-----
A: FROM MENTOR DEIRDRE DANIELS, MS, Associate Scientist at the Midwest
Research Institute in Kansas City, MO.
A curriculum that is strong in chemistry, biology, physics and mathematics
is always helpful. However, many medical schools look toward students
that are also very well rounded instead of focused on science alone.
The ability to communicate in writing is also very important so
one cannot neglect courses in English. Many high schools do not
offer a variety of choices, but this would not limit someone from
pursuing a career in medicine. Just be sure to remember that the
courses taken in high school are really preparing you for college,
not medical school.
-----
A: FROM MENTOR MARSHA SEGEBARTH, PHD, Instructor of Medical Microbiology
and Anatomy and Physiology at the University of Southern Indiana.
Perhaps the most important part of choosing classes in high school
to prepare one for a career in the medical field (whether it is
in allied health professions - nursing, medical technology, radiology
or surgical tech, physical therapy, pharmacy, etc. - or as a physician)
is to choose challenging courses. It would be helpful to surround
yourself with other academically-motivated students in courses such
as Advanced Placement history, English, Biology, etc. I also believe
it is important to get a good foundation in science and math. I
recommend taking as many science courses as there are available
at your school - and that will fit into your schedule. Some high
schools offer Anatomy and Physiology, Genetics, Advanced Placement
Chemistry, and/or DNA. The more of these you can be exposed to,
the better. Likewise for math. In my opinion, it is essential that
you get the required two years of high school algebra, geometry,
trig, pre-cal or calculus. Probability and statistics would also
prove helpful. I believe it is essential to choose challenging teachers
who make you think critically. Critical thinkers can help themselves
much better than those who have lots of facts, but don't know what
to do with them or how to assimilate them in problem solving.
-----
A: FROM MENTOR WANDA BONNEL, RN, PHD, Clinical Associate Professor
at the University of Kansas in Topeka, KS.
This is a great question. If you are considering the medical field,
whether it be nursing, medicine, or allied health professions such
as physical therapy and occupational therapy, a broad liberal arts
or generalist approach that has a strong science and math foundation
will be a useful background. Good healthcare providers are knowledgeable
about their specialty, caring about their patients, and assertive
working within the healthcare system. An initial broad educational
background provides the basis for developing the specialty competencies
that are needed to work in healthcare.
-----
A: FROM MENTOR ANNALIESE BRATCHER, Information Technology Trainer
at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY.
The more advanced science or math classes you can take, the better.
There are some other less obvious choices that can also help. For
instance, foreign languages, especially Latin, can be very helpful
for preparing for medical and scientific terminology. Many physicians
struggle to communicate with patients who don't speak English. Spanish
classes could be a good investment if you want to become a practicing
patient care physician. Also, don't ignore the need for basic English
and Communications skill-building classes. In order to get into
college and from there into Medical School, you need to score well
on standardized tests such as PSATs, SATs, ACTs, and GMATs. To score
well on these and to handle your college and med school classwork,
you'll need excellent vocabulary and reading comprehension skills
New Question FROM MENTEE LUCINDA E. in Kentucky
What is the highest paying job for women in the techonolgy field?
Also what is the pay?
_____
END
=========================================================================
GEM-SET Daily Digest For October 24, 2001
Q:FROM MENTEE LUCINDA E. IN KENTUCKY What is the highest paying
job for women in the techonolgy field? Also what is the pay?
-----
A: FROM MENTOR ANNALIESE BRATCHER, Information Technology Trainer
at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY.
The highest paying job in Information Technology is probably Chief
Information Officer. (To be a CIO, a person must know a combination
of information technology, business fundamentals, and management.)
I did a quick web search to find some actually salary figures. I
found a very impressive 1997 salary for a woman named Janice Roberts
"The most highly paid woman executive on this year's list,
3Com's Janice Roberts . . .Roberts, who in 1997 brought home a total
of $5.8 million. . ." The 5.8 million dollars was most likely,
salary plus stock options, bonuses and other incentive pays. You
can read the whole article at<HTTP: htm bosswomen98. docs bossmakes
companies svtech www0.mercurycenter.com http://www0.mercurycenter.com/svtech/companies/bossmakes/docs/bosswomen9
8.htm A great web site for information on CIOs, and on women in
technology leadership positions is<HTTP: www.cio.com www.CIO.com
A chart with data from year 2000 which lists many IT job titles
and average salaries is at<HTTP: im1.htm www.wageweb.com
-----
A: FROM MENTOR KRISTIN TAGHON, Software Engineer at Lucent Technologies
in Naperville, Il
Hi, I did a search at yahoo using the following keywords: Technology
Careers Salary Comparisons. I received a great list of URLs. Here
are some of those: 1)<HTTP: careers.htm www.startwrite.com http://www.startwrite.com/careers.htm
Click on BestJobsUSA, then on the right, there are links. One good
one is "Salary Survey 2001" I clicked on Engineering,
for example and it gave me a table of all the different types of
engineering and the levels. It ranged from 38,000 for starting position
Tech support to 92,000 for hightest position in Software Systems.
In Healthcare: The resulting table gave me a list of many healthcare
positions. Average Minimum Salary, Average Max salary and Mean Average
Salary. the highest Average Max Salary(Doctor was not one of the
positions) was 91,745 for Director of Nursing. It will go higher
or lower depending on the area of the country. 2)<HTTP: schools-careers.htm
seminar www.twyman-whitney.com http://www.twyman -whitney.com/seminar/schools-careers.htm
Has information on colleges, financial aid, Career and Women, etc.
Lots of links here. One Government site has info on salaries from
96-97. Hopefully, there is a more current update. 3)<HTTP: links
students careers www.bsu.edu http://www.bsu.edu/stude nts/careers/students/links
Ball State University has this great website on Careers. It looks
like a great site. I scrolled down to Job Outlook. Click on America's
Career Info Net. There is a search for info on salary. I clicked
on overall highest paying jobs. You can also choose highest paying
jobs with different levels of education. My results returned: Median
Wages 1998 Highest median wage was 124000 for doctors/physicians.
Remember these are medians, so you can be paid higher/lower depending
on your level of experience and location. This is a great sight.
Lots of information. 4) Search for salary information at http://www.salary.com/
Click on the Salary Wizard tab. Select job category and area. Search.
You may have to select a more specific career (ie Chemist 1, II,
III for job experience/level). ie. My results for Chemist III are:
A typical Chemist III working in metro Illinois -- Chicago is expected
to earn a median base salary of $73,670. Half of the people in this
job are expected to earn between $65,174 and $87,044 (i.e., between
the 25th and 75th percentiles). These numbers are based on national
averages adjusted by geographic salary differentials. There are
many more links. Check them out!
-----
Q: FROM MENTEE LEEANN M. in Kentucky.
If I am looking at a medical career, what type of high school classes
should I consider taking?
-----
A: FROM MENTOR JENNIFER MCGEHEE MARSH, PHD, ESQ., Senior Associate,
Council of Postsecondary Education in Frankfort, KY.
Everything. Focus on math and the sciences, but also know how to
read, write, think, and communicate. Don't limit yourself to courses
offered in your school, but learn everything you can in non-traditional
ways. Take a virtual course, study on your own, join a book club,
read to children or elderly people. Study philosophy so you can
find how you fit in the universe. Study literature so you'll know
the beauty of words and expression. Study art because artists are
the complementary opposites of scientists and their creativity can
assist in your own problem solving. Study a language so you can
communicate outside of this country and learn other cultures. I
don't believe there is any such thing as wasted information- you
may not need it when it's presented to you, but sometime in your
life it will come up again and you'll be ready. Your patients will
come from every background and the more you understand them and
their origins, the more effective you can be at keeping them whole.
-----
New Question FROM MENTEE LUCINDA E. in Kentucky
Did any one ever make fun of you because you wanted to take engineering
classes? If so was it because you were a girl?
-----
New Question FROM MENTEE LINDSEY M. in Kentucky
I am considering a medical career. Can you tell me some jobs available
and of what they consist?
-----
New Question FROM MENTEE AMANDA W. in Kentucky
I have my career goal picked out already and it has relatively nothing
to do with Science. I want to teach children and adults how to ride.
The only way I see Science coming in is horse feeding and minor
Vet skills. Is there anything else that I might have missed?
-----
New Question FROM MENTEE LEAH C. in Kentucky
What are some high school classes I should take to help me prepare
to be a pharmacist?
_____
END
=========================================================================
GEM-SET Daily Digest for October 25, 2001
Q:FROM MENTEE LUCINDA E. in Kentucky
Did any one ever make fun of you because you wanted to take engineering
classes? If so was it because you were a girl?
-----
A: FROM MENTOR KRISTIN TAGHON, Software Engineer at Lucent Technologies
in Naperville, Il.
No, never did anyone make fun of my class choices. Maybe I was oblivious,
but I don't recall anyone making fun of me because of classes that
I chose to take. If anything, people just assumed I was smart and
respected me for that. Plus, most of my friends were taking tough
classes as well. In high school, I didn't really know what I wanted
to do after college, so no one made fun of my career decisions either.
I took the math classes and liberal arts classes that prepped me
for college. I'm sure some people knew what they wanted to do after
college, but most of us did not have the foresight that many young
people do these days. I think it's great that you have ideas about
what you'd like to do. But, keep an open mind as you attend college,
because new areas of interest will crop up. In college, I started
out wanting to be a teacher. To get experience to put on my resume,
I was a park leader one summer (created and led activities with
children in city parks) and realized that teaching was not what
I wanted. Luckily, I had taken a FORTRAN class during my 2nd year
in college and realized that I really enjoyed it. Right before my
3rd year of college, I changed my major to Computer Science. By
then, people didn't make fun of you for your career choices or the
classes you took!!
-----
A: FROM MENTOR MARY JO MULLEN, Civil Engineer at Patrick Engineering
in Lisle, Il.
I never got made fun of openly for taking engineering classes, but
I did get teased in high school for being in advanced placement
classes or honors classes. Typical high school stuff, I suppose,
so I don't think it was related to being female. I let it really
get to me when I was in junior high or just beginning high school.
Then I started to realize that anyone who teased you for being intelligent
was just insecure and immature, sometimes even jealous. I ignored
them, stopped letting it get to me and was way happier. And when
they saw that the teasing didn't bother me anymore, it stopped.
In my engineering classes in college, there were times when I felt
out of place being a woman. There were guys, sometimes even professors,
who looked at me like I wasn't going to survive this class, or treated
me like some dumb girl. While its wrong that it happens, you cannot
let this intimidate you. It gave me incentive to show those people
that I was smarter than they gave me credit for, or sometimes smarter
than they were.
-----
A: FROM MENTOR MOLLY WILLIAMS, Professor of Mechanical and Aeronautical
Engineering, and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs
at the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Western Michigan
University in Kalamazoo, MI.
Yes, although it was many years ago when I was finishing my master's
degree in engineering. One of my committee members, a faculty member
from another academic department, remarked with astonishment "A
woman engineer! Who will marry you?" -- an insensitive remark
indeed! This question returns to the earlier topic about why there
are so few women in technical careers. The issue is almost exclusively
cultural. Many people (and that includes women and girls themselves!)
don't think women can do science and engineering. Also, unfortunately,
some men are intimidated by high-achieving women. The traditional
view still persists of women being dependent on and subordinate
to men. Consequently, girls reason that if they are going to find
a husband, she should not outshine him, especially in traditionally
male fields. What you want to find is a man who expects his wife
to be a partner, recognizing their different abilities and allowing
both of them to achieve their best in whatever arenas they act.
-----
A: FROM MENTOR ANNALIESE BRATCHER, Information Technology Trainer
at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY.
Don't be afraid of the teasing. If you really love learning about
engineering, don't let anyone stop you from taking it. People made
fun of me and my family, because my mom is from Germany and speaks
with an accent. That experience taught me to ignore people's negative
opinions. The first time I was able to choose my own classes (High
School), I took a lot of science and math classes. Some people thought
that was cool. Some made fun of a girl taking Physics and Trigonometry.
In college, people were surprised at me for taking Mechanical Engineering
classes because I was the only female student in the program. Some
of the male students and instructors were disapproving, antagonistic
or teasing. There were several female students in Electrical Engineering.
They were there for each other, and were very supportive of me.
As hard as it was to have the negative reactions of some people,
it had meant more to me to have the support of other young women
who were facing the same struggles.
-----
A: FROM MENTOR JULIA HOCHBERG, Mechanical Engineer at Motorola in
Arlington Heights, Il.
Younger kids like to make fun of engineering (boys and especially
girls) because it sounds nerdy and kids like to make fun of anything
resembling nerdy. But, as they grow up, they realize that engineering
is a fascinating topic, wide and varied, and a pure necessity to
our world. Maybe they are jealous you have the bravery and intellect
to take the challenge. Maybe they wish they had all the marketable
skills you learn, could command the salary you will, and have the
opportunity to work on exciting, new projects. There has always
been people who raise their eyebrow and smirk when I tell them that
I was studying to be or am an engineer. They say, "Wow, you
don't look like you would be an engineer. Where is your pocket protector
or your taped-together glasses?" I have always thought their
surprised reaction was flattering and motivation to keep surprising
more people with my initiative and abilities. But, more and more,
those same people have a relative or close friend who is a female
engineer which continuously helps their understanding and to break
down the stereotypes. Soon, it won't be a laughing matter!
-----
New Question FROM MENTEE LAUREN H. in Kentucky
What exactly is a forensic scientist and what is the gender ratio
in this field?
-----
New Question FROM MENTEE ABBE Y. in Connecticut
I would like to ask the mentors 2 questions: 1.) Is there a way
to learn more about the different types of doctors that one can
become (i.e. surgeon, dermatologist, radiologist)? 2.) You have
stated that it is essential to develop strong math and science backgrounds
as well as in English. I am a sophomore in high school and it is
my first year being offered honors classes, and because of my extra-curricular
schedule I am only taking honors chemistry and English. Is this
to little an amount of honors classes?
-----
NOTE: IF YOU DID NOT SEE YOUR TOPIC TODAY, CHECK BACK TOMORROW.
THE DAILY DIGEST WILL COVER 1-2 TOPICS EACH DAY DEPENDING ON LENGTH.
DON'T DESPAIR IF YOUR TOPIC IS NOT COVERED IMMEDIATELY. IT WILL
APPEAR IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS! =========================================================================
GEM-SET Daily Digest for October 26, 2001
Q: FROM MENTEE AMANDA W. IN KENTUCKY I have my career goal picked
out already and it has relatively nothing to do with Science. I
want to teach children and adults how to ride. The only way I see
Science coming in is horse feeding and minor Vet skills. Is there
anything else that I might have missed?
-----
A: FROM MENTOR MOLLY WILLIAMS, Professor of Mechanical and Aeronautical
Engineering, and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs
at the College of Engineering and Applied Science at Western Michigan
University in Kalamazoo, MI.
There are therapy programs that include work with horses. Riding
and care of horses are used build self-confidence and responsibility
among people who have problems relating to other people. Also there
are physical therapy and rehabilitation programs (called "hippotherapy")
for people who are confined to a wheel chair. The motion of a walking
horse replicates the lower body motion of a human walking gait,
allowing a person who is unable to walk to develop upper body balance,
stability, and strength.
-----
A: FROM MENTOR ANNALIESE BRATCHER, Information Technology Trainer
at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY.
I think your career choice would be greatly enhanced by studying
math and science. I considered Vet School and discovered I didn't
want to cut up animals in science labs. So, I've been a happy lifelong
dog owner instead. My physics, math and biology classes have given
me valuable insight into understanding my dogs, their needs, and
how to provide the best for them. I've had 3 Great Danes. The breed
has a 6-year life expectancy, yet mine have all been healthy at
more than 11 years. Horses and Great Danes have similar skeletal
problems. Too much weight or force on their long necks, backs or
hips leads to problems. Their feet endure great weight and force,
and are located so far from the heart that circulation problems
are common. By understanding biology, math and physics, I'm able
to participate intelligently in decision-making with my Vets to
pick the best course of action for any of my sick animals. My math
and physics knowledge helps me provide them with the environment
and activities that aid their health and to avoid things destructive
to their health. Understanding science helps with the most routine
tasks of caring for animals, such as nutrition and parasite control.
Pursuing science training would also help you if you want to breed
horses (genetics, reproduction, physical development). Some horse
riding programs teach disabled children and adults to ride. You
may want to study about medical conditions and psychological impacts
for disabled humans, if you are considering this clientele.
-----
A: FROM MENTOR KRISTIN TAGHON, Software Engineer at Lucent Technologies
in Naperville, Il.
The great thing about college is that you will learn more about
what is available to you as far as careers and what your interests
are. The sciences can teach you alot about anatomy of horses and
how their bodies work, and same with people. This can be very helpful
when you are teaching people. Yes, health/medical classes, psychology
(because teaching requires some knowledge of the human psyche) and
other veterinarian classes are a GREAT start. And, while you are
taking these classes, be open to new ideas and changes in what you
may decide to do after college. Your path could change to something
you may not even know is out there!
-----
New Question FROM MENTEE ASHLEY P. in Massachusetts
I want to be a lawyer. What shall I consider doing for now?
_____
END
=========================================================================
GEM-SET Daily Digest for October 29, 2001
Q: FROM MENTEE AMANDA W. IN KENTUCKY I have my career goal picked
out already and it has relatively nothing to do with Science. I
want to teach children and adults how to ride. The only way I see
Science coming in is horse feeding and minor Vet skills. Is there
anything else that I might have missed?
-----
A:FROM MENTOR CAROL TOMAN, Distinguished Member of Technical Staff
at Lucent Technologies, Inc. in Naperville, Il.
If you want to be the owner of the riding stable, rather than just
an employee, don't forget to take business administration classes.
You'll need to know about bookkeeping, cash flow, tax implications,
balance sheets and income statements. Here's the technology tie-in:
these things are all best done on a computer. Take computer classes
now so you become comfortable with computers, and you'll learn the
specific application programs later in college.
SEVERAL MENTEES HAVE SENT INQUIRIES ABOUT MEDICAL CAREERS. HERE
ARE A FEW OF THOSE QUESTIONS:
Q: FROM MENTEE JACKIE W. in Kentucky
If I were to pursue a career in a medical field, what would be some
of the classes I would need to take in high school and college?
Also, where would be some of the best colleges to attend medical
school? Thank You for your time and I hope to here an answer from
you soon. Thanks Again!
Q: FROM MENTEE LEEANN M. in Kentucky
What is the difference between a nurse, a physician's assistant,
and a nurse practitioner?
Q: FROM MENTEE ABBE Y. in Connecticut
I would like to ask the mentors 2 questions: 1.) Is there a way
to learn more about the different types of doctors that one can
become (i.e. surgeon, dermatologist, radiologist)? 2.) You have
stated that it is essential to develop strong math and science backgrounds
as well as in English. I am a sophomore in high school and it is
my first year being offered honors classes, and because of my extra-curricular
schedule I am only taking honors chemistry and English. Is this
too little an amount of honors classes?
_____
END
=========================================================================
GEM-SET Daily Digest for October 30, 2001
A: FROM MENTOR WANDA BONNEL, Nurse Educator at the University of
Kansas
In response to the question about courses to take in high school
in preparation for a career in healthcare: This is a great question.
If you are considering the medical field, whether it be nursing,
medicine, or allied health professions such as physical therapy
and occupational therapy, a broad liberal arts or generalist approach
that has a strong science and math foundation will be a useful background.
Good healthcare providers are knowledgeable about their specialty,
caring about their patients, and assertive working within the healthcare
system. An initial broad educational background provides the basis
for developing the specialty competencies that are needed to work
in healthcare.
-----
Q: FROM MENTEE ABBE Y. in Connecticut
You have stated that it is essential to develop strong math and
science backgrounds as well as in English. I am a sophmore in high
school and it is my first year being offered honors classes, and
because of my extra-curricular schedule I am only taking honors
chemistry and english. Is this too little an amount of honors classes?
-----
A: FROM MENTOR JATARA BROWN, Software Developer at Lucent Technologies
in Naperville, Il.
The answer to your question depends on your comfort level. Honors/gifted/advanced
placement classes tend to be more accelerated and more demanding
than their regular counterparts and that should definitely be a
consideration when picking out a schedule. If you feel that you
are able to handle your current schedule (both in school and out
of school), then leave your schedule as it is. If you feel that
you're able to add another honors class, then go ahead. For what's
it's worth, I was taking gifted and honors courses in high school.
During my four years, I was also active in the band and we practiced
three days a week. At most, I was only taking 2-3 honors courses
at a time. Most of my classmates, who were also active band members,
cheerleaders, pep squad, sports team members, also took no more
than 2-4 honors courses at a time. Again, it's all depends on your
schedule and what you are comfortable with. One last thing: don't
worry too much about the number of honors classes that you are taking,
worry about doing well in the classes that you have now, honors
or not. That is the important thing.
-----
Q: FROM MENTEE LAUREN H. in Kentucky
What exactly is a forensic scientist and what is the gender ratio
in this field?
-----
A: FROM MENTOR ANNALIESE BRATCHER, Info. Tech. Trainer at the University
of Kentucky.
I was not able to find info on the representation of women in forensic
science, but did come across an interesting site for a woman forensic
pathologist: Farzana Patel, Assistant Forensic Scientist has a SET
site at www.set4women.gov.uk Encarta has a good definition: "Forensic
Science, also called forensics, [is] the application of science
to law. Forensic science uses highly developed technologies to uncover
scientific evidence in a variety of fields. Modern forensic science
has a broad range of applications. It is used in civil cases such
as forgeries, fraud, or negligence. It can help law-enforcement
officials determine whether any laws or regulations have been violated
in the marketing of foods and drinks, the manufacture of medicines,
or the use of pesticides on crops.... However, forensic science
is most commonly used to investigate criminal cases involving a
victim, such as assault, robbery, kidnapping, rape, or murder."
-----
Q: FROM MENTEE LEEANN M. in Kentucky
What is the difference between a nurse, a physician's assistant,
and a nurse practitioner?
-----
A: FROM MENTOR ANNALIESE BRATCHER, Info. Tech. Trainer at the University
of Kentucky.
There are several types of nurses, including (but not limited to)
L.P.N. - licensed practical nurse; and R.N. Registered Nurse. In
some instances, an R.N. can become a nurse practioner. L.P.N's usually
take 2 years of nursing training at a college or vocational school.
An R.N. finishes a 4-year college nursing degree. The jobs in hospitals,
nursing homes, clinics, and other health care settings often require
a specific degree. An R.N. would have a wider range of job opportunities
than an L.P.N. An R.N. who becomes a nurse practitioner may under
some circumstances diagnose patients and prescribe medicines. Laws
can increase or decrease the "powers" of nurse practitioners.
In recent years, in the state of Kentucky, the ability of nurse
practitioners to prescribe drugs has changed more than once. A physician's
assistant usually completes a 4-year college degree from an Allied
Health college. Often the PA can diagnose patients and prescribe
drugs.
-----
Q: FROM MENTEE ABBE Y. in Connecticut
Is there a way to learn more about the different types of doctors
that one can become (i.e. surgeon, dermatologist, radiologist)?
-----
A: FROM MENTOR ANNALIESE BRATCHER, Info. Tech. Trainer at the University
of Kentucky.
I learned more about physicians and medical professionals by being
a volunteer at a hospital which has a medical college and a lot
of specialty areas. You might try browsing web sites for medical
schools to expose yourself to information about the different types
of physicians. Call or visit a public, college or school library
and ask a reference librarian. There are many career guides with
introductory information. Have the librarians help you pursue internet
searches for more details on each physician type that is of interest
to you.
-----
Q: FROM MENTEE ABBE Y. in Connecticut
You have stated that it is essential to develop strong math and
science backgrounds as well as in English. I am a sophomore in high
school and it is my first year being offered honors classes, and
because of my extra-curricular schedule I am only taking honors
chemistry and English. Is this too little an amount of honors classes?
-----
A: FROM MENTOR ANNALIESE BRATCHER, Info. Tech. Trainer at the University
of Kentucky.
One of the hardest choices in High School is achieving the right
balance. You don't want to be underchallenged, or overburdened.
If your extracurricular activities promote good health, learning
better communication skills and socialization skills then they are
also very important to you. I've had great success evaluating classes
by several criteria: How important is the subject to my future plans?;
How good in the teacher?; Can I get the knowledge and skills from
this class elsewhere?
-----
Q: FROM MENTEE ASHLEY P. in Massachusetts
I want to be a lawyer. What shall I consider doing for now? Try
to find a way to work with lawyers, for instance, in a summer job,
or as a volunteer.
-----
A: FROM MENTOR ANNALIESE BRATCHER, Info. Tech. Trainer at the University
of Kentucky.INFO.
Take classes that will prepare you for law school and help you become
competitive on your college entrance exams. You'll need many of
the same skills that those in science, engineering and technology
need. For instance, computer literacy and competence in searching
computer databases has become extremely important for lawyers. Some
of the highest paid lawyers also need a science background (for
example, patent lawyers and lawyers for scitech firms.) When choosing
your classes, consider communications skills, critical thinking
skills, math, English, and Latin (most legal terminology is still
in Latin). If you know which legal specialty interests you most,
take classes in those areas too. The workload in Law classes is
enormous. You definitely want some preparation in classes that have
high workloads and high expectations. History and literature classes
with lots of reading and demanding instructors helped me prepare
for my 2 law classes more than anything else.
_____
END
=========================================================================
GEM-SET Daily Digest for October 31, 2001
Q: FROM MENTEE LEEANN M. in Kentucky
What is the difference between a nurse, a physician's assistant,
and a nurse practitioner?
-----
A:FROM MENTOR MARGO AUXTER, Radiation Therapist at St. John Hospital
in Kellyville, OK.
A nurse can be anything from a nurse's assistant to a nurse with
a master's degree. In my area of the country, a nurse with a BS
is the most sought after nurse. Nurses work in all areas of hospitals,
clinics, offices and even some companies keep nurses on staff. A
nurse practitioner is a nurse, most commonly a BSN, with several
years of experience who goes on to a separate school. This takes
about two more years of training and another set of boards. They
most commonly work in a clinic or Doctor's office where they see
patients alone and a Doctor oversees their work. I do not believe
they can write prescriptions, but I am not positive. A physician's
assistant is a separate program entirely. They have their own schools,
and take many of the same classes as medical students. After passing
boards, they act almost as a doctor. They can prescribe from Class
III narcotics down. In some settings, they may have their own clinics
which has a physician to sign off on their work.
-----
Q: FROM MENTEE ABBE Y. in Connecticut
Is there a way to learn more about the different types of doctors
that one can become (i.e. surgeon, dermatologist, radiologist)?
-----
A:FROM MENTOR MARGO AUXTER, Radiation Therapist at St. John Hospital
in Kellyville, OK.
Try looking up the American Medical Association on the web and looking
under specialties, or speaking with a Med student.
-----
Q: FROM MENTEE ABBE Y. in Connecticut
I am a sophomore in high school and it is my first year being offered
honors classes, and because of my extra-curricular schedule I am
only taking honors chemistry and English. Is this too little an
amount of honors classes?
-----
A: FROM MENTOR MARGO AUXTER, Radiation Therapist at St. John Hospital
in Kellyville, OK.
If you are strong in you honors classes, and you have a well balanced
extracurricular life, I feel your doing great. I don't think overloading
yourself with too much will help you any. Medical schools are looking
for intelligent as well as well-rounded students. Also, once you
get into college and medical school, there are no proms and homecomings.
Enjoy them now, you'll be glad you did twenty years from now.
-----
Q: FROM MENTEE AMANDA W. in Kentucky
I have my career goal picked out already and it has relatively nothing
to do with Science. I want to teach children and adults how to ride.
The only way I see Science coming in is horse feeding and minor
Vet skills. Is there anything else I might have missed?
-----
A: FROM MENTOR MARGO AUXTER, Radiation Therapist at St. John Hospital
in Kellyville, OK.
I ride myself, and am getting a small boarding business off the
ground, so I know how to tie horses into about anything. You will
need to know a lot of anatomy and physiology about horses, so you
can explain how and why a horse does what it does. Chemistry classes
also can help, because you will be dealing with many different drugs
and medications you will want to understand. Medical terminology
can help as well, you may need to know the difference between administrating
a medication BID, PRONE, etc. Business and computer classes are
a great idea, especially if you own your own barn and will be doing
your own business transactions.
-----
Q: FROM MENTEE JACKIE W. in Kentucky
If I were to pursue a career in a medical field what would be some
of the classes I would need to take in high school and college?
Also, where would be some of the best colleges to attend medical
school?
-----
A: FROM MENTOR MARGO AUXTER, Radiation Therapist at St. John Hospital
in Kellyville, OK.
All of the chemistry, biology, physics, anatomy and physiology,
you can take. Also, if your high school offers any classes on studying
and memorization it would be helpful. Some high schools also have
hospital volunteering programs that will expose you to a wide range
of settings, and put you in touch with many contacts you may want
when applying for schools.
-----
New Question FROM MENTEE CHRISTINE B. in Connecticut
I'm interested in working with children in medicine. How does working
with children in the medical field differ from working with adults?
_____
END
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