Panelists to talk about how women can manage obstacles in STEM fields

Working with Assistant Professor Scott Tiegs, graduate students conduct biology research at local streams. A panel discussion on March 9 will share insights on how women can excel in STEM fields by participating in research and with a gender studies approach.

Historically, women have faced obstacles when pursuing a career in the STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and mathematics.  Oakland is striving to remedy this trend through programs and events focused on reversing implicit bias and teaching women how they can be successful in STEM fields, which include many of the fastest-growing and highest-paying occupations.

As part of this effort, Oakland University’s women and gender studies program is partnering with female STEM professors to host a panel discussion from noon – 1 p.m. on Monday, March 9, in Oakland Center Gold Room C. This free event is geared toward undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty, who are interested in women’s success in STEM.

Kathleen Moore, professor emerita of chemistry at Oakland University, says that while women interested in a STEM career have a lot more options today than in the past, they continue to be underrepresented in those fields.

Moore will be part of the panel discussion, along with colleagues Wenjin Zou, Amy Banes-Berceli, and biochemistry honors student Hana Trzeciakiewicz. The group will share insights on how women may successfully manage obstacles and leverage opportunities, and how a gender studies approach might be beneficial to those in STEM.

For those with a passion for science, technology, engineering, or mathematics, Moore says it is important to: 

• Pursue your passion. Having the passion for a STEM career is the first step to becoming successful in it.
• Be aware, engaged and involved. “The single most important experience in undergraduate education is research,” Moore said. It is crucial to become involved as early as possible not only with participating in research opportunities, but also engaging with and seeking assistance from fellow students.
• Utilize resources. Learning from professors and researchers in the lab and at lectures, as well as outside the classroom at events and discussions, can help to jumpstart interests in the field.

“Supporting women in STEM fields requires our careful attention and that is why we are taking the time to critically examine the complexities women face in these fields and how women may leverage the opportunities available to them,” said Interim Director of Women & Gender Studies Valerie Palmer-Mehta. “Supporting women's advancement in STEM is another way that OU is standing out among its peers.”

For more information on the panel discussion or to learn more about women and gender studies, contact Palmer-Mehta at vpalmer@oakland.edu or visit oakland.edu/wgs.

Learn more about how Oakland University is promoting women in STEM fields by checking out The Women in Science and Engineering (WISE@OU) program that aims to initiate and sustain institutional change.