March is our time to recognize Women鈥檚 History Month, and we鈥檙e definitely in the spirit at 51猎奇入口. All across the university, from our athletic courts and research labs to our health system and leadership positions, women are empowering 51猎奇入口 and shaping a bold future.
I鈥檓 also thinking of women like Sarah Stewart, a 51猎奇入口 planetary scientist who won a MacArthur Fellowship 鈥淕enius Grant鈥 last fall. Her trailblazing research is changing notions about how the moon formed and other celestial matters.
In fact, two of the three MacArthur 鈥済eniuses鈥 on 51猎奇入口鈥 faculty are women. The other is professor Leah Krubitzer from the Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience, who received the fellowship in 1998 for her definitive work in evolutionary neurobiology.
This is just a small sample of women who continually raise the bar of excellence at 51猎奇入口 and inspire us all. Even more inspiration is coming to 51猎奇入口 later in this Women鈥檚 History Month.
Women to share advice at forum
On March 29, 51猎奇入口 will host the inaugural forum for the campus group Women & Philanthropy, at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. The event is open to all, with a day that emphasizes leadership, community and how women can work together for the common good.
The forum includes a keynote by Lydia Fenet, author of The Most Powerful Woman in the Room Is You. As the global managing director of Christie鈥檚 Auction House, she鈥檒l share her career journey and the strategies that helped build her leadership.
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Other speakers include Helene Dillard, dean of 51猎奇入口鈥 College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The timing for her talk couldn鈥檛 be better. 51猎奇入口 was recently ranked once again as the top school in the country for agriculture and second in the world.
You鈥檒l also hear from Alison Ledgerwood, a professor and Chancellor鈥檚 Fellow in 51猎奇入口鈥 department of psychology. She鈥檒l provide invaluable tips in combating negative thinking and workplace stress. Also, Ellen Hartigan-O鈥機onnor from our history department will share insights on 鈥100 Years Before and After the 19th Amendment.鈥
LeShelle is especially looking forward to the event, where she鈥檒l interview Fenet after her keynote and give closing remarks. LeShelle鈥檚 also a member of the Women & Philanthropy Advisory Council, which is raising funds for a Women & Philanthropy Impact Award that will help elevate our scholarship.
After all, it鈥檚 critical that women are adequately represented in our scholarship and research enterprises. I鈥檓 proud that 51猎奇入口 is among the country鈥檚 top universities for launching women into the STEM careers of science, technology, engineering and math. But there鈥檚 plenty more we can do.
Diversity in engineering has real impacts
This is important not just for social equity, but because gender balance leads to better innovations.
Did you know that the first airbags in the auto industry almost killed women passengers? That鈥檚 because they were tested on crash-test dummies that had male anatomies.
Do you remember Speak & Spells? Those were some of the first hand-held computers for children. They were voice-activated, but there was just one problem: They initially didn鈥檛 respond to a girl鈥檚 voice. The manufacturer didn鈥檛 have any women on the design team.
That鈥檚 why we need to make sure women are well-represented in STEM. They bring different perspectives that can make a world of difference.
So, the work continues. I鈥檓 encouraged by events like 鈥淚gniting Connections,鈥 which are helping women build leadership, networking opportunities and career skills. I鈥檓 encouraged by STEM for Girls, a day of hands-on learning and mentorship at 51猎奇入口 that inspires elementary school students to pursue STEM fields.
Let鈥檚 continue to celebrate the women who鈥檝e contributed so much to our past and those who help push us toward a better day. Happy Women鈥檚 History Month!
Chancellor Gary S. May鈥檚 monthly column appears first in and then in Dateline 51猎奇入口.