Women in Science Project
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A Preview: Dawn Lawrie '97
An Interview by Christie Jackson February 21, 2000
Dawn Lawrie graduated from Dartmouth in 1997 with high honors in Computer Science and a minor in Chemistry. Dawn was actively involved in research during her undergraduate years, participating in a first-year research internship with Professor Michael Walters in the Chemistry Department, and becoming a Presidential Scholar with Professor Dave Kotz in the Computer Science Department where she conducted research on mobile agents. During her senior year, she completed an honors thesis, developing the idea of a self-organized file cabinet. Dawn also participated in the first year of WISP's e-mentoring program where she was linked to a mentor from IBM and learned about the corporate side of Computer Science. Currently in her second year of a Computer Science graduate program at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Dawn is focusing on research and her Master's projects.
Christie Jackson '96, member of WISP's Alumnae Advisory Council, interviewed Dawn last August to learn about her path since college.
When and how did you first get interested in science?
That's a hard question! I always thought teaching would be a good choice. But I can remember in the 5th grade wanting to be an astronomer after I saw a magazine on how to send a manned mission to Mars. This was the first time I realized that science could be a career. As time went on, I realized I was a strong math student and I excelled in the science. I began falling into science as my abilities fueled my interest. My mother used to read articles to me about female scientists; from those articles I realized I wanted to be a woman on the frontier I wanted to leave my mark through scientific work.
During your college years, did you have a clear idea of what you wanted to do as a job or career after graduation?
I actually thought I wanted to be a Chemistry Professor when I first matriculated at Dartmouth. I had already worked in two Chemistry internships before college. It was
"The types of problems in Computer Science - more engineering and math oriented - are better suited for my interest and abilities." Did you follow this agenda? After graduation, what was your job or career path? At first, I thought I would give industry a chance. After the way I fell into Computer Science, I didn't want to go get a Ph.D. just because I had always seen myself as a Professor. I was hired as a software engineer at Teradyne, Inc. I found the work missing the freshness that I found in research. In research one knows that one is pushing the envelope of what has been done before. That really excites me. What's the most rewarding component of your current work? The research I am working on is the best part of my work. I am working with my advisor on a method of organizing information. A problem that I see with personal computing is the huge amount of information that people have available to them with no way to organize it. In this project we use words found in a document collection to generate a hierarchical menu that a user would use to find the document of interest. If any part of this research were integrated into public use, then I would be very happy. If you could go back and change anything along your path, would you? If so, what? I wouldn't change a thing. While I am not using Chemistry per say, it is quite valuable. I have noticed that some people in Computer Science say "how do you do research?" because they have never been exposed to the scientific method in a lab setting. Chemistry showed me that we need to conduct research in the best manner that our resources will allow us to. There is no one correct way to do research, it's all about adapting your work and your approach. Do you have any advice for current high school or college students, who may be interested in science? If you like science but aren't thrilled what you found in high school, explore once you get to college. In high school, most students are not exposed to scientific subjects in a way that is meant to excite you; high school is more about general principles and the basics needed to continue on in college. It's easy for women to become intimidated in predominately male-dominated science fields. And, once someone is intimidated, it's hard to have the courage to go out and try new things. I believe that's why some students feel they have to pick the exact path they want to take early on in college, or before they arrive. I would like to mandate that all advisors tell their advisees "take one class that is not on the path you see yourself on." The hardest thing is to make students look around them and see all the wonderful interdisciplinary and non-traditional subjects that are out there. Don't be too focused on one end goal, or you may lose sight of what a liberal arts education should be about. In my own "The hardest thing is to make students look around them and see all the wonderful interdisciplinary and non-traditional subjects that are out there."
really by chance that I fell into Computer Science. My first-year advisor turned out to be my father's favorite Professor at Dartmouth (my father is a '68). I thought it would be fun to take a class with the same Professor, so I took Computer Science 5 and I loved it. I found out that I was not interested in the theory behind Chemistry, but
that I was interested in the theory behind Computer Science. The types of problems in Computer Science - more engineering and math oriented - are better suited for my interest and abilities.
experience, I would be a chemist now, if it was not for that one Computer Science class I just happened to take.
By Christie Jackson '97
An Interview by Christie Jackson April 3, 2000
Name: Christie Jackson
Class Year: '97
Email and/or phone number: Christie.Jackson@Dartmouth.edu, 646-3368
May Dartmouth students contact you? SURE!
If so, by what method (phone, mail, e-mail)? phone or email, or going out to lunch in Hanover
When and how did you first get interested in science?
As a toddler my parents tell me I had a fascination with fish. I used to shout, "I want to be a fish!" and was entranced by Nova Specials more than by Sesame Street. Growing up on the shores of Lake Michigan was very much a factor in my love of the science and marine topics.
What was your major in college? Biology and Philosophy How did you decide what to focus on? Honestly, I came to Dartmouth knowing exactly what I wanted to major in, down to the classes I wanted to take. I had to think about the resources at Dartmouth before I came, since I wanted to study marine biology. Dartmouth isn't really a natural choice for marine sciences, since we are in the mountains, and a few hours away from the coastline. I had to make sure Dartmouth could provide me with the resources I needed to explore my marine interests. What science-related activities did you participate in, if any? Were they important and why? Did they make science intriguing or generate ideas for continuing on in the sciences? I was a WISP intern with Professor Carol Folt in aquatic biology (I ended up working with her on/off for four years). I also was a WISP mentor. Part of my D-Plan was also devoted to science, with three off-campus terms focusing in this area: the SEA Program, the Williams-Mystic Seaport Program, and the Dartmouth Biology FSP to Costa Rica and Jamaica. These helped me to realize how much I enjoyed fieldwork and that the application of what I learned was critical. Science became much more of a team-focused discipline for me, through working with others on these amazing programs. During college, did you have an idea of what you wanted to do after graduation? Did you follow this path? "To tell you the truth, this was the most difficult decision I faced -- leaving the comfortable path I though I was on, and deciding to try something completely new." I thought I was headed for graduate work in Marine Biology. Over my last two years at Dartmouth I realized that I wanted to veer off this path, at least temporarily. To tell you the truth, this was the most difficult decision I faced -- leaving the comfortable path I thought I was on, and deciding to try something completely new. I think it's easy to get caught up on getting from point A to point B, but you have to make sure you really enjoy what you are doing along the way. I had worked in the Dartmouth Admissions Office as an undergraduate (volunteer, tour guide, Senior Interviewer, April Intern). Through this work I realized I enjoyed working with people in education. Upon graduation, I took a job at the Admissions Office, where I have worked for the past three years. What are you currently involved in? What's the most rewarding component of your current work? What do you find less fulfilling? Where do you expect and hope that this work may take you? While I am not using my science knowledge in a direct way, I realize that the field of education is an ideal one, since it combines so many disciplines together, including science. I love being able to talk to students about how to follow their science interests, informally counseling them on various off-campus programs, WISP, and how to explore different academic areas. I enjoy being able to combine my own interests in science and in working with people. I do hope to actually get more involved with field research again, even if it is only in a volunteer setting. I miss the excitement of exploring the unknown and really getting to know a research site and the way that organisms interact within it. What are your top priorities today? Have these changed from when you first graduated? I value working with others and being in an engaging setting. While these have always been my priorities, I have also come to realize that following my science love doesn't mean I have to give up working with people. I initially thought the only thing I could do with science was to do research. I see now there are many ways to synthesize my interest - in museums, outreach programs, volunteer work, and teaching. What are you most passionate about today? I am passionate about helping others to realize just how many opportunities there are out there. Science doesn't mean just being a doctor; education doesn't just mean being
a teacher. There are ways to link all of your interests. I am also passionate about continuing to learn. I never realized I would miss being a student so much! I do miss being in a classroom setting and being exposed to different viewpoints within classroom discussions. It's easy "Science doesn't mean just being a doctor; education doesn't just mean being a teacher. There are ways to link all of your interests." Did you have any mentors that encouraged you or any individuals that discouraged you? If so, please describe the relationship and how it influenced your career path. Professor Carol Folt and Celia Chen are amazing women who really were heroes to me. They combined being successful, smart researchers, with being family-focused, caring individuals. I always thought I had to pick one or the other, but they show that you can truly find a happy medium. They allowed me to make mistakes along the way as I learned, but this only helped me to find my own 'voice,' my own confidence. How did you find out about various jobs, maybe even the job you have now? I would urge you to go in and talk to people and ask them how they got where they are. I remember going into several administrators' offices my senior year, and bluntly saying, "How did you get to where you are now?" Its fascinating to hear how some people slowly find their passions through trial and error. That helped me to realize that I could try different paths, and that as a 21 year-old, I didn't have to know what I was going to do for the rest of my life. I still am trying to find my path, but now I see the process as much more exciting that just the end result. Did you ever doubt your capabilities and/or knowledge in your major/career? How did you overcome those self-doubts? Yes, I think its natural. I learned that I didn't have to have all the answers, all the time. That's what being a student is all about. Instead of only looking ahead, which can be all consuming at a fast-paced school like Dartmouth, I learned to reflect on how far I had really come. I started to take more pride in my work, instead of always doubting it. If you could change anything about your career trajectory, what would it be and why? I wish I had been more flexible early on. I seemed nervous to veer off the path I envisioned for myself. Over the last few years I have begun to realize that letting my interests and talents naturally flow together was the best way to find my academic passions. What advice do you have for current students who may be interested in the sciences? Think broadly - science is a part of what you do every day, and there are as many jobs to reflect this, as there are imaginative approaches. Try to keep things in perspective - every experience is one to learn from.
to become complacent and get too caught up in a routine. I make an effort to read a lot, get science magazines and books, and attend academic events.
Featured Alumna: Lisa Forlano Shin '90
An Interview By Holly A. Taylor '87 July 3, 2000
A Born Scientist
Like many early childhood interests spurred on by interested parents, Lisa Forlano Shin '90 first became a budding scientist by entering elementary school science fairs (her first project was a lemon battery). Her science interest really picked up in early high school and has continued until today. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Tufts University, conducting research on the neurobiology of anxiety disorders.
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Lisa's interest in the neural mechanisms of anxiety disorders developed out of two Dartmouth courses, Abnormal Psychology and Human Neuropsychology. This interest was further reinforced through nearly two years of work in Dr. Gazzaniga's Cognitive Neuroscience lab at Dartmouth. This research experience played a critical role in Lisa's first job after graduation. She worked as a research assistant with Dr. Stephen Kosslyn of Harvard |
"Lisa received guidance for her current career path through influential college and graduate school mentors. These mentors treated her like a colleague rather than a student." |
| University. This additional research experience helped sway Lisa more toward the research side of her two possible interests, clinical work or research. Lisa went on to complete her Ph.D. in Psychology at Harvard. | |
Lisa's research primarily involves brain imaging to determine differences in brain functions between normal individuals and those in clinical populations. She is most interested in anxiety disorders and has focused most recently on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Individuals with PTSD include Vietnam War veterans and women subjected to abuse, among others. She uses positron emission tomography [PET] and functional magnetic resonance imaging [fMRI] to better understand differences in how individuals with PTSD process information.
The Importance of Good Guidance
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"There are times when we doubt our capabilities and we are only human to do so. The successful individual is the one who keeps going despite those occasional doubts." |
Lisa received guidance for her current career path through influential college and graduate school mentors. These mentors treated her like a colleague rather than a student. One of her graduate school mentors introduced her to neuroimaging. Such a cutting-edge tool was simply not available to graduate students at the time (1992). Another graduate school mentor provided consistent support during the sometimes arduous task of graduate school. Although he is technically no longer her advisor, and she is |
| a Ph.D. in her own right, he still serves to support Lisa's research and career. | |
A Juggling Act
In addition to her position at Tufts University, Lisa is also an Instructor in Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. These multiple roles play into her juggling act between career and family. Lisa and her husband Patrick '89 have a 9-month old daughter, Gianna. Family is the top priority for Lisa. However, the juggling act can become frustrating. While both parents have made schedule adjustments, the adjustments early on may have a greater impact on the mother due to childbirth, nursing, etc.
The Meaning of Success
Lisa will also willingly point out the truth: a career path, whether in science or any other field, comes with its difficulties. There are times when we doubt our capabilities and we are only human to do so. The successful individual is the one who keeps going despite those occasional doubts. For current undergraduates she offers some advice, "Šimmerse yourself in your field of interest. This means talk with senior people in the field, find a mentor or two, get involved in their research or other professional work, and find out what steps you need to take in order to get started in the field. Generally speaking,
you should not wait for other people to hand you opportunities; instead, you must search for and obtain them on your own." This advice relates to Lisa's observation that there are two kinds of people with respect to career paths, those who know what they want to do and those who aren't so sure. The indecision of the latter makes the road a bit more bumpy because career decisions are made multiple times, sometimes ending in a very unexpected place. If you're this latter type, don't get discouraged. You will find your intellectual home; it just might take longer. "Immerse yourself in your field of interest. This means talk with senior people in the field, find a mentor or two, get involved in their research or other professional work, and find out what steps you need to take in order to get started in the field."
Featured Alumna: Rebecca Todd '84
An Interview by Allison M. Hargreaves '02 July 31, 2000
A star-nosed mole is a small mammal resembling the typical mole with the added feature of a series of fleshy rays surrounding its snout. It is remarkable to think that such a simple creature can be the impetus for a distinguished career in science. Yet that is
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exactly how it happened for eight-year-old Rebecca Todd. She vividly recalls the day that her mom called the kids into the kitchen and revealed to them a star-nosed mole she had found by the side of the road and preserved in the freezer. Wanting to convey her own interest and enthusiasm for science to her children, Rebecca's mom sent her message |
| loud and clear--with the desired effect. According to Rebecca, it was "sort of natural that I became interested in the natural world...how it works and why it works and when and where. . .and that just naturally leads one to science." | |
No longer a child, Rebecca has followed through, and her interest in science and the natural world is evident in her professional life. Currently an environmental lawyer here in New Hampshire, Rebecca began her science studies early majoring in biology at Dartmouth and writing her honors thesis on zooplankton population dynamics under Carol Folt. When asked why she chose to major in biology, Rebecca responded, "There's nothing more basic than biology...or more complicated or more interesting."
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While an undergraduate at Dartmouth, Rebecca participated in the biology FSP to Costa Rica and Jamaica, spent a summer on Mount Moosilauke researching acid deposition, and traveled to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute on an island in the Panama Canal. There she worked with a grad student studying the diverse wildlife and "living a National Geographic special." |
"She finds the fact that she can get people, particularly large corporations, to listen to her and take responsibility for the environment to be quite rewarding." |
After college, Rebecca was fairly certain that she wanted to work in the field of aquatic ecology due to her love of water. "Maybe I was a fish in a past life," she quips. She got her chance when a Dartmouth alum called her about a job opening in California at the Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory. It was here that she realized her true calling. As she accumulated data and statistics only to hand them off to lawyers who argued for the protection of the lakes and wetlands, Rebecca discovered that she was "less the statistician and more of a natural historian" so she switched to environmental law, attending Cornell University. It was a way for her to truly express her "deep love and admiration for the natural world."
That is what Rebecca is doing now. She finds the fact that she can get people, particularly large corporations, to listen to her and take responsibility for the environment to be quite rewarding. Although she has learned that change is certainly possible, she also sees that it takes a tremendous amount of work. Rebecca is uncertain as to where her career may take her, but she sees herself at some point possibly making policy decisions on a bigger level than regional politics, which may happen in any number of ways. And despite the fact that she is no longer doing research, Rebecca does miss the field work, and she uses her scientific training on a daily basis.
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"Although Rebecca seems like an individual who knew what she wanted and went for it, when asked if she ever had any doubts, her reply was 'The question is, did I ever not have doubt? Doubt drives people to succeed.'" |
In addition to practicing law part-time, Rebecca is a full-time mom. Her current priority is balancing her work with her family. She moved to New Hampshire from Seattle two years ago and is now the mother of two young children‹Nathaniel (3 1/2 years old) and Eleanor (1 1/2). It has not been easy and there have been sacrifices made along the way, but when asked about the changes she has had to make, Rebecca replied "It's not a matter of having to, it's really a matter of choice." |
Rebecca is living a very busy and fulfilling life. She attributes part of her success to various mentors she has had along the way, which include Carol Folt, many faculty members of the Dartmouth biology department, graduate students, and others. And although Rebecca seems like an individual who knew what she wanted and went for it, when asked if she ever had any doubts, her reply was "The question is, did I ever not have doubt? Doubt drives people to succeed." It certainly has in this case. And it is a message many of us majoring in the sciences but uncertain as to what our career trajectories will be, can take to heart. And when asked what other words of advice she might have for aspiring scientists, she responded "I would say don't sweat the small stuff."
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Our interview was ended rather abruptly by the wails of Eleanor who had just awoken from her nap. I truly enjoyed interviewing Rebecca and I find her to be a remarkable individual. She is dedicated to her science as well as to her family, and the following quote truly sums up her feelings |
"If I find a star-nosed mole by the side of the road, I too will put it in the freezer for my children." |
| toward those two most important aspects of her life, "If I find a star-nosed mole by the side of the road, I too will put it in the freezer for my children." | |
Students can contact Rebecca with questions, comments, etc. at the following e-mail address: rtodd@together.net
Featured Alumna: Maureen Bunce '83
An Interview by Allison M. Hargreaves '02 October 9, 2000
I recently had the honor of interviewing a fascinating individual who is an alumna of not only Dartmouth College (class of 1983), but also Dartmouth Medical School (class of 1988). Maureen Bunce knew ever since she was a young girl sitting in seventh-grade biology class, and even before that, that she wanted to be a doctor.
Explore your many interests
Despite the fact that Maureen had her career planned at a young age, she took advantage of the fact that Dartmouth offered her the opportunity to explore her many other interests. She had the luxury of taking all of the science courses needed for medical school as well as pursuing other subjects. Graduating with a major in French, Maureen decided not to apply to medical school immediately, but to take a year off. During that year, she studied music, did some sailing, and traveled. She had always anticipated going to medical school in a big city, but realizing her love for a more rural atmosphere, she found Hanover, and Dartmouth Medical School with its somewhat older, broader, and more diverse student body, to be a good fit.
Rewards and frustrations
Currently, Maureen is trained in family medicine and has a private practice specializing in integrative medicine. Following her residency at Brown, she had some truly amazing experiences, including spending five years in the southwest practicing on Navajo and Zuni reservations, as well as working with a homeopath in Switzerland. She finds the
| most rewarding aspect of her work to be "the privilege of working with people on a really deep level and hearing their stories in a way that very few people get to hear them." For Maureen, among the most frustrating aspects of practicing medicine is dealing with the bureaucracy‹in particular insurance is a problem. However, Maureen is optimistic: "I think the phoenix is going to rise from the ashes. . .I think there are changes taking place in medicine and the medical system, and those have to continue. . .it's inevitable that they will continue." |
...the most rewarding aspect of her work to be "the privilege of working with people on a really deep level and hearing their stories in a way that very few people get to hear them." |
Medicine is science
One of the topics that came up frequently during our interview, is whether medicine is truly scientific in nature. Maureen has heard medicine referred to as a "pseudo-science" and insists, with good reason, that this is not the case. Maureen describes medicine as very much science-based with the added complexity and interest of dealing with human beings. She cites her scientific training as an undergraduate as a significant influence on the way she practices medicine today both in the actual training as well as in temperament. She uses her scientific training to decipher medical literature, to apply her practice to individual patients, and to discover more about how and why homeopathy works. In addition to practicing medicine, Maureen has developed an increasing interest in research. She would like to pursue investigative studies of alternative therapies: "Although I've always been a busy clinician, I see myself carving out time for that in the future."
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Maureen grew up knowing she could achieve her dream of becoming a physician: "It never occurred to me that I couldn't go to medical school. . .it never occurred to me that women couldn't be physicians." |
Maureen recalls two primary role models in her pursuit to become a doctor. Inspired by her family doctor and a good friend's mother who was an ophthalmologist, Maureen grew up knowing she could achieve her dream of becoming a physician: "It never occurred to me that I couldn't go to medical school. . .it never occurred to me that women couldn't be physicians." Although her career path was mapped early, Maureen remembers what it was like to be an undergraduate at Dartmouth. She recalls her phobia of math during her first year, and her frustration at being |
| unable to do everything she was interested in doing. When asked what words of wisdom she has to impart upon prospective women scientists, Maureen replied with the following: "As for my advice to students who are interested in science (or anything else, for that matter): do what you love." | |
A clear view
Maureen has a clear view of her future as a physician: "I see myself working to help other physicians as well as patients make decisions about intelligent use of the whole spectrum of therapies that are available. . .it's not a passing fad and I think that we all need to work together to integrate alternatives as well as to use evidence-based investigation to decide what's working and what doesn't." I found Maureen Bunce to be a fascinating individual working in an intriguing medical field.
Maureen can be contacted via e-mail by students interested in talking to her: Maureen.Bunce@Dartmouth.edu.
Featured Alumna: Adrienne Parker '93
An Interview by Allison M. Hargreaves '02 October 23, 2000
Adrienne Parker was an engineering major at Dartmouth and is now working in Germany for Audi. You will enjoy reading her interesting and informative story of her days and Dartmouth and how she got to where she is now!
How did you originally decide to major in engineering?
I thought about majoring in engineering when I was in High School. I did an internship with a Civil Engineering Firm in their drafting department and saw that the engineering field was quite varied and included bridges, buildings and even parking lots.
A big part of my decision to come to Dartmouth, and subsequently major in engineering, revolved around a phone call I got, from a current Thayer School Senior. He called me at home, after I had been accepted, and asked if he could help answer any questions about Dartmouth or about Thayer School. He left me his phone number, and I called him back with a list of questions. I was nervous about entering a "hard core" engineering program fearing that I was not capable enough. I also wanted be able to pursue other interests like Volleyball and overseas studies. I asked about the programs and professors, and general course requirements.
Once I was Dartmouth, I never really considered any other major.
How did you think about a career while you were still an undergrad?
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I was curious about the options available. I attended all of the Career Panels I could, especially those where Women in Management were featured like the one put on my senior year by the Tuck School in the Hanover Inn. I still remember those panels and the stories those women told. I paid attention to the paths they had followed and choices they had made to get where they were. They were my only exposure to Women in Science or in Management in a Science related field. |
"I attended all of the Career Panels I could, especially those where Women in Management were featuredŠ I still remember those panels and the stories those women told." |
Did you seek out advice or mentoring from others?
Absolutely. My First year advisor, Al Henning, advised me on First-year courses and later helped me talk through my decision to enter an MBA program in France. He advised me to stick with my instinct, and go ahead and try advanced courses if I thought I was ready. Later on he would encourage me to go on Language Study Programs and "not to worry"
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"Her [Carol Muller's] passion to see women succeed in science instilled in me a belief that I could and would succeed." |
about missing courses, saying "Everything will work out", and it did.
I worked for Carol Muller, a co-founder of WISP my freshman summer (SEED program) and again the summer after senior year (for the High School Teacher's |
| Conference). Her passion to see women succeed in science instilled in me a belief that I could and would succeed. She consistently listened to and validated my concerns about my decision to major in the sciences. | |
I was lucky to find a caring mentor during one of my internships. I returned to work in his department, although not for him and still consult with him today. It was invaluable to have someone outside my family and outside of Dartmouth. His perspective and enthusiasm for me and my abilities has allowed me to take chances and believe in myself more than I ever would have otherwise.
A series of caring professors including Professor Chris Levey, Professor Charlie Hitchcock, and Doug Fraser, to mention only a few, always had time to assuage my fears, answer my questions, and let me repeat it back [to them] to make sure I had understood.
How did your current position and career plan evolve?
There is much truth to the phrase "There's no telling what the future holds."
After Dartmouth I knew I wanted to work in something that had an international component. My senior year a French consortium of management schools came recruiting at Dartmouth and I applied. After 2 years in France earning my MBA and gaining valuable overseas internship experience, I became an international product manager for an Electrical Equipment Manufacturer here in the United States.
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After 2 years I joined a start-up company who was hoping to sell a similar product and was in need of a Marketing and Sales Manager. While I was sad to give up the international aspect of my job, I could not wait to learn all I could in our attempt to bring a new product to market. I am currently working in Germany for an Audi AG in Ingolstadt. They were looking for people with science and management backgrounds who had international experience and were not afraid of new languages. I've been here since January 2000 and so far so good. I work in the Telematics (bringing services like OnStar into the car) department. |
"Several times at Dartmouth I hesitated between following the more traditional engineering curriculum and pursuing my other academic interests. Chance encounters with Dartmouth Seniors and Graduate students exposed me to dozens of different possible paths. They showed me what was possible and with intent, I patterned my Dartmouth career after them." |
Could you explain the types of things you are doing in your career?
I am currently working in a department that bridges the gap between traditional marketing and technical development. We are engineers who are trying to figure out what the future of the electronics in cars will look like. Do customers want a DVD player in their car? Do they want to surf the web? If so, how can we make that happen and have a solution out on the market in a timely fashion?
Previously for 2 years I was an international product manager where I also did a good bit of liason work between engineering and marketing. What do customers need and how can we get it to them.
Did you have important 'decisions points' or 'forks in the road' where you needed to choose between two important things?
Several times at Dartmouth I hesitated between following the more traditional engineering curriculum and pursuing my other academic interests. Chance encounters with Dartmouth Seniors and Graduate students exposed me to dozens of different
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"Chance encounters with Dartmouth Seniors and Graduate students exposed me to dozens of different possible paths. They showed me what was possible." |
possible paths. They showed me what was possible and with intent, I patterned my Dartmouth career after them.
I have always been interested in education at the High School level, and did not want to turn 40 one day and say "I had French in College but I have lost it." Upon speaking with a graduate student, I learned I could get my |
By talking with a senior woman on my hall learned I could go abroad, not once but twice and still graduate. These programs, in Mexico and France, influenced my career plans. After spending a LSA term in Mexico with Dartmouth, I decided that whatever career I chose, I wanted to speak other languages and eventually live overseas doing it.
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The other "fork", if you will, came in 1998, when I decided to join a start-up company, instead of sticking with the larger company (91,000 people worldwide) for which I worked at the time. I reasoned that while the proposition had inherent risks, the potential to learn by "getting my hands dirty" combined with my limited family obligations made this an opportunity too good to pass up. |
"I reasoned that while [joining a start-up company] had inherent risks, the potential to learn by "getting my hands dirty" combined with my limited family obligations made this an opportunity too good to pass up." |
Most recently I made the move to Germany, to work once again for a large company. I have enjoyed learning the language, experiencing the culture and generally like being back in Europe. Germans seem to be very logical and process-oriented so it has been fairly easy to follow what's happening around me.
How different is what you are now doing from what you envisioned yourself doing as a student in college? What did you expect to happen and what has actually happened to you?
I did not expect to change jobs as often as I have. I did not expect to lose my job and to job search for 8 months. I did not know how stressful a prolonged job search can be. At the same time, I did not expect to find as much pleasure in the odd jobs and consulting I did while looking and waiting for the right opportunity to come along.
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I envisioned joining a large company, earning the right to be sent overseas, and honestly, for things to just take their course without me having to take very much action. |
"When I interview, Companies care why I made the choices I did and ask what I learned from the experiences." |
I underestimated the value of networking, instead naively hoping that opportunities would just fall from the sky.
I have a new appreciation for my computer skills now that I did some consulting. I never considered myself a whiz, just a fair to good end-user. I completely underestimated how much we learned about computers at Dartmouth, and how much I picked up by marketing and selling an NT Client/Server software product in my first job.
Are you happy/satisfied with the way things have turned out? Do you see yourself exploring other career options and possibilities?
I do not doubt that in 10 years I will be doing something completely different. Surprisingly my prolonged job search has renewed my confidence that things will all work out. I do think I will teach High School one day.
What is your perception of the challenges to women as they enter their first job or even their first pre-professional internship?
Sorry, but I have nothing to report here. We all have our stories but to me the behavior and circumstances are so particular that I have a difficult time generalizing.
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"Asking advice from someone in the field you want to enter, taking specific courses and finding interesting internships in the field will allow you to jump into a designated career that much sooner." |
How important is it to be considering careers and trying to plan resumes as an undergraduate?
I think all Dartmouth Students are talented enough that whether they plan or not, they will land on their feet. Losing sleep over taking the "right" courses and filling up resumes with the "big name internships" in fields that are not interesting to you is not the only way to go.
I am a planner, and had always thought that employers would want to see a clearly thought out college career. In my experience, however, companies have not necessarily cared that I took a certain course or that I got a certain grade, or even that I had an internship in a certain field. When I interview, Companies care why I made the choices I did and ask what I learned from the experiences.
For those who know what they would like to do after college, there is an upside to planning. Asking advice from someone in the field you want to enter, taking specific courses and finding interesting internships in the field will allow you to jump into a designated career that much sooner.
What advice would you give to women in the engineering program at Dartmouth as they begin to think about career paths?
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Talk to seniors, graduate students and professors to find out what opportunities there are. Find out early about the after Dartmouth scholarship programs and grants and how to qualify and apply. Ask about exchange programs and off campus programs early. I found out too late about an exchange program to Stanford with an internship in Japan and missed out. |
"Do not hesitate to ask questions and take your professors' time. Find friends with whom you can study and from whom you can learn. Attend all problem sessions led by a T.A. or otherwise." |
Do not hesitate to ask questions and take your professors' time. Find friends with whom you can study and from whom you can learn. Attend all problem sessions led by a T.A. or otherwise. Maybe a new voice will explain a tough concept in a way that makes even more sense to you.
Seek out the Thayer School Staff. They care and are an invaluable resource. Give your all when working on projects and presentations for classes. Sign up for classes with projects (Engs 21, 195/296 and others). I found that while I did not do well in many traditional engineering courses, I gained confidence and felt VERY valuable to my project teams.
Finally, I just wanted to ask if you would permit interested students to contact you if they had any further questions.
Sure! Here is my email: adrienne.parker@alum.dartmouth.org
The Story of the "Physics Power Breakfast"
by Adrienne Parker '93
My freshman year I took the advanced physics sequence where we got credit for Physics 13 and 14 and 21 and 22 (I think those were the numbers) by taking just a sequence of three courses. I was nervous I was in over my head and quickly identified the other girl, Kerry Patrick in the class and met with her to do problem sets. After 2-3 weeks we realized we really needed help and so we started asking around in class, watching for those students who seemed super smart and who would be willing to help us.
The Most Important Meal
At the same time I had begun, in a motherly fashion, to wake up a friend of mine, David Kaiser, who was also taking physics, and make him go to breakfast before Physics class.
I thought breakfast was important and didn't want him to miss any important information in class, especially since I was not understanding it all and would need to ask him afterwards to explain it to me. In class Kerry and I encouraged the others to come to breakfast - ok we harangued them, claiming they would not be late to class if they just had breakfast first. Well, one day at breakfast we all started joking around, pretending that we actually came "Someone came up with the name "Physics Power Breakfast" and it stuck. Our group grew to 8 to 12 students, depending on the morning over the next three terms."
to breakfast to discuss Physics. Someone came up with the name "Physics Power Breakfast" and it stuck. Our group grew to 8 to 12 students, depending on the morning over the next three terms.
From Breakfast-Buddies To Study-Buddies
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"Physics Power Breakfast would meet before mid-terms and exams as well. We studied together, coming to the meeting with questions, and staying until all of us understood." |
This group also began to meet 2 times a week, at a scheduled location to do the problem sets and prepare the labs. Kerry and I were the organizers of these little events, making sure everyone knew what time and where we were to meet. I can't speak for Kerry, but I certainly depended on those sessions to understand the class material and to complete the homework. Everyone seemed to have a strength and to appreciate each other's contributions. Specifically we all appreciated Dave Kaiser's |
| contributions. Beginning the day before we were to meet to do homework, I would begin to get calls and messages, asking when and where and IF Dave would be coming. If I could ensure Dave would be there, attendance doubled. | |
I am convinced I got the best end of the deal because my contributions often consisted of sending out reminders, and of checking the math for some incredibly complex problem that I had not been able to do myself. Occasionally Kerry or I would catch a math error and the rest of the group would be so very thankful. I don't think they realized how much they were helping us with their patient explanations and re-explanations of certain problems, theorems and class material. Physics Power Breakfast would meet before mid-terms and exams as well. We studied together, coming to the meeting with questions, and staying until all of us understood.
These problem sessions were 80% work and 20% social. If I hadn't been there the percentages would have probably been different (more work!). In any case, we met regularly and the group became an important social group for many of us.
Expanding Horizons
We decided, at Kerry and my urging, to invite our physics professors to come and have breakfast with us. Boy were we proud when we issued our printed invitations to Professor Levy and others asking them to join the "Physics Power Breakfast" at 7:15AM for breakfast in Thayer Hall. Professor Levy came and we had a blast. Of course he had just spent untold hours with us the night before working on a problem set and answering our questions, but he came just the same. Professor Levy was also the first one to purchase one of our Physics Power Breakfast T-shirts. That's right, Kerry and I designed a tee-shirt, with quotes from the whole year on the back. On the front it had a picture from a Maurice Sendak book. We changed the title and it said "Where the Wilder Things Are" ( Wilder is the Physics building). Joe Harris, the Department Chair and our professor for the spring physics course, wore the Physics Power Breakfast Tee-shirt to our final exam.
Sticking Together
At the end of freshman year we had an Awards Banquet at Ben & Jerry's where we all shared a Vermonster. During the year we had also had a Physics Power Breakfast dinner with all of our parents over Freshman Parent's weekend. At that time all the mothers thanked me for getting their sons to have breakfast every morning. We kept in touch throughout the 4 years and our senior year we had at least one Physics Power Breakfast Dessert party, organized by Kerry in the Physics department.
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Of the group of 10 or so, 3 went on to major in Physics, 2 in Engineering, 1 in Computer Science, 1 in Economics (I think?). I can't remember the rest. Kerry went on to get a masters in Astrophysics at Rice University and has been helping run the Houston Museum of Science Planetarium for the past 3-4 years. She recently has accepted a position in Pittsburgh to refurbish and open their new Planetarium. |
"My participation in the Physics Power Breakfast was one of if not THE main reason I loved my first year at Dartmouth in the sciences. We became great friends, had lots of fun teasing, and got some serious work accomplished in the meantime." |
My participation in the Physics Power Breakfast was one of if not THE main reason I loved my first year at Dartmouth in the sciences. We became great friends, had lots of fun teasing, and got some serious work accomplished in the meantime.
Featured Alumna: Perry Thomas '83
An Interview by Allison M. Hargreaves '02 January 8, 2001
When and how did you first get interested in science?
This is a tough question for me, because it seems as if I always imagined working at the interface between science and the public. My earliest moment of clarity came when a high school Biology teacher inspired me to read original accounts of research in animal behavior. The writings of Niko Tinbergen caught my attention, and before I knew it, I was hooked.
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"Long term, my goals were to pursue graduate work that would lead me to a career bridging the gap between basic science and the public." |
What was your major in college, and what related activities did you pursue?
I majored in Biology, and took as many Ecology classes as possible. During my junior year I wrote proposals for grant support to pursue an independent project investigating epiphyllic fungal populations among subalpine balsam fir trees on Mt. Moosilauke. The combination of this research experience and a class with newly arrived aquatic biologist, Carol Folt, inspired me to find work in ecological research after graduation.
What were your goals? Did you follow this path?
Long term, my goals were to pursue graduate work that would lead me to a career bridging the gap between basic science and the public. I wasn't sure what form this bridging would take, but while at Dartmouth I had taken a class in Science and Public Policy with Gene Lyons. Professor Lyons knew of my interests, and invited me to meet President Carter's Science Advisor. Over lunch I was advised to become a good scientist as a first step‹follow my interest in basic science and see where it led me. The bridging could wait.
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My path toward becoming a good scientist led me westward. First I joined a watershed-monitoring project based at a field station in the Sierra Nevada of California for two years. This was a rich time for me because I not only learned much and worked hard in the lab and field, but also spent a lot of time on cross-country skis. |
"My top priority today is balance. I strive to do my work--both housework and college duties--as efficiently as possible." |
| During my second year there, Rebecca Todd ('84, WISP Archive, July 31, 2000) joined me to work with another project based in the same laboratory. Our friendship deepened, and has continued to grow stronger over intervening years. | |
Later, at Northern Arizona University, I received a Patricia Roberts Harris Fellowship (from the U.S. Department of Education) that supported my work toward a Ph.D. in Biology, with an emphasis in Ecology. My dissertation research focused on the evolutionary ecology of freshwater crustaceans (Amphipoda), combining traditional behavioral ecology field methods with molecular genetic analyses. This was a magical time for me, as the answer to one question led to new, more fascinating questions.
What are you currently involved in?
I have been a faculty member at Sterling College since 1998. My teaching assignments range from Conservation Biology to Systems Thinking. Currently, I am also Acting Dean of the College.
Are you still involved in the sciences? In what ways?
Sterling College is off the beaten path, both geographically and philosophically. Tucked into a corner of the Northeast Kingdom, we recruit students who want to learn by doing. In that spirit, I encourage students to do authentic research in both organized classes and independent studies.
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Since many of my students concentrate in Wildlands Ecology and Management, we tend to pursue applied research. For example, a team of Sterling students and I are cooperators in the Vermont Monitoring Cooperative. Over the past year we have developed low-impact |
"Follow your interests in basic science and do good work. In other words, listen to your own inner voices." |
| methods for biological monitoring of headwater streams on Mt. Mansfield. During the coming year we will implement those methods in conjunction with chemical monitoring conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey. | |
What are your top priorities today? Have these changed from when you first graduated?
My top priority today is balance. I strive to do my work--both housework and college duties--as efficiently as possible. In the remaining time I focus on family and health. My husband, Rick, and I spend as much time as we can with our four-year old daughter, Thalia. We especially enjoy showshoeing together in the wildlands around our home--such outings are a priority on weekends.
My partnership with Rick is a key to creating balance. He and I share parenting responsibilities fully. In addition to supporting each other, we receive support from my parents, who live nearby. Without such a team, it would be much more difficult to work full time while raising a young child.
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"I would arrange a longer hiatus from full-time work for bearing and raising children." |
What are you most passionate about today?
Doing ecological research with students has become both my passion and my way of bridging science and the public. My current duties as Acting Dean make this difficult, as crises invariably preempt my limited research time with students. I look forward to the completion of our search for a new Dean.
If you could change anything about your career trajectory, what would it be and why?
I would arrange a longer hiatus from full-time work for bearing and raising children. I took a six-week leave with Thalia--six months would have been better. As Rebecca Todd has reminded me, there is always time to work, but those months with a newborn child never return.
What advice do you have for current students who may be interested in the sciences?
The same advice given to me‹follow your interests in basic science and do good work. In other words, listen to your own inner voices.
May Dartmouth students contact you?
Yes! My email is pthomas@sterlingcollege.edu; my phone number is (800) 648-3591
Featured Alumna: Anne Gunn '78
An Interview By Surabhi Gaur '03 February 5, 2001
"Tally Systems, Anne speaking."
Few company co-founders and board members answer their own company phones. Anne Gunn and Tally Systems find themselves in the minority.
Here began my conversation with Anne Gunn, a Dartmouth '78 who now lives and works in Wyoming. Anne is no stranger to the area, having been born in Wyoming but growing up in neighboring Montana. She graduated from Dartmouth in 1978, and while she was devoid of a definite plan, she left with one definite perspective in mind: "I always knew I was going to be a business person/technologist."
And that is exactly what she has done.
A Winding Road
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Anne has taken some twists and turns to get to where she is, but she cannot say she minds that. After leaving Dartmouth, she made, what she considers to be, a mistake |
"I could sell myself that I could hit the ground running." |
| in doing corporate recruiting. Anne worked for GE for a whopping three weeks before she realized it was not what she wanted. "I was pretty shell-shocked," she said in reference to the complete change of plans. Anne returned to the west and went to the state employment agency and actually wanted to be a short order cook, but the agency would not have it. Instead, the agency found her a job as a programmer at the highway department. Anne claims that she "learned an enormous amount." In the meantime she kept pursuing employers and came across a software company called DTSS. Anne says, "I could sell myself that I could hit the ground running," and that was exactly what the start-up needed. Eventually DTSS disbanded but from that grew Tally Systems--a company that specializes in hardware/software inventory--which Anne helped found. | |
Toughing Out The Hard Parts
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"She often realized that she 'just wasn't working at the same level as people around [her],' but that did not deter her." |
Anne's math major was slightly modified with history and philosophy. Anne had taken some computer programming in high school and had had no intention of stopping then. At the time, Dartmouth did not have a computer science program but Anne took advantage of the one programming course that was offered through the math department. The |
| math faculty made the major attractive to Anne and even though she says "I was not destined to be a mathematician," and claims, " I'm not quite sure why I stuck it out," the Phi Beta Kappa tackled the subject regardless. Anne reflected the classic liberal arts' attitude in that she was "adamant in not making college into professional school." | |
Anne enjoyed mathematics but it was not a smooth ride. She often realized that she "just wasn't working at the same level as people around [her]," but that did not deter her. Anne also shared with me the painful ordeal of an honor's logic class she took. She was detailing to me how she looked at a take home exam once and could not formulate a single word to write and stated, "It was just the worst moment. I was totally overwhelmed." Her drive to pursue her interests, however, is a reminder of the power of determination for all of us.
A Perfect Match
After a fulfilling college career and a roundabout career path, Anne finds herself comfortable and successful at what she does. She managed to combine her marketing and technological skills and put them to use for Tally Systems. Her varying set of skills and ability to "stand with one foot in each community" remind us of what we can do when we utilize and diversify our natural talents. Besides her success in the business world, Anne is a successful mother of two, an accomplishment she insists would be grossly inferior and considerably less enjoyable without the cooperation of her husband, Mark.
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"Life is all about 'defining success in your own terms.'" |
Anne had light advice to offer to women at Dartmouth now. Anne chuckled as she told me, "I wish I would've gotten into the woodshop while at Dartmouth," and, "I would've tried to exercise more in college." On a more serious note, Anne admits that making the mistake of corporate recruiting was luckily early enough that it made her think. She realized that following the path that is readily etched out is not always the right choice and while that path leads to immediate stability and material gains, life is all about "defining success in your own terms." Not bad advice from a woman who has found success in her life from many angles and in her own words, has almost gotten every job she ever interviewed for--well, except for that short-order cook job. Hey, one more thing to shoot for, I suppose.
Featured Alumna: Julia Russell '83
An Interview By Surabhi Gaur '03 April 2, 2001
Our WISP alumna find themselves on and off the beaten path, but the path of this particular alumnae has brought her geographically close to her Dartmouth roots.
Welcome to the world of Julia Russell, D'83, computer programmer/analyst with the University of Vermont. She works in the budget office of the university, devising programs that manage the budget and analyze financial matters. Julia is originally from the Washington, D.C. area and now resides in nearby Vermont with her husband and three children.
An Early-Starter
Julia was a computer science major, modified with mathematics, at Dartmouth. As a youngster, Julia showed interest and promise in math. Her natural capabilities were better exercised in middle school where she was in a program for accelerated math with the advantage of a smaller class size and consequently received "a lot of individual attention." As seems to be a trend with our alumna, recognition of potential and interest
| in mathematics and sciences at an early age is key in developing these interests. Julia was quick to mention a mentor of hers who was instrumental to the advancement of her learning: her calculus teacher in high school, Marty Coin. Julia raved about him, saying that "he was just awesome, really involved, really caring; he made a huge difference." Teachers like him reinforce interests and guide young minds. |
"As seems to be a trend with our alumna, recognition of potential and interest in mathematics and sciences at an early age is key in developing these interests." |
Intimidating The "Intimidation Factor"
Julia was refreshingly honest in acknowledging the pressures of the rigorous competition that students face at Dartmouth. Julia admitted that "the whole first year was rough." She was correct in realizing that everyone at Dartmouth had been at the top of their class and unfortunately, she quipped, "Somebody's gotta be in the bottom half!" She remembers being "very intimidated by people" but then that did not last long. Julia remembers that everything changed after her sophomore fall which she spent on an LSA
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"On the whole, the LSA was a confidence boost. Julia recognized her own strengths and felt stronger upon her return to DartmouthŠ The intimidation factor disappeared and Julia continued to enjoy, learn, grow and excel the remainder of her time at Dartmouth." |
to Germany. Naturally, it was not an easy experience being without close family and friends in a country whose language was not her area of expertise. She recalls, however, that "during that term, I had to draw upon my own inner resources" to survive and enjoy her trip to Germany. On the whole, the LSA was a confidence boost. Julia recognized her own strengths and felt stronger upon her return to Dartmouth. She asserted, "I was able to choose the courses I wanted to take, regardless of who else was going to be in them." The intimidation factor disappeared and Julia continued to enjoy, learn, grow and excel the remainder of her time at Dartmouth. |
Meshing Employment With Ongoing Education
Even towards the end of her Dartmouth career, Julia admits that she "didn't know what was out there" in respect to computer-related jobs. She did not have a distinct focus, just knew that she "wanted to do something with programming." As it came closer to graduation, Julia began writing to companies in hopes of finding a job. As far as the job hunt went, Julia remembers that her "theoretical computer science background wasn't so much in demand." An employee experienced in the application of the theory was a better catch at the time (a heads up to any computer science majors reading this, perhaps). Julia also emphasized, "Dartmouth's name meant an awful lot." She also said, "They [employers] valued the liberal arts background," because a Dartmouth graduate is exposed to many different ways of thinking by the array of courses they take.
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The fruit of her job search was a job with Polaroid. Julia lived and worked in Massachusetts for a while. During her time at Polaroid she worked in their programming, manufacturing and purchasing departments, putting her computer knowledge to profitable use. Also while she was working in Massachusetts, she earned her MBA from Boston University. |
"Even with her satisfying career, Julia is still in school. She is pursuing her doctorate in education. The focus of her studies is to find ways to encourage middle school aged girls to take interest in math and science." |
Julia was married and had a growing family while she was in Massachusetts. She had a set of twin girls and proceeded to work part-time. However, her career at Polaroid and her husband's being an engineer grew stressful and eventually they found themselves in quiet Vermont. Julia finds her job quite rewarding. She confided to me with a twinge of guilt, "Sometimes I think I'm the only one in this office who gets to be creative!" She continued to say, "You create it [a program] from the ground up" and was happy when she realized that "people are actually going to use this stuff." Even with her satisfying career, Julia is still in school. She is pursuing her doctorate in education. The focus of her studies is to find ways to encourage middle school aged girls to take interest in math and science.
Don't Do Everything At Once
If Julia could change anything of her college years, she would make a better effort to reach out to her professors. She stressed that students should not feel meek in front of Dartmouth professors; rather, they should take advantage of the fact we have great thinkers and dedicated teachers at this institution. Julia also left me with an insightful
| piece of advice. She said that she has to fight the urge to "do everything simultaneously." In other words, there is not always time to do everything all at once. She has realized over the years, however, that "things start to weave back into life." If at one point we sacrifice a hobby for a class, there will come a time when we will have time for that hobby. Maybe not the next week, or the next term, but at some point. Julia commented, "It's easy to get frustrated when things don't fit in. Just have faith that eventually, it'll find its way back in." |
"'Things start to weave back into life.' If at one point we sacrifice a hobby for a class, there will come a time when we will have time for that hobby. Maybe not the next week, or the next term, but at some point." |
Comforting words from an accomplished woman.
Julia welcomes contact from our readers. She can be reached via email, at julia.russell@uvm.edu
Featured Alumna: Samantha Scollard Truex, D'92
An Interview By Surabhi Gaur '03 July 23, 2001
Last week I had the pleasure of speaking with Samantha Truex, a Dartmouth '92, Thayer '93 and a Tuck '96. The thing that struck me most about Sam was how she managed to find herself a position within a major company that fit her diverse academic interests.
If you have ever thought that once you choose a science as your major you have narrowed your career options, then you must read on about Samantha Truex (D '92, Thayer '93, Tuck '95). Sam currently works in the business development division of Genzyme, a Massachusetts based biotech company; how she found herself there is an interesting and inspirational story.
Diverse Intellectual Interests
Sam grew up in Michigan, which she jokingly said, "was the reason I thought all that engineers did was design cars." Through middle school and high school, Sam naturally excelled in the sciences and mathematics but admitted, "I wouldn't say I dreamt of being a scientist or a doctor."
When she arrived at Dartmouth, Sam headed for the sciences but realized she had to find a mixture within the sciences to satisfy her intellectual interests. Enjoying both
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"When she arrived at Dartmouth, Sam headed for the sciences but realized she had to find a mixture within the sciences to satisfy her intellectual interests." |
engineering and biology, she ended up being a biology major modified with engineering. She completed her undergraduate degree in 1992 but then decided to complete her bachelor's degree in engineering and so stayed on an extra year and graduated from Thayer in 1993. Then Sam tramped across the parking lot and stayed on for another three years to complete her MBA from Tuck. The years in between certainly molded Sam's future career interests. |
Help Along The Way
Sam still remembers the influence of Carol Muller, co-founder of WISP and former Associate Dean of the Thayer School, and credited her with, "really encouraging me to stay involved in science." In addition to Dr. Muller's influence, Sam's interest in science grew from her work experience at a chemical company in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She worked there during two separate terms and within time, she began investigating business opportunities. Sam claims, "that is what got me going down the path of getting a business degree focused in the medical arena." Sam cited her supervisor at the chemical company as making "the science aspects of the job fun and interesting." She enjoyed the science component so much that she took organic chemistry upon her return to Dartmouth.
Finding A Niche In The "Real World"
As her time at Dartmouth was drawing to an end, Sam went on the crusade of finding a job and began living in Feldberg Library. Following her graduation from Tuck, she worked for a management consulting firm called Health Advances, which is run by two Dartmouth
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"Sam's science expertise helps her evaluate projects' technical merit and her business insight helps her properly analyze projects from a market/financial viewpoint." |
At Genzyme, the bulk of Sam's work involves negotiating deals with other parties (like pharmaceutical companies, other biotech companies or academic institutions) and gaining the rights to access patents. Sam's science expertise helps her evaluate projects' technical merit and her business insight helps her properly analyze projects from a market/financial viewpoint.
Sam finds the work environment at Genzyme comfortable. She sees as many women as men in her company which does not surprise her because from what she has seen, "it is not uncommon for women to major in biology." She did admit that upper management is mostly men, although the president of her division is a woman.
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When asked if she wished any thing had been different, Sam replied, "I wish that there had been a WISP program with formal science internships during the first year when I was a first year. I wanted a better clue of what people actually do when they major in a science." Sam's comments really brought to light the opportunities that women have now, especially here at Dartmouth. |
"Sam's comments really brought to light the opportunities that women have now, especially here at Dartmouth." |
Sam's story is inspirational in that she was able to fit her academic interests to her career interests. Her diverse capabilities are serving her well in an age when science and business are diverging. As Sam said, "You can always find function within a company--if it's in an industry you have background in, you'll be useful."
Featured Alumna: Featured Alumna: Karen Menuz '99
An Interview By Surabhi Gaur '03 July 23, 2001
Name: Karen Menuz
Class Year: 1999
E-mail and/or phone number: kmenuz@itsa.ucsf.edu
May Dartmouth students contact you? Yes
If so, by what method (phone, mail, e-mail)? E-mail - Karen.Menuz.99@dartmouth.alum.org When and how did you first get interested in science? I wasn't always interested in science, though I did well at it. I was more interested in math. By chance I took Bio 3 my freshman year because it counted as an interdisciplinary class, and I found that I liked Biology. I still was debating between Math and Biology as a major until I took Bio 34, which hooked me on Neurobiology. At the same time, Math seemed less tangible as the courses I took became more advanced. The more Biology courses I took, the more I knew I had made the right decision. I majored in Chemistry as a bit of a fluke. I had already taken many Physics and Math courses, which counted towards the Chemistry major and I enjoyed my Chemistry classes, especially since they were more quantitative than the biology ones. In my junior year I realized I only needed a few more Chemistry classes for the major, and I just decided to go for it. What was your major in college? Double major in Biology and Chemistry What science-related activities did you participate in, if any? Were they important and why? Did they make science intriguing or generate ideas for continuing on in the sciences? I participated in the WISP First-Year Internship Program with mathematics professor Bob Norman as my sponsor. I enjoyed this opportunity to do experimental research. After these two quarters of work I was very much interested in research. I also developed a lasting friendship and source of advice in Professor Norman. Later I was a Presidential Scholar Research Assistant in the lab of Dr. Robert Maue, an Associate Professor of Physiology and Biochemistry in the Dartmouth Medical School. The Presidential Scholar program motivated me to look for a laboratory in which to do biology research. After being handed a list of professors willing to take students, it was much easier to get up the courage to talk to professors and decide on a research area. This work continued into my senior year as an honors research project. Dr. Maue was a great mentor for my first biology research project. However the greatest influence on my future career was the result of my receipt of the Dartmouth/Max Planck Institute Scholarship my junior year. I researched for four months in Germany, and I found that I really liked living and researching abroad. This greatly affected the direction I took after graduating. During college, did you have an idea of what you wanted to do after graduation? I was pretty sure I wanted to go to graduate school, but I had doubts. More importantly I wanted to take some time off first, because I knew that I wouldn't have much free time once in grad school. How did you decide what to do after college? What were your goals, etc.? Did you follow this path? What were your jobs after graduation? During my senior year I applied for a DAAD (Deutsche Akademisch Austauschdienst) scholarship. The organization supports students that can speak some German (fluent
"I was so enamored of my time abroad, that I contacted another professor, this time in Switzerland, asking if he could support me for a year. Surprisingly he said yes, and I had another great year of research abroad." What are you currently involved in? Graduate school in Neuroscience at the University of California, San Francisco Are you still involved in the sciences? In what ways? Yes, as both a graduate student and a volunteer biology teacher in public high schools (once a month). What's the most rewarding component of your current work and what do you find less fulfilling? Taking classes, discussions with other students, and research are rewarding. The hours are not. It's not uncommon for me to be at the university for 12 hours or more a day, and there's still reading and problem sets to be done when I go home. The flip side to these crazy hours is that you can create your own schedule. If I want to sleep in, take days off in the middle of the week, etc., it's all up to me. There are no "fixed" 9-5 Monday to Friday work hours. Where do you expect and hope that this work may take you? I hope to get my Ph.D. and eventually have my own lab. I'm still not sure what area of Neuroscience I want to focus on, but that's what grad school is for! What are your top priorities today? Have these changed from when you first graduated? After my senior year at Dartmouth, I realized that I need balance in my life. Although I love biology, I don't want to devote 100% of my life to it. I enjoy other things such as languages, travel, and reading. I have to make the time for these things or else time will slip away without me noticing. I could spend my entire life in a lab, but I choose not to. If you could change anything about your career trajectory, what would it be and why? I wouldn't have double majored in college. In the end the chemistry degree wasn't needed for what I did later, and at the time it just made me more stressed. It also took away from my time for other classes, time with friends, etc.
isn't necessary) for a year of working on a research project and taking classes at a university in Germany. This was a great opportunity to meet scientists from another country as well as to grow as a person. I was so enamored of my time abroad, that I contacted another professor, this time in Switzerland, asking if he could support me for a year. Surprisingly he said yes, and I had another great year of research abroad. After these two years, I realized that I did enjoy lab work (well, most of the time). More importantly, I enjoyed the theories currently being tested
in neurobiology research, and I'm interested in the questions left to be answered. Grad school was the next step forward.
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"Take classes, volunteer in a lab job . . . just try it." |
What advice do you have for current students who may be interested in the sciences?
Take classes, volunteer in a lab job...just try it.
Featured Alumna: Kristin Canavan '97
An Interview By Serena Chang '05 February 4, 2002
Name: Kristin Canavan
Class Year: '97
E-mail: Kristin.Canavan.97@alum.dartmouth.org
May Dartmouth students contact you? Yes, by e-mail - Kristin.Canavan.99@alum.dartmouth.org When and how did you first get interested in science? My father is an engineer, and I remember, when I was younger, working on odd projects around the house. I was the first born in my family, and looking back on it now, I suspect my father was hoping for a boy. Luckily for me, he let me substitute for one when it came to sports, random work around our house, things that girls are typically not included in. And when I did well in my math and science classes, he was incredibly proud of me. And when I was frustrated, he supported me, and said I could get through it, because he did. I'm amazed today at how many women with engineering and science background I meet today whose fathers were also in those roles. What was your major in college? I majored in engineering sciences, and received my BA in 1997. How did you decide what to focus on? I knew coming into Dartmouth that I wanted to do something on the math or science side of things. Like most Dartmouth students, my grades were fairly balanced in both the humanities and sciences in high school, but I always enjoyed the science classes a little more. I actually thought I'd go into math or physics, but then I took Professor Ursula Gibson's Engineering Sciences 1 class (a non-majors intro to engineering), and fell in love with the idea of applying theories and hands on work. I think after that class, I was hooked.
What science-related activities did you participate in, if any? Were they important and why? Did they make science intriguing or generate ideas for continuing on in the sciences?
I was fairly active in WISP and in the Society for Women Engineers. For my WISP internship, I did research in materials engineering under Professor Ian Baker. Having time with both the professor and graduate students in my freshman year was an absolute gift: it gave me a broader perspective on directions that the major could take. I also did research work for Professor Benoit Cushman-Roisin as part of the Presidential Scholars program in thermodynamic/fluid systems. For this project, I spent significant time building a pump in the machine shop, and loved the chance to build and actually see my work take on a physical shape.
During college, did you have an idea of what you wanted to do after graduation?
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Not until my senior year. As a matter of fact, I felt pretty lost during my first three years of school when it came to trying to figure out what I'd do afterwards. I thought the B.E. and M.E. programs at the engineering school were both intriguing, but I struggled with defining which jobs I'd take on after them. When I talked with one of the career resources counselors during my junior year, they didn't exactly help me narrow my choices, but did something even more helpful: they made me realize the broad wealth of opportunities a person with an engineering degree has, including business, computers, medicine, you just about name it, and the problem solving and analytical skills of engineers are highly valued. |
"When I talked with one of the career resources counselors during my junior year, they didn't exactly help me narrow my choices, but did something even more helpful: they made me realize the broad wealth of opportunities a person with an engineering degree has, including business, computers, medicine, you just about name it, and the problem solving and analytical skills of engineers are highly valued." |
How did you decide what to do after college? What were your goals, etc.?
I did an internship with Price Waterhouse's management consulting arm during the summer between my junior and senior years. Not for any strong reason ‹ I think maybe another woman I knew had done it the year before and seemed to enjoy it. The consulting arms of many of the auditing companies are strong in IT/systems consulting in particular. I thought it would be worth checking out.
Did you follow this path? What were your jobs after graduation?
I did, sort of. While at PW, I discovered a more business-oriented (vs. just IT) consulting division. I found that applying analytics and problem solving to larger business problems is much more interesting than applying them to computer code, and so set my sights on business/strategy consulting, ultimately landing a job before graduation with Mercer Management Consulting. I stayed there for three years before heading to my current situation, once again a student, at Stanford's Graduate School of Business, where I am currently completing my MBA.
What are you currently involved in?
Once again a student, I am pretty heavily involved in a variety of extracurriculars at my business school. I am an officer in Women in Management, am an active member of our High Tech club, and am a board member at a start-up non-profit in San Francisco called Seven Tepees Youth Organization.
Are you still involved in the sciences? In what ways? If not, why not?
I am still involved, though in a very different way than in my former engineering program. Both at work and now, I find myself, as "the engineer" in project teams, charged with the task of interviewing engineers, understanding a company's technology, explaining technological landscapes, etc. There is a host of intriguing issues that arise when you marry technology with strategy, and understanding both is a rare and appreciated skill.
Does your college career impact what you currently do, and if so, how?
Absolutely. The Career Center was right‹analytic and problem-solving skills are incredibly valuable to creating and supporting opportunities. From doing problem sets in class to working with tech companies on strategic issues, I am constantly putting myself back in "engineering mindset."
What's the most rewarding component of your current work?
One of the most rewarding components of working both in management consulting and as a student today is that when you know something everyone else around you doesn't, or you understand something that everyone else around you is afraid to, you are incredibly valued. I think that having an engineering background has played into this tremendously.
What do you find less fulfilling?
In consulting, the hours and the travel can wear you down quickly. When you are identified as knowing/understanding technical things, especially when there aren't many other engineers around you, you often get called on to advise in other projects above and beyond your own workload. However, on the flip side, you often get promoted and recognized well for those abilities.
Where do you expect and hope that this work may take you?
I'm facing another decision about careers once again. I think my ultimate goal is to be in a managerial/leadership position at a tech company, but am still deciding what path I'll be taking to get there.
What are your top priorities today? Have these changed from when you first graduated?
I think my priorities today are to look for a more balanced life: to spend time learning, but also spend time applying what I've learned; to spend time working, but also to spend significant time outside of work pursuing community service, "extracurricular" kinds of activities, and with friends and family. When I first started working, my priority was to gain experience and to learn. I think it served me well when I didn't have experience, but now that I'm a few years out, I'd like to slow down my pace at work, and increase my pace outside of it.
What are you most passionate about today?
I am still highly interested in changes and opportunities in the technology sector. Despite the slow economy, there are still incredibly interesting things happening in universities and companies, particularly in the areas of biotechnology and nanotechnology. More and more, the sciences are becoming further and further integrated. It creates learning challenges for those who come from one particular science background, but keeps things very interesting.
How have you dealt with balancing work and family - have you had to adjust your schedule or look for a job that is more flexible?
I'm afraid I wasn't fantastic at that balance during my three years at Mercer before business school, but, as I mentioned, I actually sought different experiences and opportunities. My hope is that going forward, I will be better at managing both. I think that finding a company that understands the need for balance, and communication with your managers and the people you manage is essential to finding that balance.
Did you have any mentors that encouraged you or any individuals that discouraged you? If so, please describe the relationship and how it influenced your career path.
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I had tons of mentors who influenced me along the way, from my father, to my high school math teacher, to professors at Dartmouth, to Mary Pavone, to peers and upperclassmen and women. The support and examples that these people have offered at very critical points in my upbringing, my high school and undergraduate studies and in my career were all reasons that I finished Dartmouth with an engineering degree. |
"I had tons of mentors who influenced me along the way, from my father, to my high school math teacher, to professors at Dartmouth, to Mary Pavone, to peers and upperclassmen and women." |
How did you find out about various jobs, maybe even the job you have now?
As an undergrad, the best sources of information are at the Career Center and also the Internet. I would encourage students not to think that the offerings at the Career Center are all that they can and should consider: there is a whole world out there. Find something you like to do, are interested in, and just start talking with people about it: alums, human resources people at those companies, professors, classmates. You'd be amazed that once you share your passions with others, what kinds of doors it opens for you.
Did you ever doubt your capabilities and/or knowledge in your major/career?
Yes, all the time. I don't think anyone goes through an engineering program without having some doubts along the way. It's not a piece of cake the entire way through‹there were plenty of nights that I was up until the wee hours slugging away at a problem set in the Great Hall of Thayer. There were lectures in class that went right over my head. I've worked with some wonderful and some awful people during my career (not necessarily a reflection on Mercer, most of the awful people were ones I encountered at client sites). I still have doubts and insecurities all the time. They don't go away just because you get a degree or find a job or get promoted.
How did you overcome those self-doubts?
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Mentors and peers played a significant role for me. Finding others who encouraged me, advised me, and more often than not, just listened to me when I needed to talk was crucial to my making my way. |
"Finding others who encouraged me, advised me, and more often than not, just listened to me when I needed to talk was crucial to my making my way." |
If you could change anything about your career trajectory, what would it be and why?
I took things very fast: pushed myself hard at work, and it paid off. I was promoted quickly and through a combination of both that work and some luck, got into Stanford's MBA program. I'm not sure I'd change that today, but I do wish I had stopped every once in a while and tried to reflect more on where I was, what I was doing, and what I was learning/getting out of it. Spending lots of time working and moving quickly up the promotion ladder doesn't usually give a person much of an opportunity to reflect and make sure they are doing the things they want to be doing. I'm not sure any of my decisions would have changed, but I would have certainly felt more confident about them and where I was going.
What advice do you have for current students who may be interested in the sciences?
Pursue it. But be ready for a tough ride. Don't be afraid to reach out to others, especially your classmates, you'll learn just as much, if not more, from them as you will in the classroom. You're going to have doubts: don't let them hold you back, instead talk with
| others about them. Create a support system of friends, family, and professors. If you don't understand something in class, don't ever blame yourself: you are in school to learn, and sometimes that means not understanding what you are doing right away. Find your professor, TA, a classmate, and work at it until you get it. Find mentors: upperclassmen and women, professors, outside leaders. Don't forget that there is a huge outside world: keep up with what's going on in it and how your interest is a part of it. And when your 4 years are up, you would be amazed at how respected your |
"Don't be afraid to reach out to others, especially your classmates, you'll learn just as much, if not more, from them as you will in the classroom. You're going to have doubts: don't let them hold you back, instead talk with others about them." |
| learning becomes, and how great it is to understand and know something that you love. Then apply all of those rules to your life after school: you'll need them again. | |
Transcript of Kristin Canavan's Presentation to the Dartmouth Alumni Council September, 1996
The following is Kristin Canavan's speech to the Alumni Council in which she articulately addresses many of the issues facing female science majors. An Engineering major at Dartmouth, Kristin provides a personal point of view and reminds us all of what it is to be a woman in science. More importantly, she emphasizes the satisfaction derived from perseverance and success.
Good morning. First of all, I would just like to say what a wonderful weekend it's been. I've enjoyed seeing y'all again. I am so impressed with the attention and concern you have all displayed for the perspectives and issues of the Dartmouth student today. Not to mention that it helped me pick the topic of my speech! That's why I'd like to share with you today one of my perspectives that I've been asked about a few times this weekend, that of a female science major.
I realize that many of you have no idea where I am coming from: either you weren't a science major during your Dartmouth years, or you weren't female. Maybe you weren't even aware that there is something special about the perspective of a female science major. You are especially the ones to whom I am talking today.
When I arrived at Dartmouth, I already knew that I would probably major in math or engineering. I have always had a strong interest in math and physics and desired further study. So I ended up declaring myself an engineering major, plugged through all my huge introductory science courses, survived the horrors of blown-up labs, computer programs that only fried my poor Apple's circuits, and am still dragging myself through continuous hours of problem sets. Let's just say though, that it hasn't always been easy, though I suppose few would describe an engineering major that way.
My three years so far have been filled with insecurities and doubt--from day 1 of freshman fall, I have continually questioned my aspiration to be an engineering major. I've recently started to really look at why I do this: I love my classes. I'm doing well enough in them that I can't complain. My professors have all been very good. My fellow engines majors, as we call ourselves, have been wonderful--we've had a great time spending many an hour sweating over labs, problem sets, quizzes, and exams together, and trust me, you just can't come out of that kind of experience without some sort of bond. In general, I'd even be willing to say that we are one of the closest-knit group of majors on this campus. And, most importantly, I honestly want to graduate an engineer.
| So I'm really forced to question why it is that I have a little voice in the back of my head that keeps me from answering a professor's question when I'm not absolutely incredibly sure of the answer. Or what it is that makes me hesitate in presenting my ideas or my suggestions in lab groups or in problem sessions. Or why it is that if I come up with an answer to a problem that no one seems to be able to solve, I give the credit to luck instead of my brain. I'm rarely proud of what I've accomplished, and I always feel like I am trying to justify myself in some way: to my professors, my classmates, myself. |
One woman once told me that she feels almost as if she wears some sort of mask in class, and her biggest fear is that her professors and classmates might one day rip it off and tell her that she really isn't an engineer. |
But you know, I've discovered that I'm not alone in doing this. In talking with other people in my classes, I've discovered that this is how most of the females in my science classes feel. One woman once told me that she feels almost as if she wears some sort of mask in class, and her biggest fear is that her professors and classmates might one day rip it off and tell her that she really isn't an engineer. This woman happened to graduate from Dartmouth with highest honors in the engineering department.
This is what makes a female science major so special. We survive this every day. That's probably why we are so rare. Dartmouth may be at least on par with national averages, but let's talk about those national averages. Women today consist of only 16 percent of the scientific workforce and just 5 percent of engineers. Even more alarming is the number of females who upon entering college express an interest in a science major, but somewhere in their first and second years drop it. At Dartmouth alone, between 50 and 60 percent of the women who matriculate their freshman fall display an interest in studying science. But by graduation, only 20 to 25 percent of these women remain in the major. There's something going on behind these numbers.
If you think I can stand up here today and tell you exactly why this happens or what the solution is, boy, do you have a lot of faith in me. I can't. But I can tell you what it's like...
First of all, it's not anything blatant. Females do not walk into their science classrooms freshman fall and get chased out by the professor. Rarely is anything directly said. Most people can't even see it while it's happening, not even a lot of those females. It's based on the fact that science is a male-dominated field. It's not anyone's fault but at the same time it's all our faults: it's the society in which we live.
I am not a whiner or a complainer. I am not going to stand up here and say that a woman can't be a science major because it's just too hard due to the past we've had. I'm not going to try to get you to shed tears for poor little freshmen girls who feel lost in a big science classroom. But I am going to tell you that males and females do not walk into their classrooms carrying the same baggage.
Let's see if I can give you a better idea of what it feels like... Being from Atlanta, I am going to use a little baseball analogy... Now, I think kids sometimes do the best job of displaying human behavior in uncomplicated forms, so I want you to think back to your days on the elementary school playground. At my school, we used to play baseball every day during recess. We picked our teams by selecting captains, and then these captains went back and forth one by one picking people to be on their teams. There was always that one scrawny kid who was left in the end - maybe he was a little smaller, maybe he didn't look very athletic, maybe he wasn't very popular or couldn't communicate very well with the other children. One thing though, he didn't fit the ideal that the captains and the others expected in a baseball player. I think it's pretty easy to feel something for that lonely kid - he probably didn't feel like he fit in. He probably didn't feel like he could be accepted as a baseball player. He probably lost interest in wanting to play baseball.
Arguably, these are just kids. They are basing things on appearances - now, appearances count a little more when you are dealing with baseball, right? Generally
| You see, we are all that little scrawny boy in the outfield. We all have something to prove, to our professors, our classmates, and ourselves. At the same time, we are all scared to death that when that pop-up ball comes flying at us, we'll drop it, and all our personal doubts about not belonging in the sciences will be true. | someone in better physical shape is a good player. But let's not even get into demonstrations of ability. Pretend it's the first day of school, and everything is just based on appearances. Maybe the small kid in the end could have eventually been the fastest kid in the class, or the best hitter, or just one great all - around baseball player. Hopefully one day he got to prove it, but until then, he was probably stuck in the outfield, maybe overlooked in the batting line-up, and didn't ever really touch the ball. Scrawny kids don't meet your expectations of typical baseball players. He probably even knew it. If not, he learned it on the playground. There is some sort of human need to fit in, to feel like you belong. That scrawny kid didn't. That's what being a female science major can feel like. |
I'm not saying every female science major feels like that scrawny kid all the time. There are going to be those who breeze through their department with barely a hint of insecurity. And then there are going to be those who find that every subtle thing can make such a difference. And then there are a lot of us in between. However, I cannot believe that a single female science major exists that has not had to deal with the fact that she is a female in a male-dominated field and that she doesn't fit the image of a typical scientist. You see, we are all that little scrawny boy in the outfield. We all have something to prove, to our professors, our classmates, and ourselves. At the same time, we are all scared to death that when that pop-up ball comes flying at us, we'll drop it, and all our personal doubts about not belonging in the sciences will be true.
Every time I see a female major who buys into the statistics, becomes one less science major, I feel a little more insecure. Granted, there are people out there who lose interest in things for no reason, or none that have anything to do with what I've presented today. At the same time, every time a female tells me that she found the major too hard, or that she just wasn't smart enough to do it, it makes me waver a little. It makes me wonder if I can do it.
| Now let me tell you about the female science major - those of us who are rounding the bend toward graduation year. The hold-outs. We keep going through all this. We have all been that scrawny kid in the outfield, but we were just stubborn enough to show up every day and every day go into the outfield, hoping for and sometimes dreading that chance to prove ourselves. That's why we are special, or maybe just lucky, because we are holding onto our breaks before our interests are broken. Maybe some of us have had an incredible professor who went the extra mile to let us know that someone out there thought we could do it. These professors do exist at Dartmouth, I am happy to say. Some maybe are raised by parents who somehow instilled strong enough beliefs to get us through it. Some of us are just strong-willed and confident enough to deal |
We are not hopeless messes - we have found some weapons for ourselves: education and experience. We are learning to speak up or get help somehow when we have questions. We are learning to occasionally demand attention to our ideas. We are learning to have some faith in ourselves. We are learning to share how we feel. |
| with it all. Maybe it's a combination of these or completely other reasons, but to be completely honest, I don't believe that reasons like these don't play into the fact that we are making it while the majority doesn't. | |
Let me continue about us. We are not hopeless messes - we have found some weapons for ourselves: education and experience. We are learning to speak up or get help somehow when we have questions. We are learning to occasionally demand attention to our ideas. We are learning to have some faith in ourselves. We are learning to share how we feel. We all carry that male image of the typical scientist, and we know that everyone else does too - and we know that that's what we have to deal with, sometimes on a daily basis, but we've also come far enough to know that it doesn't signify we can't play a mean game of baseball. And we have faith in a different ball game in the future. Thank you.
Featured Alumna: Dinsie Williams '97
An Interview By Serena Chang '05 April 29, 2002
Name: Dinsie Williams
Class Year: '97
E-mail: dinb@alum.dartmouth.org
May Dartmouth students contact you? Yes MEET DINSIE Dinsie graduated from Dartmouth in June of 1997 with Honors in Engineering Sciences. She continued on to complete her B.E in Biomedical Engineering that August and a M.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering in June 1999. Her earliest college research experience was as a WISP Intern with Geoffrey Nunes in the physics department. Data from her work were published in the Journal of Vacuum Science Technology B. In her sophomore year she successfully convinced the Director of the E.E. Just Program that she had enough credits to qualify for a junior internship program at DHMC where she studied the correlation between Photodynamic therapy and the growth of cancerous cells, under the supervision of Dr. P. Jack Hoopes. She displayed her findings at the 1995 WISP poster symposium at the Top of the Hop! Her Senior Honors Thesis with Prof. B. Stuart Trembly was on the "Ablation of the Human Fallopian Tube Using Microwave Hyperthermia" and her Masters Thesis with Prof. Keith
DISCOVERING SCIENCE FOR YOURSELF
One day during my first year, I was browsing through some magazines at Feldberg Library when I came across a Biomedical Engineering magazine... That visit to the library essentially changed my path in life. I started attending afternoon symposia of the Biomedical Engineering Society at Thayer School. I did not understand the details of the discussions but I found the topics fascinating. EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND - THE COLLEGE YEARS
How did you decide what to focus on?
What science-related activities did you participate in, if any? Were they important and why? Did they make science intriguing or generate ideas for continuing on in the sciences?
THE NEXT STEPS (OR, YOU MEAN I HAVE TO GET A JOB AFTER COLLEGE?)
The most important impact of my college career is that I have maintained a healthy amount of confidence in my ability to continue to be successful at "taking the road less traveled." Did you follow this path? What were your jobs after graduation?
TODAY - CREATING CAREERS
Are you still involved in the sciences? In what ways? If not, why not?
Does your college career impact what you currently do, and if so, how?
What's the most rewarding component of your current work?
What do you find less fulfilling?
Where do you expect and hope that this work may take you?
FINDING A BALANCE OF PRIORITIES AND INTERESTS
How have you dealt with balancing work and family - have you had to adjust your schedule or look for a job that is more flexible?
HELPFUL RESOURCES ALONG THE WAY
TENDING TO YOUR EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING
LESSONS LEARNED
What advice do you have for current students who may be interested in the sciences?
Complete as many internships as you can, talk to your professors about your career aspirations, find alumni in fields that interest you (what they have to say may help steer you to a great career or away from a bad one), explore other subject areas (they can be enlightening), create goals that will keep you focused
Paulsen and Prof. Alex Hartov was on the "Characterization and Calibration of an Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy Imaging System". Currently, Dinsie is an Image Quality Development Engineer at GE Medical Systems in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
When and how did you first get interested in science?
A couple of periods stand out. I know that when I was about ten, I envisioned myself in a white lab coat, walking along a hospital corridor in soft, non-squeaky shoes helping people get better. I wanted to follow the path of an aunt I was named after who was a medical doctor. Secondly, I used to take radios apart as a child just to see what was on the inside that made them work. On several occasions, I was unsuccessful in putting them back together so I knew I had to learn more about how machines worked.
What was your major in college?
Engineering Sciences
One day during my first year, I was browsing through some magazines at Feldberg Library when I came across a Biomedical Engineering magazine. At the time I didn't know how significant that event was. That visit to the library essentially changed my path in life. I started attending afternoon symposia of the Biomedical Engineering Society at Thayer School. I did not understand the details of the discussions but I found the topics fascinating. I have been hooked ever since. Discovering biomedical engineering was an epiphany for me. It is the perfect field that allows me to design machines that help provide people with better healthcare.
What science-related activities didn't I participate in? I completed a first year Women in Science Internship, an E.E. Just Internship (two quarters) at DHMC, attended Biomedical colloquia at Thayer school, I was a tutor for SWE & the Academic Center, and I religiously attended E.E. Just forums at the Hanover Inn. My internships helped me decide that Engineering was the path I ought to take.
During college, did you have an idea of what you wanted to do after graduation?
Yes, I wanted to work in a field where I could help people and learn continuously. By the time I started graduate school, I had narrowed it down to initially working in the biomedical industry or as a technical consultant in another engineering field.
How did you decide what to do after college? What were your goals, etc.?
I was eager to put my theoretical skills to practical use and fine-tune my engineering skills. I wanted to test out all the skills that I had acquired in my liberal arts studies at Dartmouth... and I'm glad to report that they work!
After graduation, I entered the two-year Technical Leadership Program in Design at GE Medical Systems. In addition to developing my engineering skills while working on design projects in X-ray, CT and MR, I have had the opportunity to be trained in Business Methods, Negotiation Skills, Business Productivity, Business Leadership and Business Development.
What are you currently involved in?
The design of State-of-the-Art Computed Tomography (CT) imaging technologies.
My work is in Engineering Design.
The most important impact of my college career is that I have maintained a healthy amount of confidence in my ability to continue to be successful at "taking the road less traveled."
I work on products that have direct positive impact on the healthcare of people world-wide.
I do not have as much freedom as I would have in a pure research setting.
In the words of Dr. Seuss,"Great Places"!
What are you most passionate about today?
Making sure people get adequate healthcare everywhere in the world.
I have been able to work with the amount of flexibility I get on the job.
How did you find out about various jobs, maybe even the job you have now?
Interesting story... GE Medical was at the top of my list of companies to work for. One day I found out that a lady from GE Plastics was going to be on campus interviewing students for a scholarship (I found this out because someone on the staff knew I wanted to work for the company). I waited outside the office where the interviews were taking place and until the door opened. With resume in hand, I practically squeezed my shoulder in the doorway and asked for a few minutes of the interviewer's time. I introduced myself to Libby, told her that I REALLY wanted to work for GE Medical and asked if she would be kind enough to pass on my resume. She did just that, and I got a job with the company at the top of my list!
Did you ever doubt your capabilities and/or knowledge in your major/career?
Never
If you could change anything about your career trajectory, what would it be and why?
I think I would have worked for a year or two between undergrad and grad school.
Complete as many internships as you can, talk to your professors about your career aspirations, find alumni in fields that interest you (what they have to say may help steer you to a great career or away from a bad one), explore other subject areas (they can be enlightening), create goals that will keep you focused, exercise regularly (if possible), try your best to eat well, and make sure you have fun at whatever you do!