Visiting women scientists provide inspiration, encouragement, and serve as role models, plus they offer candid answers to students' questions about combining careers with marriage and families.

Each term, inspiring and articulate scientists are invited to speak to WISP students, both in traditional public forums and in small, informal settings in which interested students can hear the presenters' personal perspectives on career paths, personal challenges, and strategies for success. Indicative of the collaborative spirit of the Dartmouth community and the broad acceptance WISP enjoys, it is common for other departments bringing visiting lecturers to campus to share their visitors with WISP students.

The best conversations often occur in informal sessions, perhaps over lunch, such as this visit with then-NASA astronaut, engineer, and physician Mae Jemison:

Lunch with Dr. Mae Jemison:
by Meghan Sherlock '96

WISP, Career Services, and the Montgomery Foundation cosponsored an informal luncheon and discussion group with visiting Montgomery Fellow, Dr. Mae Jemison. Dr. Jemison shared her undergraduate and postgraduate experiences with several WISP members, who had the opportunity to ask her how and why she made the decisions that led to her current position with NASA. Even though she knew she always wanted to be an astronaut, she did not see only one way to achieve this goal. In addition to being an astronaut, Dr. Jemison is a physician and an engineer; and she even spent two years in Africa working in the US Peace Corps. As a '96 attending my first WISP event, it was very encouraging to hear Dr. Jemison say that she did not have every detail of her education and career planned ahead of time. It was an enjoyable opportunity to spend time with Dr. Jemison, and those who attended gained new insight into planning a career in the sciences.