WMS 130: Achievements
of Women in Math, Science, & Engineering
First Year Living Learning Community Seminar
for WIMSE Program
Instructors: Meg Hancock, Graduate Assistant, Women's Center, MacMillan
Hall, 9-8588 Email: hannocmg@muohio.edu
Jan Yarrison-Rice, Associate Professor, Physics Department, 15
Culler Hall, 9-1862 Email: yarrisjm@muohio.edu
Syllabus
Based on two texts:
Nobel Prize Women in Science by Sharon Bertsch McGrayne
Extraordinary Women Scientists by Darlene R. Stille
Introduction:
This is a credit/no-credit course which provides 1
credit hour toward graduation. WMS 130 is a sprint course which runs
on Tuesday and Thursday from 3-3:50 and 4-4:50 PM from Tuesday, August 24
through Thursday, October 14th.
Course Plan:
A series of guest speakers will be presenting information
on notable women in mathematics, science, and engineering. The guest
speakers are women faculty from Miami whose research is related to the work
of the women who are being highlighted. You will hear about the well-known
scientist’s lives and about their research; then the MU women will describe
some of their own work. You will be asked to prepare (in a group) a
presentation on a notable woman in SME whom you find interesting. Each
group will present a 10 minute presentation and then 10 minutes of discussion
will follow.
Grades:
Your grade in WMS 130 will be based upon 4 things:
the introductory paper in which you introduce yourself to the instructor,
your attendance and participation, your presentation on a notable woman,
and a final paper in which you compare and contrast the achievements of women
in the past to present day women in SME (yourself included) and how that
effects your studies. Papers and presentations will be graded as Credit
or No-credit, and so must be at least a C level of work. Attendance
will be taken in each class. A brief 1 minute reflection question may
be requested as part of the participation grade.
Presentations:
Either choose a well-reknowned woman in math, science, medicine, engineering,
or technology driven field and share her life and work
OR
Research and present career options that are centered around a particular
major or sub-field
Final Paper:
Focused on your career choices and available options. It will also
include reflections from the presentations and activities from the course.
WMS 130: Plan of Action [Format:
Miami U. Scientist, Dept., Reknowned Scientist, Research Area]
T, Aug. 24 Introduction
R, Aug. 26 Discussion of student backgrounds
T, Aug. 31 Joyce Fernandez, Zoo, Christiane Nusslein-Volhard
Developmental Biologist, Nobel Prize
1995
R, Sept. 2 Tour of Women’s Center
T, Sept. 7 Mon/Tues Exchange – No
Class
R, Sept. 9 Linda Marchant, Behavioral Anthropology
Jane Goodall, Primatologist
T, Sept. 14 Student Conservation Assoc, SCA Presentation
Internships in Conservation and Career Info
R, Sept. 16 2 Student Group Presentations
T, Sept. 21 2 Student Group Presentations
R, Sept. 23 2 Student Group Presentations
T, Sept. 28 2 Student Group Presentations
R, Sept. 30 Lori Isaacson, Zoo, Rita Levi-Montalcini
Neuroembriologist, Nobel Prize 1986
T, Oct. 5
R, Oct. 7
T, Oct. 12
R. Oct. 14 Last Class, Wrap-up
Still waiting for dates for:
Jade Morton, Elec. Eng, Judith Resnick or Mae C. Jameson (astronauts
& engineering)
Linda Watson, Bot., Barbara McClintock, Plant Genetics, Nobel Prize 1983
Ivonne Ortiz, Math/Stats, Martha Farnesworth Riche or Janet Norwood (Census
Bureau)
Jan Y-R, Phys, Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Astrophysicist, Pulsars
Nearly Contemporary Women Scientists:
Barbara McClintock Geneticist
1902-1992 Maize genetics
Nobel in Physiology/Medicine
1983
Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Physical Chemist
1910-1994 Xray Crystallography of penicillin, insulin,
and
B12 and others
Nobel in Chemistry 1964 (most recent in Chemistry)
Gertrude Elion Biochemist
1918-1999 Drug discoveries made organ
transplants possible also work
the basis of AZT for AIDs
Nobel in Physiology/Medicine 1988
Maria Goeppert Mayer Physicist
1906-1972 Nuclear Shell Model
Nobel in Physics
1963 ( most recent Nobel in Phys to a woman)
Rosalind Elsie Franklin Physical Chemist
1920-1958 Xray structure of DNA and other viruses
Data taken by Watson
and Crick
Florence Bascom Geologist
1862-1945
Contemporary Women Scientists:
Rosalyn Sussman Yallow Medical Physics
1921 – Pres Radioimmunoassay procedure for endocrinology
Nobel in Physiology/Medicine 1977 (1st American born woman)
Rita Levi-Montalcini Neuroembryologist
1909- Pres Nerve growth factors for cells
Nobel in Physiology/Medicine 1986
Jocelyn Bell Burnell Astronomer/Physicist
1943- Pres Pulsar Discoveries
Christiane Nusslein-Volhard Developmental Biologist
1942- Pres Genetic origin of human health problems
like birth defects and cancer
Nobel in Physiology/Medicine 1995
Jane Goodall Ethologist
1934- Pres Studied chimpanzee lifestyles
and societies
Diane Fossey Zoologist
1932-1985 Primate studies
Jewell Plummer Cobb Cell Biologist/Educator
1924-Pres
Judith A. Resnick Astronaut/Electrical
Engineer 1949-1986 Astronaut on Challenger
when it exploded
Mae C. Jemison Astronaut/Physician/Biomedical
Engineer 1956-Pres.