Inspiring Girls to Study STEM

The fields of science, technology, engineering and math have historically been male dominated. In an effort to inspire the next generation of women to pursue work and education in STEM, Millersville University will host the 37th annual Glenna Hazeltine Women in Mathematics, Science, and Technology conference on April 1 in the Student Memorial Center at this invite-only event.

Starting at 8:30 a.m., nearly 200 girls from the surrounding junior and senior high schools will come to campus to learn first-hand from women professionals about what a career in STEM entails.

Keynote speaker Dr. Gale Blackmer, state geologist of Pennsylvania and director of the Bureau of Geological Survey in the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and she currently serves as Chair of the Pennsylvania State Geospatial Coordinating Board. Her career spans teaching, groundwater and geotechnical work, geologic mapping, and now science administration. Blackmer will present her talk, “Geosciences for the Future” to attendees, where she will share with students what geoscientists do and how the geosciences are integral to facing 21st century challenges.

Among the lineup of speakers are four of Millersville’s own faculty members, including Dr. Gail Gasparich, who holds a doctorate in microbiology and serves as the provost of Millersville, will present “From Mice to Microbes – One Woman Scientist’s Tale.” Assistant professor of organic chemistry Dr. Kristen Baker will present, “Empowered by Elements: My Radical Journey in Chemistry,” while Dr. Erin Moss, professor of mathematics education, will share her talk, “College Professor: What to do When You’re Interested in Everything.” Elaine Chrissos, program director of respiratory therapy, will share her professional experiences during her prestation, “When You Can’t Breathe, Nothing Else Matters.” Marianne Frantz, administrative assistant for the Office of the Dean of Science and Technology, will serve as the conference coordinator for the 10^th year in a row.

“We make sure we have a good mix of people, from computer science, to geography, to math at our annual conference so the students can choose to see who they’re interested in,” says Dr. Nazli Hardy, associate professor of computer science and chair of the conference’s planning committee. “We want to ensure that these speakers are people who convey what it’s really like to be a woman in that career, not just the science behind the career.”

For more information on the Women in STEM Conference, visit millersville.edu/wmsc