UCR Newsroom

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (www.ucr.edu) – Despite the growing number of undergraduate women students in the life sciences, and in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduate and postdoctoral programs, not enough women are choosing to enter the professoriate.

In engineering and the physical sciences, the numbers of women are even fewer at the undergraduate level, so the pipeline for graduate school is invariably smaller.

UC Riverside’s Division of Diversity, Excellence and Equity; the Women’s Resource Center, The Women’s Committee of the Medical Scholars Program, and a steering committee of faculty want to do something about disparities in the pipeline.

As a key effort, they will sponsor a winter and spring 2009 interactive lecture series that will bring together undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students with STEM faculty in one-hour workshops. The series is designed to allow students to engage in dialogue with faculty about academic as well as interpersonal issues regarding the development of students’ careers.

According to the steering committee, one of the goals of the series is to provide as much personal and inspirational support as possible to women students who are majoring, or thinking about majoring, in areas of STEM.

“Our purpose is to highlight all that the STEM fields have to offer in order to enhance the choices our students are making,” said Yolanda Moses, Associate Vice Chancellor of Diversity, Excellence and Equity.

The first presenter in the series is Jane S. Schultz, director of the Research Development Office. Her talk, “An Exciting Journey,” covering the ups and downs of professional experiences since the 1950’s, will take place on February 26 from 2:00 -3:00 p.m. in Commons 260.

The other speakers in the series include:
2 p.m. Thursday, April 2 in Commons 268 - Dr. Phyllis A. Guze, Acting Vice Chancellor of Medical Sciences and Dean of the School of Medicine, who will initiate an interactive session on barriers that women face in basic science and getting into medical school.
2 p.m. Wednesday, April 22 in Commons 268 – Barry C. Arnold, Professor of Statistics, who will explore statistics as a career for those who like math and science.
2 p.m. Thursday, April 23 in Commons 260 – Cynthia K. Larive, Professor of Chemistry, who will describe her roundabout path to chemistry.
2 p.m. Thursday, May 21 in Commons 260 – Linda M. Penas, Lecturer in Statistics, who will discuss her journey from a small town in middle American to UC Riverside, via academic and industry, and offer perspectives on the roles women play in STEM.

The talks are free and open to the public, although parking on campus requires a permit or a fee.

The University of California, Riverside (www.ucr.edu) is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment of over 19,000 is expected to grow to 21,000 students by 2020. The campus is planning a medical school and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Graduate Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion.

A broadcast studio with fiber cable to the AT&T Hollywood hub is available for live or taped interviews. To learn more, call (951) UCR-NEWS.