On February 22-23 the UNL Center for Science, Mathematics &
Computer Education and the Nebraska EPSCoR hosted the fourth annual
Women in Science conference at the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln,
Nebraska. The purpose of the conference was to provide role models
to students who had been identified by their teachers as having
ability and interest in exploring a future in science. The keynote
speaker this year was Dr. Sylvia Wiegand of UNL's Department of
Mathematics and Statistics. Dr. Wiegand has published 37 research
articles and is the editor of 2 research journals. She has been
the president of the Association for Women in Mathematics, an international
organization committed to changing the climate for women in the
field of mathematics.
Seventy-four high school women from 24 high schools in Nebraska,
Kansas, and Colorado attended the conference along with their teachers,
counselors, or parent sponsors. Participants toured the UNL Beadle
Center, UNL Animal Science facilities, Goodyear Tire and Rubber
Co., Quest Diagnostics, and the BryanLGH East Medical Center.
In addition to the tours, students had the opportunity to interact
with faculty and students from several UNL departments including
Arts & Sciences Recruitment, Food Science & Technology,
Admissions, Chemistry, Meteorology, and Animal Science.
This year's participants indicated that the conference helps them
see the opportunities available to them in science, math, engineering,
and technology careers. They also stated that visiting with UNL
students helped them feel less anxious about starting college.
For more information, contact the Center for Science, Mathematics
& Computer Education at (402) 472-8965 or scimath@unl.edu.
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