N E W S L E T T E R
Association for Women in Science
Palo Alto Chapter
May / June 2001
|
N E W S L E T T E R |
Association for Women in Science Palo Alto Chapter May / June 2001 |
Contents
Scholarship Winner, Voting Results 1
Check This Out 2
Articles 3
May Program Flyer 4
June Ice Cream Social 5
July Program Flyer 6
Calendar of Events 7
And the Scholarship Winner is . . .
This year the Palo Alto chapter awarded a $1000 scholarship to Giselle Sylvester, a biology major at DeAnza College. Giselle was chosen not only for having excellent grades, but also for her community service and financial need. Giselle has been a tutor at Fisher Middle School and a counselor at Walden West Science Camp. She is also an avid soccer player. Giselle will transfer to UC Berkeley or UC Davis in the fall to study molecular and cellular biology. After graduating from college she plans to go to graduate school or medical school.
I hope you had a chance to meet this outstanding science student at the Awards Banquet. Let's congratulate her!
The amendment to the chapter By-laws was approved nearly unanimously by voting members of the Palo Alto chapter. The by-laws were changed so that elections for Board Positions will be held annually from now on. The terms of President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer, and Member-at-Large will be held for one year, and candidates can be elected for a second term (but not more than two consecutive terms in the same office). Thanks for your participation!
New Board Elected
Please Welcome our new Board!
President Annette Lewis, active member since 1997, was a member of the Program Committee for two years, served as Vice-President for a year, and has been acting President of the chapter since September. Annette is interested in collaborative leadership, and in strengthening ties between women in industry.
Vice President Michelle Boytim, a member of PA-AWIS for the past four years, is a consistent volunteer at our Newsletter Folding Parties and has volunteered as a Mentor, but her most visible contribution has been as co-WebMistress –she has served for two years in that capacity. Michelle’s creative use of graphics and hot links has increased traffic on our website to over 100 hits per day.
Secretary Nancy Jennerjohn lives and works in Hayward but she has been a faithful member of AWIS Palo Alto for the past three years. Nancy has served as chapter Secretary since September 2000. She likes to hike so you may meet her on one of our Bayland at Sunset Strolls.
Treasurer Erin Cline has been an active member of the chapter since she signed up a year ago. She assumed the duties of Treasurer last year and will continue for another term. Erin is a grad student at Stanford, starting the third year of her Ph.D. program.
Member-at-Large Fong-Yih Bih has served two years as co-Chair of the Program Committee, before being elected to the Board as Member-at-Large. The member-at large gets to cast the tie breaking ballot in the rare case that’s needed.
New NCC AWIS Website
Chris Rozanas is pleased to announce the launch of the new NCC-AWIS official website. Please take a moment and check it out at http://www.nccawis.org. The new website will provide a platform for items of regional and joint interest to the four chapters.
Up until now, NCC had a section on the East Bay website which could only be accessed by following a link on the ebAWIS Home Page. Now, with our own URL, members can more easily find information on regional events in Northern California. There is information shown for each chapter's membership chair for people interested in joining the organization.
Chris is still in the process of moving content and updating links from the NCC page on the ebAWIS website. The new site has links to the three chapter websites as well as to the websites of our corporate sponsors and to other local organizations we have had affiliation with for workshops and conferences. There is an archive section for the workshops we've held as well as a section to archive the scholarship and award winners.
Please let Chris know if you have any questions or comments about the page (content, functionality, links, etc). If anyone is interested in helping to maintain the site, she’d love to hear from you. Since NCC holds only a few events a year, the time requirement would be less than for a chapter website. You can reach Chris at chris.rozanas@am.apbiotech.com
Job Opening!
Scientist position available in a rapidly growing biotech company. We
are seeking a motivated individual who will develop and lead the project to elucidate
function of novel genes and their associations with diseases. The successful candidate
will possess a strong background in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Genomics, with
proficiency in functional assay development, pathway research, and computational analysis.
Ph.D. with at least 3 years postdoctoral experience, and a track record of training and
publications. Experience with project management is an advantage. Excellent communication
skills and willingness to work in a team setting are essential.
Applicants should send curriculum vitae, a cover letter, and names of three references to: Roy Tan, Ph.D., Genepharm Inc, 136 South Wolfe Road, Sunnyvale, CA 94086, FAX: (408) 773-1018, e-mail: roytan@genepharminc.com.
Directory Update
Updated 2001 AWIS Palo Alto directories were mailed to all chapter members in early April. This valuable networking tool is one of the benefits of being a dues-paying member. Directories are published annually. Update your contact information in our database any time during the year by sending the changes to Lalitha Subramanian at lalithawis@hotmail.com. That way you will receive our email announcements about events and get the newsletter mailings.
Careers of Women in Science: Issues of Power and Control
This conference (May 12 and 13 at UC Berkeley) not only aims to promote lively discussion, but also, by having an emphasis on successful women in science, will encourage high school girls to consider such careers. Conference leaders also hope to sustain those undergraduate, graduate and post doc women who are already studying or employed in science. The presence of so many senior women scientists should serve as a tremendous resource for the aspiring new generation of women scientists.
Two rooms of staffed tables are planned. They will offer information about fields, workplaces, community college, and four year and graduate programs in science and engineering. Information about financial aid, school outreach programs, and organizations which promote girls in science and engineering will also be available. Panels of undergraduate women in various fields will speak about their transition to college, graduate women about their transition to graduate school. Nifty science demonstrations are also planned as well as a guide to using the internet to learn about scientific careers and how to prepare for them. All of this will run parallel to the main conference panels so younger participants can choose among a few options during both days.
For more information on the conference, contact Anne MacLachlan at (510) 643-8397 or write her at maclach@uclink4.berkeley.edu.
Big Sur Environmental Field Study
San Francisco State University's Wildlands Studies Program is offering a summer Big Sur environmental field study that you are invited to join. The program takes place August 3 - August 17, 2001 and is under the direction of Nicole Crane, Director of the Marine Advanced Technology Center. Participants will search for answers to important environmental questions by taking part in a hands-on investigation of marine mammal distribution, inter-tidal habitats and fresh water stream ecology.
The Big Sur Program, along with our other U.S. and International field studies, are described at our website: http://www.wildlandsstudies.com/ws or our catalog can be sent in the mail. Our email address is: wildlnds@sonic.net
Hope you can join us...
AWIS Celebrates its 30th Birthday
This year, the Association for Women in Science will be celebrating its 30th anniversary. AWIS was founded on April 17, 1971 by a small group of women who wanted to improve the position of women in the sciences. We would like to get AWIS chapters and members involved in the 30th anniversary events. The kickoff event occurred in February at the AWIS reception in San Francisco, California. Many local chapter members were able to attend. AWIS Fellows were announced at this reception and their names are listed on the web site. There will be an article on the reception in the upcoming AWIS magazine.
The national office has added a 30th anniversary page to our web site, http://www.awis.org/30th.html. This will include pearls of wisdom from notable women and a list of all the events occurring this year.
The national office would like the chapters to organize local 30th anniversary events. The programs/events can focus on issues relevant to members and will be posted on the national 30th anniversary web page. All chapters are encouraged to submit a form asking for sponsorship from the national office for their events. The application form can be accessed on the 30th anniversary web page http://www.awis.org/30th.html). To commemorate our anniversary we will sponsor several chapter events allocating $150-200 per chapter event. The deadline for submitting the application is May 30th.
The national office is looking forward to the 30th celebratory events and we hope that you will join us in the celebration. For further information please contact Krishna Shah at shah@awis.org or visit the 30th anniversary web page http://www.awis.org/30th.html.
March Meeting Summary
Colleen Woo, Programs Committee
The March 2001 AWIS seminar at the Xerox PARC in Palo Alto featured Rama Balakrishnan, Ph.D., a Scientific Content Editor at Labvelocity.com. Prior to her work at Labvelocity.com, she was a post doctoral fellow in the Biochemistry Department at Stanford University. She received her Ph.D. in Biophysics from SUNY, Buffalo, NY. Dr. Balakrishnan described how the internet has changed the manner in which biomedical scientists conduct research, and highlighted the available on-line resources that can be valuable tools for research and development. It is now possible to accomplish many tasks over the internet, such as organizing experiments, buying supplies, and retrieving journal articles.
The seminar was very helpful and gave many ideas as to how the individuals in academia and biotechnology can use the internet to streamline the work involved in laboratory and project management. She described various sites that represented different steps that researchers take to design and perform experiments and analyze the results. Dr. Balakrishnan also gave live, real-time demonstrations of the internet sites, using the computer to show the capabilities and content of the sites she highlighted. The subject areas included during her seminar are:
• On-line resources for journal articles (BioMedNet, ChemWeb, COs, higher Press, LabVelocity, PubMed, thescientificworld)
• On-line resources for laboratory protocols and reference materials (BioOnline, LabVelocity, Metazoa, Protocol-online)
• On-line resources for laboratory products and supplies (BioSupplies, ChemFind, LabVelocity, SciQuest)
• On-line resources for reviews and troubleshooting of products and supplies (BioCompare, BioWire)
• On-line resources for bio-informatics (Compugen, Doubletwist, Informax, Jellyfish [Biowire], NCBI, Proteome, SDSC, TimeLogic [Decypher])
• On-line resources for conference information and for publishing experiments on the internet (Biocarta, COS, thescientificworld)
• On-line resources for job searches and grant information (BioSpace, Bioview, COS, Grantsnet, Sciencejobs)
NCC Fund Raising Protocol
POLICY: The fund raising subcommittee of NCC-AWIS solicits funds for the benefit of the four northern California chapters.
Our fund raising efforts are primarily directed towards biotech firms especially where AWIS chapter members are employed and where AWIS will have some visibility.
Fund raising prospects are located only within the geographic area served by the NCC chapters, from Monterey Bay to the Sacramento area. To avoid any fund raising conflict with National AWIS’ fund raising efforts, NCC provides National AWIS with a list of corporations from whom membership is solicited.
Designated chapter fund raisers work with or serve on the NCC-AWIS fund raising subcommittee in a coordinated effort.
PURPOSE: The fund raising subcommittee of NCC-AWIS raises funds in support of individual AWIS chapter activities and projects, specific scholarships and recognition awards, the NCC newsletter, the NCC website and for NCC-AWIS administrative overhead necessary to carry out and coordinate activities for the four Northern California chapters.
"Reflections on Gender and Sexuality"
Joan Roughgarden, Ph.D.
Professor of Biological Sciences
Stanford University
Dr Roughgarden’s research has focused on complex ecological systems. In her current research, Dr. Roughgarden is deconstructing the way that biologists think about gender and sexuality. She is currently finishing a book for Princeton University Press entitled "Evolutions Rainbow" about how gender and sexuality are expressed in the vertebrates, including humans.
DATE: Thursday, May 24th TIME: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm PLACE: Xerox PARC Auditorium 3333 Coyote Hill Rd, Palo Alto
Schedule
7:00-7:30 pm Networking and light Supper
7:30-7:45 pm Announcements
7:45-8:45 pm Program
8:45-9:00 pm Discussion
ˇ Welcome!! The Meeting is free.
You don’t need to be a Member to attend.ˇ
All scientists, students, and their friends are welcome. Men too!
Directions from the North:
Take Hwy 280 SOUTH, exit at Page Mill Rd and at the bottom of the ramp turn LEFT and head
towards Palo Alto. Turn RIGHT onto Coyote Hill Road. Xerox PARC is on the left, just past
the crest of the hill. Enter main door and look for signs to the Auditorium.
Directions from the South:
ALTERNATE: Take Hwy 101, exit at Oregon Expressway heading west towards Stanford. As you cross El Camino, Oregon is renamed Page Mill Road. Follow Page Mill Road WEST, cross Foothill Expressway, and take a LEFT on Coyote Hill Road. Xerox PARC is on the left, (follow directions above to Auditorium).
LOCAL (from Stanford): Take Foothill SOUTH towards Los Altos, and turn RIGHT at Page Mill Road heading WEST. Turn LEFT onto Coyote Hill Road. Xerox PARC is on the left, (follow directions above to Auditorium).
See also
www.parc.xerox.com/location.html
We will enjoy fresh fruit and ice cream on the outdoor patio at the Orange Room at SLAC, then move inside for a networking session!
DATE: Thursday, June 21, 2001 TIME: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm LOCATION: SLAC - ORANGE ROOM 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park
* * * * * * *
Roundtable Networking
** NOTE the NEW Meeting Location **
* * * * * * *
Schedule
7:00-7:30 pm Networking and light Supper
7:30-7:45 pm Announcements
7:45-8:45 pm Roundtable Program
8:45-9:00 pm Coffee/Tea and Discussion
ˇ Welcome!! The Meeting is free.
You do not need to be a Member to attend.ˇ
All scientists, students, and their friends are welcome! Men too!
Directions to the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC):
From Hwy 280, take the Sand Hill Road exit and head EAST to Palo Alto. At the 3rd
stop light, turn RIGHT into SLAC. Tell the guard at the Entrance that you are attending an
AWIS meeting in the Orange Room and ask for directions. Park either across the street from
the old Training Center, or in the lot to the RIGHT of the Guard.
Heading South on Hwy 101, take Hwy 84/Woodside Road WEST about 5 miles to Hwy 280 South (toward San Jose), then follow the directions above.
Heading North on Hwy 101, exit at Oregon Expressway heading WEST. Follow Oregon Exp. to Hwy 280 (becomes Page Mill Rd as you cross El Camino). Travel NORTH on Hwy 280 (towards San Francisco) to Sand Hill Road exit. Follow the directions above.
Local: From Stanford Shopping Center, travel WEST about 2 miles on Sand Hill Road. Cross Alameda de las Pulgas, and proceed to the third stoplight. Turn LEFT into SLAC. Follow the directions above.
Contact: kdahlquist@gladstone.ucsf.edu or check out www.pa-awis.org for more information.
How Cholera Survives in the World
Fitnat Yildiz, Ph.D.
Fitnat Yildiz received her PhD from the Indiana University and is a postdoc in Dr Gary Schoolnik’s lab. Her research on the survival of Vibrio cholera in the aquatic environment, including the role of rugosity and biofilm formation, was published in PNAS (3/30/99). Dr Yildiz is a native of Turkey. Shes’s a molecular microbiologist by training, mother of a young daughter, and is considering a couple offers for a position as an Assistant Professor in the bay area.
- Vibrio cholerae is a pathogenic organism that is spread by contact with contaminated water or food. Epidemic outbreaks have occurred in India, Asia, Africa, the Mediterranean, South and Central America and the US.
- How does the organism survive without a host in between outbreaks?
- What can research tell us about the evasive actions of this infectious disease agent that may apply to other persistent infections?
DATE: Thursday, July 26th 2001 TIME: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm PLACE: Xerox PARC Auditorium 3333 Coyote Hill Rd, Palo Alto Schedule
7:00-7:30 pm Networking and light Supper
7:30-7:45 pm Announcements
7:45-8:45 pm Program
8:45-9:00 pm Discussion
ˇ Welcome!! The Meeting is free.
You don’t need to be a Member to attend.ˇ
All scientists, students, and their friends are welcome. Men too!
Directions from the North:
Take Hwy 280 SOUTH, exit at Page Mill Rd and at the bottom of the ramp turn LEFT and head
towards Palo Alto. Turn RIGHT onto Coyote Hill Road. Xerox PARC is on the left, just past
the crest of the hill. Enter main door and look for signs to the Auditorium.
Directions from the South:
Take Hwy 280 NORTH, exit at Page Mill Road, turn RIGHT at the bottom of the offramp and
head up hill towards Palo Alto. Turn RIGHT onto Coyote Hill Road. Xerox PARC is on the
left, (follow directions above).
ALTERNATE: Take Hwy 101, exit at Oregon Expressway heading west towards Stanford. As you cross El Camino, Oregon is renamed Page Mill Road. Follow Page Mill Road WEST, cross Foothill Expressway, and take a LEFT on Coyote Hill Road. Xerox PARC is on the left, (follow directions above to Auditorium).
LOCAL (from Stanford): Take Foothill SOUTH towards Los Altos, and turn RIGHT at Page Mill Road heading WEST. Turn LEFT onto Coyote Hill Road. Xerox PARC is on the left, (follow directions above to Auditorium). See also www.parc.xerox.com/location.html
Contact Annette Lewis by email: lewis@entelos.com or phone: 650-330-5229
C A L E N D A R o f E V E N T S
Women Leaders in Science Seminar
Wednesday, May 16, 3:00PM
Speaker: Mary Claire-King
University of Washington
Department of Genetics
Genetics of Breast Cancer
RSVP to Chandreyee (chandreyeedas@hotmail.com)
May NCPDG Dinner
Wednesday, May 16
6:00PM – 9:00PM
Clarion Hotel, Millbrae
Speaker: Patricia T. Kelly, PhD
Berkeley, CA
"Assess Your True Risk of Breast Cancer"
For cost and reservations visit www.ncpdg.org
Bay Area Biotech Symposium
The UCSF Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry is presenting a symposium featuring Bay Area Biotechnology companies
Registration/Informtion: kristina@cgl.ucsf.edu or call 415.514.0148
Women Chemists Committee Meeting
Saturday, May 19, 11:30AM to 3:00PM
Pasta Primavery Café
Walnut Creek
"Story of Agnes Fay Morgan"
Maresi Nerad
Director, Graduate Research
UC Berkeley
RSVP with Nancy Gephart at the ACS office, office@calacs.org
Science Matters Book for May
May 20, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Santa Cruz Public Library, Central Branch
Book: Thre Great Gulf: Fishermen, Scientists, and the Struggle to Revive
the World’s Greatest Fishery
By David Dobbs
For information, call Victoria Welborn 831-459-2816 or write to welborn@cats.ucsc.edu
Palo Alto May Meeting
"Reflections on Gender and Sexuality"
Speaker: Dr. Joan Roughgarden
Professor of Biological Sciences, UCSF
See p. 4 for more information, or contact Kam Dahlquist@gladstone.ucsf.edu
Sunset Hike Around the Dish
Monday, June 4, 6:30PM to 8:30PM
Meet at Piers Lane Bridge
Alpine Road
Informal Netwroking – Unwind after Work!
Mentoring Meeting
Thursday, June 14
7:00PM – 9:00PM
Orange Room at SLAC
2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park
Contact Susan Bernhard, sbernhard@gryphonsci.com
June NCPDG dinner
Speaker: Claudia Poglitsch, PhD
Senior Scientist
Caliper Technologies, Inc.
For cost and reservations visit www.ncpdg.org
Palo Alto June Meeting
Midsummer Networking Ice Cream Social!
See p. 5 for more information
Contact Susan Bernhard at sbernhard@gryphonsci.com
WITI Professional Women’s Summit
BIO International Convention and Expo
June 24 to 27, San Diego
For information, visit www.bio2001.org
Palo Alto July Meeting
"How Cholera Survives in the World"
Speaker: Fitnat Yildiz, Ph.D.
Department of Microbiology
Stanford University
See p. 6 for more information
Contact Kam Dahlquist at kdahlquist@gladstone.ucsf.edu