Notes from the PrezLisa Wang, President
Notes from
the Prez
Changing of the Guards
Check This Out
Jobs
Membership Co-chair; October Review
Synopsis Outreach Foundation
New Managing Editor
Gifts & Donations
Welcome Jaleh Daie
Intel Carver Scholars Program
Support Groups @ UCSF
November Meeting on Career Choices
December Meeting on EMF Effects
Calendar of Events
Notes from the Prez
Lisa Wang, President
Welcome, and as the winter holiday season approaches, I would like to
take this opportunity to give thanks and to reacquaint us with some AWIS history.
In 1971, a small group of women academics met in a discussion at the FASEB meeting in
Chicago about how few women were in science. From these discussions, the AWIS organization
was born. Judith Poole and Neena Schwartz were elected the first co-Presidents of National
AWIS. This was shortly before Title IX, which among other things, led to the introduction
of coeducation at several of the Ivy League schools. The original goals of AWIS were
focused on: sharing information through a newsletter, keeping track of professional women
through a national registry, and forming a legislative "watchdog" committee to
monitor bills for non-compliance with affirmative action. These are goals, which National
AWIS continues to this day.
In 1983, Rivka Sherman-Gold established the Palo Alto chapter of AWIS and served as its
first president. Rivka is still active in the Bay Area, working in business development at
Abgenix and continuing her volunteer efforts with AWIS-PA as a mentor in the AWIS Palo
Alto Mentoring Program at Stanford University. Rivka was also instrumental in founding the
mentoring program in 1991. In these past 16 years, this first northern California chapter
of AWIS has grown to a membership of ~300 individuals and is now one of four northern
California chapters (East Bay 1991, Sacramento Valley 1994, Monterey Bay 1998).
In 1992, Ellen Weaver, Professor Emeritus of Biology at San Jose State University and
member of AWIS Palo Alto, was selected to serve as President of National AWIS. After her
two-year term, Ellen received the first Judith Pool Award given by the Palo Alto Chapter.
This award honors senior level women who have been successful academic researchers and
mentors. A second award, the Ellen Weaver Award, was created in her name to recognize
young women early in their scientific careers who are also active in their community.
These two awards are among the honors presented at the annual NCC-AWIS Awards Banquet held
in April at Genentech.
In 1999, AWIS Palo Alto is one of over 70 AWIS chapters nationwide and represents close to
5% of the total AWIS National membership. In recalling the creation of AWIS, I would like
to leave you with the thought that it only takes the concerted efforts of a small group of
individuals working together to successfully initiate a desired change.
Happy Holidays and best of wishes in the coming Millennium!
I would like to formally announce that Ms. Vicki Basham will assume the
position of Newsletter Managing Editor for the Palo Alto Chapter of AWIS.
A big THANKS to all of you who've helped to make the newsletter a fun and easy production
for the past year. My contributing editors and proofreaders were incredibly dependable.
Susan Fife and Nora Lem have donated much of their time to rewrites given with short
notices and urgency. Iris Simon, Krista Bowman, and Michelle Boytim have been the familiar
faces at Folding Parties besides also supporting me in Outreach. Susan Bernhard and Kay
Brown also assisted in making my job a breeze.
I've met a lot of interesting people, had fun hostessing the Folding Parties, and am very
proud of the professional looking newsletter we've produced together. Please give Vicki a
big welcome when you see her at chapter events. I know all of you will give her the
cooperation and help that she needs in this new role. I'm very confident that she will do
a wonderful job.
Check This Out
Brag Board
Congratulations go to Killu Tougu (Mentoring and Programs Committee) who is getting married in October. Killu, who works in Business Development and Sales at Phenogenex and Stratagene
, will be a panelist speaking at our November meeting on career choices.Jobs Galore!
Incyte Pharmaceutical's Legal department is looking for a Technical Writer/Advisor to assist in the preparation of patent applications. If you are interested in exploring the field of patent law, this is a great entry-level opportunity at a premier genomics company. Position requires a Master's or Ph.D. in molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology, or related field of life sciences. The ideal candidate must be highly organized and extremely attentive to detail. The ideal candidate must also have excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to work both independently and as a team player. Some experience in bioinformatics is desirable but not essential. For further information, please call Danielle Pasqualone at 650-845-4892.
Santa Clara University is
looking to fill two, new tenure-track positions in the Biology department. One is for a Cell/Molecular
Biologist. The other for a Cell/Physiologist. We are looking for new faculties
who are interested in both teaching and research. Physiology position includes organismal
physiology, neurobiology, endocrinology, cell physiology etc. In addition, a part-time Lecturer
for the Spring Quarter is sought to teach Molecular Biology this year. Postdocs or
graduate students who have just completed their dissertations are encouraged to apply. The
teaching experience will be extremely beneficial when applying for tenure track jobs later
in their careers.
If you are interested in any of these positions, please contact Jim Grainger at
408-554-4732 or by email at jgrainger@scu.edu.
GaSonics International is
a dynamic, high-impact and growing manufacturer of state-of-the-art photoresist removal
isotropic asher, etchers, and high-pressure oxidation systems for high volume
semiconductor wafer fabrication. They own the market share in the industry, and their eyes
are fixed on even bigger horizons for the future. If you are ready to push the very limits
of creativity and productivity, join the team of professionals dedicated to quality and
customer service. Explore one of the following positions, and discover a great career at
GaSonics. Contact AWIS member Elizabeth Pavel at Elizabeth_pavel@gasonics.
ENGINEERING
Sr. Mechanical Design Engineer (Req#: 99021, 99043)
Sr. Electrical Engineer (Req#: 99038)
Staff Engineer - Device Expertise (Req#: 99528)
Staff Technical Marketing Engineer (Req#: 99001)
Sr. Technical Support Engineer (Req#: 99026)
Software Engineer (Req#: 98020)
Field Service Technician (Req#: 99535)
OPERATIONS
Manufacturing Engineering Manager (Req#: 99045)
Reliability Engineer (Req#: 99046)
Manufacturing Engineer (Req#: 99044)
Sr. Buyer (Req#: 99042)
Mechanical Assembler (Req#: 99032)
Test Technician (Req#: 99035, 99036)
Quality Assurance Inspector (Req#: 99037)
For detailed information on each of these positions, please see our web site at
www.gasonics.com. GaSonics offers equal employment opportunities regardless of race, age,
religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, veteran or disability
status. Women and minorities are especially encouraged to apply. Please submit inquiries
to GaSonics International, 2730 Junction Avenue, San Jose, CA 95134. Fax: 408-570-7511
E-mail: hr@gasonics.com.
The Center for Gender Equity (CGE) at UCSF is seeking a Coordinator of Special Projects. The Coordinator will assist the Director and works as a team member to implement CGE goals and objectives in accordance with UCSF policies, procedures and guidelines. For a detailed description of position, job duties, and required skills, please visit the AWIS-Palo Alto Chapter web site at www.pa-awis.org.
Aerotek Scientific and Clinicals is currently seeking a Medical Writer. Someone with experience writing for FDA submission is needed for a two-month assignment in Santa Barbara. Please contact Lee Sterling at lsterlin@aerotek.com for more information.
The Science & Health Education Partnership (SEP), an academic unit under the auspices of the UCSF Student Academic Affairs Office, is seeking a part-time Resource Center Assistant. SEP supports science and health education in the San Francisco public schools. The mission of the SEP Resource Center is to facilitate the implementation of hands-on science and health education by providing innovative teaching materials for loan to SFUSD teachers and UCSF volunteers. In collaboration with the SEP staff, the Resource Center Assistant will work with teachers and volunteers in selecting materials, creating lesson plans, and planning teaching strategies. She/he will contribute to the maintenance and expansion of the Resource Center, including such duties as collecting lesson plans and protocols, providing support for orientations for volunteers and teachers, organizing Resource Center materials, and maintaining the Resource Center material and user databases. For details, see the AWIS-PA web site at www.pa-awis.org.
Thanks Membership, We Noticed
Signing in at our chapter meetings is a breeze these days, have you noticed? No long lines
out the door and great looking nametags. A donated laptop computer and purchased label
maker are being put to good use, streamlining the sign-in process. And, there's a new crew
too! Thanks to Anna Mae Chinn, Lalitha Subramanian and Caroline Dando who did a superb job
on Oct 18th, getting 60+ people in the door in record time.
Calendar Items Requested
Do you know of an upcoming event that other AWIS readers might like to attend? A meeting,
seminar, training, or hike? Please send it to our attention! Email items to our
webmistresses at pa-webteam@yahoo.com and to the
Newsletter Managing Editor at vjbasham@cris.com.
Thanks!
If You Move...
If you move, please let Membership know. That way, your newsletter will be delivered to
you without interruption. You can also update your Directory information at any time.
Please contact Lalitha Subramanaian (anantram@pacbell.net).
October Meeting Attendees Dine Al Fresco
We had a lovely warm night for our meeting, and the Programs Committee invited us to dine
al fresco, on the deck. So, we ate our pizza, cookies, soda and fruit by candlelight,
under the stars. What fun!
Share the Joy!
Has something significant happened to you recently? Have you landed a first job or changed
jobs? Married, or had a baby? Published a paper, attended a meeting? As your friends and
colleagues, we'd like to know! Share the joy - please send your items to the Newsletter
Managing Editor (vjbasham@cris.com).
Holiday Gift Ideas!
NCC is "toying" with the idea of grocery canvas bags and pens for all the
NCC-AWIS chapters to sell at cost or fundraise with. Look for these functional fashionable
"gift" items in time for holiday giving.
Lalitha Subramanian, current Membership database coordinator, has
assumed the position of Membership Co-chair beside Kay Brown. Lalitha joined AWIS-PA a
year ago after following her husband to the Bay Area She found that "being associated
with AWIS, was a short cut to being involved and informed about current issues in
science." As a part of the Membership committee, she plans to contribute towards
increasing science awareness among young scholars. And, she believes that this goal can be
realized efficiently by infecting students at the grass roots level with the
"curiosity-bug". She is also actively involved in at least two other
organizations - Institute of Food Scientists and Phi Tau Sigma - both of which help
promote the value of science to students.
After being in the US for about 8 years, Lalitha has acquired a few other passions like
quilting, rafting, and teaching along with an incurable obsession for reading. She still
has to go back to defend a Ph.D. in Biotechnology from Purdue University in West
Lafayette, Indiana. But, a little girl named Manjari, who is just 2 months old, keeps her
quite busy these days. Congratulations to the new mom and the new co-chair!
On October 18th, we listened to a very interesting AWIS talk on the
'Ethical Dilemmas of Genetic Testing for Breast and Ovarian Cancer'. It was a timely
subject, as October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Dr Mildred Cho, Senior PGES Research
Scholar at Stanford University Center for BioMedical Ethics packed the house, and her
clear, low-key and interactive presentation was perfect. She described the background
information on the BRCA1 and BRCA2 test, and then encouraged the audience to participate
in a spirited discussion of several case studies.
We all came away much better informed about this genetic test and with a greater awareness
of some of the associated issues. BRCA1 is a test for specific DNA sequence (not protein),
it is found in only 7% of breast cancers (a small percent), and more than 300 different
sequence variations are known. The human gene pool is so variable that the predictive
value (of a positive test result) for the increased risk of developing breast cancer is
very low, unless there is sequence information from other affected immediate family
members. A web site that was highly recommended by Dr. Cho for retrieving information on
genetic testing is http://www.ncbi. nlm.nih.gov/Omim/searchomim.html.
Outreach Strikes Another Partnership
The Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and Technology Outreach Foundation
was started to help generate more interest in science among Silicon Valley high school
students. Its special focus is on project-based learning as a means to stimulate that
interest.
A recent study found that few local high school students can see the ultimate professional
rewards of studying math and engineering. The finding is both alarming and perplexing.
With primary funding of $3 million over three years from Synopsys, Inc., the Synopsys
Outreach Foundation aims to involve more young people in science fair projects and create
an excitement about science that might lead students to consider careers in technology.
The Foundation has a special focus on economically and educationally disadvantaged
students in the Silicon Valley area.
Recognizing the numerous challenges encountered in developing a science fair project, The
Synopsys Outreach Foundation structured a program to assist both students and teachers
that includes:
· Personal stipends for teachers
· Equipment and materials stipends for projects
· Training for teachers
· Corporate coaches to assist students
Students in Silicon Valley are invited to participate each year in the regional fair,
which, beginning in March 2000, has been renamed the Synopsys Championship. The Foundation
has created an additional opportunity exclusively for students in the East Side Union High
Schools District of San Jose. sciencepalooza! is designed for first-time science fair
participants and aims to propel students to participation at the Synopsys Championship the
following year. The hope is to increase participation at the local and regional fairs, and
finally, to the international competitions.
The CEO of the Synopsys Outreach Foundation is the Honorable Susan
Hammer, who served as mayor of San Jose from 1991-98. The honorary advisory board of the
Foundation is co-chaired by the Honorable Ron Gonzales, mayor of San Jose, Aart de Geus,
chairman and CEO of Synopsys, Inc. Companies, and Tony Ridder, CEO, Knight-Ridder.
AWIS-PA Outreach is looking forward to assisting the Synopsys Outreach Foundation in email
mentoring of these science fair participants. Every field of expertise is needed! Contact
Katy at kuokaty@ricochet.net or sign up on our
web site at www.pa-awis.org.
Vicki Basham, recent member of AWIS-PA, will be our new Managing Editor
starting with the Jan/Feb 2000 issue. Vicki began attending AWIS meetings in July. Loved
us so much that she jumped right in with enthusiasm! She has a BA in Photojournalism, and
is working on her MS in biological sciences. She has been a technical writer for 16 years,
but is preparing to make a career transition into outside sales.
Vicki has her own small ranch near Salinas, where she keeps horses, goats, peafowl, geese,
chickens and even emus! The eggs she gets from the many birds living on the ranch serve to
supply her main hobby - egg decorating. She's particularly fond of doing pysanky eggs, a
very old Ukrainian Easter egg decorating style using a wax resist method.
Vicki is currently developing her web site, appropriately named FarSideRanch.com where
she'll be featuring some of her writing, a few photographs of her decorated eggs, as well
as pictures of the 63 critters living on her ranch. Speaking of web sites, Vicki also
writes articles for Webgrrls, an organization of women and men interested in Internet
technology. With her diverse talents, hobbies, and training, Vicki will take our
newsletter to new heights!
A warm thank you to Dr. Raj Apte, of Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center, www.parc.xerox. com/apte) for his generous donation of an IBM ThinkPad 240 to AWIS-Palo Alto for use in maintaining our membership database. His donation has allowed the Membership committee to simplify the sign-in process at our chapter events, keep membership information up-to-date, and improve our ability to keep a finger on the pulse of our members! Donations to AWIS and the Palo Alto chapter are tax deductible. Please contact Lisa Wang (lisawang@well.com) if you have a possible item.
On October 5th Lisa Wang, President of AWIS- Palo Alto, attended a reception hosted by MRC Greenwood, Chancellor of UC Santa Cruz, welcoming Dr. Jaleh Daie as the new Director of the Science Program at the Packard Foundation. Dr. Daie will oversee the $67 million dollar grant giving of the Science Program that supports basic and interdisciplinary research and educational efforts. Jaleh Daie is an internationally recognized life scientist and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is also Past-President of National AWIS. We are delighted to have her living in our midst, and look forward to future events where we can learn from such a distinguished colleague.
The Intel Carver Scholars Program
Overview: The Dr. George Washington Carver Scholars Program is a
private-public K-12 educational initiative sponsored by the Santa Clara County Alliance of
Black Educators and the Healing Institute in partnership with Inter Corporation.
Preamble: Dr. George Washington Carver was the consummate teacher, scientist, scholar,
humanitarian, and renaissance man. He excelled in chemistry, mycology, botany, and
painting. He designed clothes and invented over 300 products from the peanut. The scholars
program was named after Dr. Carver because he epitomizes all that is best in humanity -
self-less service, persistence, humility, determination, scholarship - and he is a great
model for teachers and students to emulate. The vision of this pilot project is that the
Carver Scholars Program will so energize the teachers who are called upon to select these
monthly honorees that African American students across the nation will be inspired to
embrace math and science as never before. This is a direct complement to the National
Alliance of Black School Educators' (NABSE) initiative to bridge the gap between African
American students and their peers in the areas of math and science. The recent National
Science Foundation planning grant to NABSE will also serve as a catalyst to potentially
extend the Carver Scholars Program to other affiliates nation-wide.
Purpose: to develop a pool of students with potential and/or interest in math and science who can be nurtured and involved in other activities (e.g. Healthy Student Project, STAR Student Program, Modern Day Achievers Entrepreneurial Youth Leadership Institute, etc.) to help cultivate their success in these academic areas.
Who are the scholars?
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The main
components are …
Summer Science Institute at SCU
Inter Carver Scholars Science Fair - January 5, 2000
Synopsis Science and Engineering Challenge Spring 2000 - Regional Fair
Computer Technology Workshops and Camps (ACE)
National Engineer's Week activities in February 2000
Field Trips (Lawrence Hall of Science, NASA, Tech, Intel Museum, etc.)
Scientific and Graphing Calculator Workshops
Mentoring - 1:1 and email mentoring
Job Shadowing and Company Tours
Tours to HBCU's
Tours to National Historic Sites - African American Scientists
Achievement level point system - Explorer, Researcher, Scientist, Carver Laureate
Reward Types - Carver Commemorative Package, scientific calculator, digital camera, laptop, etc.
Parent TrainingTech Museum - supporting student use of technology
Creating the best environment for homework success
College prep - course selection, testing, deadlines, scholarships
Expected Outcomes
AWIS-PA Outreach has joined many other local groups in support of the Carver Scholars by participating in the planning of their first annual science fair and by providing coaches for the participants.
Carver Scholars Partners
Association for Women in Science, Palo Alto Chapter
American Chemical Society
MESA
Mirage
Enron Federal Solutions
San Jose City-Evergreen Community College District
Stanford University
San Jose State University
National Alliance of Black School Educators
National Society of Black Engineers
National Society of Black Professional Engineers
Pacific Bell
WorkForce Silicon Valley
Houghton Mifflin
Unity Care Group
University of California, Santa Cruz
National Organization of Black Chemists and Engineers
Women postdocs are needed to join the Women in Life Sciences (WILS)
Postdoc Peer Group. Meetings are monthly on the UCSF campus. The goal of the group is
to provide a confidential and supportive environment where we each offer different
viewpoints, exchange information, eat dinner and have fun! Sample discussion issues are:
Present goals as a postdoc here at UCSF.
Future career goals and finding resources and tactics to meet these goals.
Finding time for outside interests/family.
Being a woman in science.
Struggles and accomplishments each of us is encountering and solving.
For more information, contact Tania Vu at taniavu@itsa.ucsf.edu.
The Women's Health Organization (WHO) is a student-run campus
and community outreach organization dedicated to providing information, promoting
awareness and serving as a resource for women's health issues. Originally founded by four
pharmacy students, the goal is to involve the students and faculty of all of the schools
of UCSF, allowing for the coalition of all educational backgrounds for everyone's benefit.
AND MEN ARE ENCOURAGED TO JOIN! This organization is important for everybody- everyone has
a woman in their life they care about (or even care for)!
Topics to be addressed include sexual health, disease prevention, and treatment options.
Outreach will begin in the form of health fairs where the general population is presented
with health clinics, community centers, a web site with info and links, as well as
sponsorship of lectures on campus.
Become a member of this great organization and take advantage of this chance to get to
know the students of the various schools at UCSF as well as learn about women's health.
Call Katie Barnes at 415-876-3410 or email ps98454@itsa.ucsf.edu
Members Walk for "The Cure"
AWIS Palo Alto members Susan Bernhard and Karen Lowe and friends
participated in the American Cancer Society 'Walk for the Cure' on October 24th. This was
a breast cancer fundraiser and our AWIS team raised over $300. Thanks to all who
contributed so generously, to help find a cure in our lifetime. That's the goal!
We will continue to use the 40¢ "Fund the Cure" stamp, for as along as it is
available, to mail you this newsletter. Every stamp purchased donates 7¢ to breast cancer
research.
Association for Women in Science (AWIS), Palo Alto
DATE: Monday, November 8, 1999
TIME: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
LOCATION: SLAC Auditorium "Orange Room"
2575 Sand Hill Road, Palo Alto
Note: Site is still SLAC but not at the Training Center.
Schedule:
7:00 - 7:30 Networking and light supper
7:30 - 7:45 Announcements
7:45 - 7:45 Program
8:45 - 9:00 Coffee/Tea and Discussion
Welcome!! The meeting is free. You do not have to be a member to attend.
All scientists, students, and their friends are welcome. Men too!!
Directions to AUDITORIUM at Stanford Linear
Accelerator (SLAC):
From Hwy 280, take the Sand Hill Road exit and head EAST to Palo Alto. At the 3rd
stoplight, turn RIGHT into SLAC. Tell the guard at the Entrance that you are attending an
AWIS meeting. Turn LEFT after the guard. Turn RIGHT into the parking lot for
the auditorium.
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 Road as you cross El Camino). Travel NORTH on Hwy 280
(toward San Francisco) to Sand Hill Road exit. Follow 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 Susan at bernhas@baxter.com (510-723-2094)
or Gail Banerjee at gailbanerjee@juno.com
(650-855-7956) for more information.
Association for Women in Science (AWIS), Palo Alto
Health Effects of Electric and
Magnetic Fields:
Uncertainty, Science, and Controversy
Dr. Leeka Kheifets
Technical Executive and EMF Area Manager
Electric Power Research Institute
Lecturer, Stanford University School of Medicine
December 9, 1999
C A L E N D A R o f E V E N T S
Career Choices Panel
Mentoring Introductions
From NCPDG
Wednesday, November 17
Speaker: George Sensabaugh
Department of Public Health
UC Berkeley
Wednesday, December 15
Speaker: Craig Parker
VP, Biotech Analyst
Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette
NCC Meetings
GGGG
ebAWIS Program
Thursday, November 18
6:30 PM dinner
7:00 PM meeting
Chiron, Emeryville
Speaker: Lynne Elkin,
Professor of Biology, CSU Hayward
Rosalind Franklin
Contact Martha L. Booz at mlbooz@calnatives.com
or go to http://www.ebawis.org/
Effects of EMF
1st Annual
Intel G.W. Carver Science Fair
Wednesday, January 5, 2000
Santa Clara Convention Center
Biotech Industry Day
Friday, February 4, 2000
UCSF
Sponsored by: Science
magazine.
To register or for more information, contact Mike Alvarez
(415-502-2422) or visit http:saawww.ucsf.edu/career/calendar/
Show your AAAS membership card at the door for free admission.
GGGG
Women Leaders 2000
March 9 and 10, 2000
Cathedral Hill Hotel, San Francisco
"Women Leaders 2000:
EYH Conference
Exposing 6-12th grade girls to a variety of careers using math
and/or science through fun hands-on science workshops
Contact Katy (kuokaty@ricochet.net)
if you’re interested in volunteering