University of Arizona mentors encourage scientific careers for girls

(Tucson, Ariz. – Sept. 21, 2009) – University of Arizona students are reaching out into the community to encourage area girls to consider careers in science.

UA’s BioLink program sees seven women undergraduate students bring science into area
K-12 classrooms and youth clubs so that young girls can see women participating in science, said Stacey Forsyth, director of education outreach at UA’s BIO5 Institute and BioLink program director.

“This allows the girls to see the possibilities that exist for careers for women in science,” Forsyth said. “These undergraduates help counter the stereotypes of what scientists are like. They serve as mentors to the girls, and show them the opportunities that exist in science for women.”

Societal stigmas still exist that serve as roadblocks for girls to pursue careers in science, said Misha Pangasa, a UA senior in molecular and cellular biology who recently began her second year as a BioLink fellow – or mentor – working with youngsters.

“A lot of students grow up in a mindset where girls get to the end of high school and maybe decide not to go to college. They need to know that is not the only option,” said Pangasa, 20, who plans to attend medical school.

“You still see women underrepresented in scientific careers that are higher up the ladder,” she said. “There are obstacles, and we need to be encouraging every step of the way.”

Forsyth agreed: “When they are young a lot of girls are interested in science, but as they enter middle and high school they start to view science as something that may not be for them. It is hard for them to envision themselves in science, largely because they don’t see women in those fields.”

BioLink mentors typically work with students five to 10 hours per week, Pangasa said, but that can increase dramatically during science-related community outreach events. BioLink mentors are paid with grant funding from the Women’s Foundation of Southern Arizona.

The BioLink mentors work with girls – and some boys – in classrooms and after-school programs in the Tucson Unified, Sunnyside, Flowing Wells, Tanque Verde and Amphitheater school districts, with Girl Scout groups, and at community events, Forsyth said.

While the program’s primary focus is on girls, Forsyth said, “We do a lot of work with young boys as well. After school science clubs are open to boys as well as girls, and we see a lot of boys at the science outreach events as well.”

Pangasa said she is currently working with a Math, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) group at Flowing Wells Junior High School and a Sahuaro Girl Scout Council SciGirls group at Menlo Park Elementary School.

She also started a pen pal program between Mansfeld Middle School sixth graders and the UA undergraduate biology research program.

“I really like the aspect of bringing the resources at the UA to these groups and communities. We have such a vast amount of science resources and innovations gong on at the UA that should be accessible to inspire students around the community,” Pangasa said. |

“The signs are really encouraging,” she said. “We see a lot of positive signs. You can tell in the faces of the kids how excited they are, how inquisitive they are.”

And the program benefits the BioLink mentors as well, Forsyth said, offering them experience in communicating science and developing teaching skills.

“One of the things I really learned from the program is how much I truly enjoy teaching,” Pangasa said. “When it comes to advanced scientific concepts I enjoy explaining them to people and making them see how cool it is and how these scientific principles govern the way our bodies work, how our planet works, how our universe works.”