On Feb. 11, UNMC will mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science with a panel featuring four women faculty members. The event will be held from 4-5 p.m. in the Durham Research Center Auditorium.
The program, titled “UNMC’s Women in Science: Our Voices, Our Stories,” will be sponsored by the McGoogan Library of Medicine in partnership with the Women’s Mentoring Group and the UNMC Office of Faculty Development.
The four panelists are:
- Jasmine Marcelin, M.D., assistant professor, infectious diseases, associate medical director, Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, UNMC Division of Infectious Diseases;
- Amber Donnelly, Ph.D., professor and director of cytotechnology education, UNMC College of Allied Health Professions;
- Ashley Wysong, M.D., chair of the UNMC Department of Dermatology; and
- Tammy Kielian, Ph.D., professor of pathology and microbiology and UNMC’s 11th Science Laureate.
The panel will be livestreamed here. Shortly following the panel, a recording will be available for viewing.
“I wanted to participate to provide helpful suggestions and encouragement for individuals at any stage of their scientific career,” Dr. Kielian said. “I will share what I consider are important attributes for a successful career in academic science — namely, building a strong support network, identifying mentors who are invested in your success, and achieving a work-life balance that is optimal for your career goals.”
“There are so many reasons why participating in an International Day of Women and Girls in Science panel is important to me,” Dr. Marcelin said. “As a young girl growing up in the Caribbean, my life was filled with women around me who were leaders in their fields. My physician was a woman, my country’s prime minister was a woman, and it never occurred to me that I wouldn’t be a physician myself simply because of my gender or race.
“When I moved to North America, I was surprised to realize that women of color did not reflect the general population demographics. I became determined to support every female or minority youth I encountered and model for them that they too, can choose science and medicine and succeed.
“Today, I am a fierce advocate for women and minorities in medicine on social media (Twitter @DrJRMarcelin) and in everyday interactions, to increase the representation within my field of infectious diseases. I want to normalize being a woman of color in medicine for all the young people out there who may have been told (implicitly or explicitly) that they can’t, so that they can confidently and unapologetically respond: ‘I CAN.'”
Each panelist will speak for 10 minutes about their current work, as well as their journey and obstacles they may have faced. A Q&A will follow their talks.