By Anika Gullapalli
On Friday, February 11, 2022, the University of Detroit Mercy Chemistry Club hosted their 5th annual Women in Science event through Zoom. Over 100 students and faculty took the time out of their evening to attend this thought-provoking event.
Three panelists presented in breakout rooms on different topics. Dr. Jacob Kagey, Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Detroit Mercy, talked about how more privileged members of the scientific community can and should support more marginalized members. He asked students to consider what they can do to support equity in science. Many students talked about allyship and ways they could help advance the goal of equal pay for scientific professionals of all genders.
Dr. Andrea N. Matti, a Senior Lecturer in the Chemistry Department at Wayne State University, discussed how many women in science have to balance work and family, as many people think it is the woman’s job to take care of the family. She provided statistics on how women often leave their jobs to help their families out. However, she herself is a working mom and talked about how the balance between work and family is not as bad as it seems. Many students, especially women, expressed their preference for working rather than spending most of their time taking care of a family. They feel the husband and wife should collaborate so that they both can work the jobs they want.
Finally, Dr. Angela Asirvatham, Associate Professor in the Biology Department at Misericordia University, talked about the diversity of students at private colleges. She explained how little diversity there is at Misericordia, where the majority of students are Caucasian. She asked students who attended the event why they were interested in the University of Detroit Mercy and what their university could do to attract more students from other races. Students talked about programs, scholarships, the small size, and other reasons they had decided to attend Detroit Mercy.
Overall, the event was very successful. Students in attendance enjoyed the different topics addressed and found them useful in preparing them for the future.