Acorn

Issue date: 11/7/06 Section: News

At Drew University, the number of women in the sciences does not even begin to compete with the amount of men.

The women in the science disciplines twice outnumber the men.

While many other schools, such as Dartmouth College, create programs encouraging women to major and pursue a career in the science field, Drew does not offer any sort of program.

Women are taking a significant stand in the science majors and faculty. Therefore, there is no need for any formal recruitment program for women in the sciences at Drew.

The faculty and majors of biology, chemistry and physics host an incredible percentage of women when compared to many larger schools across the country.

David Miyamoto, professor and chair of the biology department, considers the numbers in the biology program "a pretty good reflection of the numbers at Drew," he said.

He said each class has about 25 biology majors, two-thirds of which are women. "In the biology programs at most liberal arts schools, there are usually more women than men," he said. Miyamoto said that perhaps biology draws more women because it is a "softer science" in some respects. Because biology focuses on the health field, the nurturing element is more attractive to women, he said.

"I don't believe there is a difference in mathematical abilities," Professor of Biology Sara Webb said.

Men are more prone to enter mathematic disciplines because of the differences in how members of the opposite sex are raised, starting from the toys they are given as children, Webb said.

In recent years, girls have been influenced by roles they see other women in.

"Biology is now being seen as a possible career, because children see female doctors and biology teachers," she said. Children are having first-hand experience with women in the science field, specifically biology, which allows them to visualize the possibilities available to them in science.

The biology majors at Drew need a more significant male presence, Miyamoto said.

He points to Tri Beta, the biological honor society, which is mostly run by women.

Although the biology students need more male influence, Webb said that the current biology faculty "consisting of eight women and four men" does not need to seek out any sort of balance.

"There is plenty of opportunity for men and women to see male role models in science," she said.

Biology instructor Beth Justin said there should be equal representation of genders in the biology department.

"I would be uncomfortable with the biology department being mostly male, and I would be equally uncomfortable with it being mostly female," she said.

Justin said that while a balance of gender remains an important issue, a balance in expertise is just as important when creating a dynamic faculty.

Unlike her female counterparts in the other science divisions, Professor of Chemistry Mary-Ann Pearsall is part of a department consisting of an equal number of men and women.

She came to Drew in 1988 as the first female faculty member of the chemistry department.

Over the years, Pearsall saw the department grow to create an even ratio of male-to-female faculty.

The students remained consistent, often amounting to a near equal number of men and women. "At this point, the chemistry program is so small, we are just recruiting anyone,v she said.

Averaging about eight to 10 majors per graduating class, the chemistry department focuses on retaining students within the department.

Assistant Professor of Physics Laurie Morgus finds her position "something you just get used to," she said.

Morgus said studies show that women steer away from sciences requiring math.

This might occur because teachers at the elementary level steer them away from the discipline, or because biology, the least mathematic of the sciences, is the first discipline to be introduced in high schools, she said. Freshman Kristin Germinario commented that she developed her interest in biology through her advanced placement biology class, which was taught by a woman.

While the number and makeup of physics majors varies from year to year, it used to be that female physics majors were rarely seen at Drew.

A female presence in the physics department might help encourage women to take on the intensity of a physics major.

"She didn't stand out in the hall and wave and say, 'Women, welcome!'" said Robert Fenstermacher, chair and professor of physics.

"I think just seeing a woman in physics was enough�that little by little some women started signing up."

The integration of women into the physics department was significant and recognized by the American Physics Institute.

Drew was named one of 20 U.S. colleges with women accounting for at least 40 percent of the physics graduates from 1994 to 1998, according to the Drew.

Out of six physics majors in the Drew class of 2006, five were women.

Unlike the biology and chemistry departments, the physics department works recruits women into the field.

Fenstermacher said Drew provides a supportive atmosphere for women interested in a physics degree.

He said Drew does not only support women in physics while they are at Drew, but helps them to find a career path or graduate school where they can continue to find a supportive environment. "I'm pretty convinced it makes a difference in women who are here at Drew to just see female faculty in their physics courses," Fenstermacher said.

Germinario came to Drew knowing she wanted to major in biology, but remains unsure of what she wants to do with her degree. "I knew that Drew had a good science program. Even if you score well on the AP exam, you still have to take the lab component of one of the introductory courses, since they cover so much ground. That says a lot about the school," she said.

Although she came to Drew with no knowledge of the female presence in the sciences, Germinario finds having women as the majority in her classes encouraging.

"Not that if men were the majority it would be discouraging, but it's nice to be able to also relate through science, we tend to think about science the same way," she said.

Over the years, Drew made strides to better the lives of the faculty and students, Webb said. Throughout her 20 years at Drew, Webb has seen many formal and informal changes influencing women at Drew.

The opening of the daycare center made the campus "much more friendly to women who want to have a family and still work the crazy hours," she said.

She described how the supportive, friendly atmosphere recognizes the female faculty as more than the professor or the researcher, but as people with lives outside of the school.

The Drew community continues to support female faculty and students wherever their interests lie.

"There is no sense from the faculty that women can't do science," Pearsall said.

"There is a culture of acceptance at Drew, no sense of 'you can't do this.' Anything is fair game."

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