Starting a Career in Science: Challenges and Successes
Developing a Corporate R&D Career
Making Chemistry More Accessible
Envisioning Ancient Spaces, Virtually
KEEP US INFORMED:
Please send us your comments on this issue, ideas for future issues, and news about your professional interests and accomplishments.
Al Dorof, Editor
adorof@brynmawr.edu
info@brynmawr.edu
©2006
Hail Fellow
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Elizabeth F. McCormack |
Professor of Physics Elizabeth F. McCormack has been named a fellow of the American Physics Society, an honor bestowed annually on just half of one percent of the society's 43,000 members around the world. According to the APS, the fellowship recognizes members who "have made advances in knowledge through original research and publication or made significant and innovative contributions in the application of physics to science and technology." They may also have made "significant contributions to the teaching of physics or service and participation in the activities of the Society."
McCormack was recognized for both her research and her work on improving science teaching. The award citation credits her for "contributions to the development of novel four-wave mixing techniques for the study of molecular Rydberg states, and for efforts to advance the state of undergraduate physics education." The research cited by the APS was in the field of laser spectroscopy. The techniques McCormack developed are useful for analyzing small molecules in highly excited states that couldn't be studied with traditional spectroscopic techniques.
A member of the National Task Force on Undergraduate Physics, McCormack is dedicated to improving science pedagogy and to enhancing access to science careers for underrepresented groups. She is a longtime member of Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL), a national alliance that advocates building and sustaining strong undergraduate programs in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. She is involved in establishing a regional network of faculty and K-12 teachers and administrators in Philadelphia to build K-16 connections in the area. As a principal investigator for an NSF-funded PKAL project, she is helping to develop a nationwide infrastructure of leaders to support long-lasting improvements in science education.
Environmental Celebration
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Johanna Alderfer Harris '51 |
The College held a forum and gala dinner to honor Johanna Alderfer Harris '51 for the generous leadership support of the Environmental Studies Program at Bryn Mawr over the past 15 years.
The keynote address at the April 29, 2006, event was delivered by Joanna DeHaven Underwood '62, founder and director of INFORM, an independent research organization that examines the effects of business practices on the environment and on human health, and identifies ways of doing business that ensure environmentally sustainable economic growth. Underwood was profiled in the July 2002 issue of S&T.
The event included fieldwork excursions with faculty and students, and a panel discussion titled "From Knowledge to Policy," with Helen E. Fox of the World Wildlife Fund, Lauren A. Liss '86, former Massachusetts Commissioner of Environmental Protection, Jim Simon, Executive Vice President and CFO of Oceana, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the world's oceans, and Assistant Professor of Biology Neal M. Williams, who was profiled in the October 2003 issue of S&T.
Welcome to the Club
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Katharine G. Frase '79 |
Katharine G. Frase '79 was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering on Feb. 10, 2006. The honor is considered to be one of the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Academy membership recognizes those who have made outstanding contributions "to engineering research, practice or education" and to "pioneering new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education."
Frase, vice president of technology at IBM, Somers, N.Y., was cited "for engineering contributions, including the use of lead-free materials, to the development of electronic packaging materials and processes."
Her research interests focus on mechanical properties and structural interactions in composites, high-temperature superconductors, fast ionic conductors, ceramic powder synthetic methods, and ceramic packaging. She currently is chair of the National Materials Advisory Board, a part of the National Research Council. The board is one of the most respected sources of independent materials assessments for the nation.
Happy Anniversary
This issue marks the fifth anniversary of Bryn Mawr S&T, which was launched in April 2001. We are celebrating this milestone with a new look for the newsletter.
Bryn Mawr S&T remains dedicated to fostering and deepening a sense of community among Bryn Mawr's worldwide "invisible college" of professionals engaged in basic and applied research, teaching, management, funding and policy-making. Over the past five years, more than 70 alumnae/i have contributed their expert insights to cover stories on diverse topics, ranging from art conservation and bioterrorism to patenting human genes and veterinary medicine. In addition, more than 50 alumnae/i have been the subjects of profiles that highlight their career tracks, research interests and leadership in S&T.
As Bryn Mawr S&T enters its sixth year of publication, we welcome the continued collaboration of Bryn Mawr's alumnae/i in the newsletter's success. With your support, we look forward in the years to come to a steady stream of informative, interesting and topical cover stories, profiles, and feature stories on Bryn Mawr's programs, initiatives and faculty members.