SIUC/Community College Women in Science Model Project

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This project provide 20-25 undergraduate women (recruited from SIUC and seven surrounding community colleges) with an intensive two-week workshop in the sciences to expose them to science career options. Sciences include mathematics, zoology, chemistry,plant ecology, geology, psychology, animal sciences, and microbiology. Activities cover such fields as molecular biology and recombinant DNA, assessing ecological integrity, gene expression after bacterial transformation, geologic hazards, and biotechnology of mammalian embryos. Two additional single day workshops and three individual mentoring sessions will follow throughout the academic year. Women scientists from industry give seminars during both the summerand academic year workshops to expand participants' perceptions of science career options. A second group of women will be recruited for the second year for a total of 40-50 participants. Measurable objectives designed to measure project effectiveness include: - The number of participants with undeclared majors who select science majors. - The number of participants who decide to become science teachers. - Of participants who do not enter a four-year college (e.g., for economic reasons), the number who enter science-oriented careers with their two-year degree. - A significantly lower drop-out rate (including change to a non-science major) than among the general population of women science majors.