Clearing Pathways for Women Scientists By Katharine Colton Elizabeth Simmons has the energy of a highly charged ion and the sort of resume that leaves its readers exhausted. While finessing a full load of courses and research activities, the BU assistant professor of physics manages to keep a strong and steady focus on what matters to her most as a teacher: fostering students’ interest in science, both in and outside the classroom. Above all, she has consistently worked to increase women’s participation in science, most visibly as the founder of BU’s highly successful Pathways program, which exposes female students to career options in science, engineering, and mathematics. Simmons, who could constitute her own department of energy, came to BU in 1993 after receiving her B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in physics from Harvard, as well as an M. Phil. in condensed matter theory from the University of Cambridge. In the past year alone, she has won a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award- a three-year grant based on teaching and education- as well as a U.S. Department of Energy Outstanding Junior Investigator Award, both of which support her research. She’s a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Aspen Center for Physics, the American Physical Society, the Association for Women in Science, and the American Association of University Women. With the help of Administrative Coordinator Cynthia Brossman, Simmons established the Pathways program when she arrived at BU as a way to bring together high school students and women working in science and related fields, providing positive role models and encouragement to those considering careers in these traditionally male-dominated realms. During the annual one-day conference, female faculty members and graduate students, along with women from industry, share information about both the substance of their work and their personal experiences, including the rewards and challenges of entering fields in which women are still underrepresented. The students tour BU lab facilities and attend panel discussions, research presentations, and poster sessions that introduce them to the means by which scientific research results are traditionally presented- all with the goal of increasing their understanding of what a career in science, engineering, or mathematics involves. Over the past several years, says Simmons, she has seen women take great strides in the scientific community. “I’ve been involved in the Aspen Center for Physics since 1993,” she says, “and one thing I’ve seen through working on that board is that there’s more acknowledgment that it’s important to be inclusionary, to pay attention to the lack of women in science- it’s not just a woman’s problem, it’s something that needs to be taken seriously. I’m noticing plenty of women organizers, and granting agencies are seeing they need to be broader in scope. I’ve noticed it in physics. And in industry, we now actually have women who are high up in management and doing research. So it seems that’s really happening in business, and that’s great to see.” It’s happening here at BU as well, she notes. “BU has hired a number of women scientists and engineers in the last few years. I’ve noticed in looking for people to participate in Pathways that there are a lot of women junior faculty, and that’s very encouraging.” At the third annual Pathways conference last spring, BU Assistant Professor of Chemistry Amy Mullin spoke on “Chemistry in the Fast Lane,” and Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Mari Ostendorf gave a talk entitled “Conversing with Computers (and Talking to Your TV).” A panel discussion cross-pollinated the ideas of BU Associate Professor of Physics Rama Bansil and Associate Professor of Biology Christine Li with those of MIT Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering Leslie Lolodziejski, Claire Chaenchuk of Molten Metals Corp., and Susan Loverso of Isis Distributed Systems. Simmons began thinking about assembling a science and math conference for women when she was still a doctoral student at Harvard, where she coordinated the Graduate Women in Physics Society and served as a departmental “Big Sister” to several women doctoral students. Since her doctoral years, she has been a keynote speaker or panel speaker at several programs encouraging high school and college women to study science. Simmons was chosen as the 1993-94 Curie Fellow of the American Association of University Women, partly in recognition of her work in this area. In 1994 she co-organized a Focal Week on Women in Physics at the Aspen Center for Physics; the center has adopted the workshop’s recommendations on how to increase participation by women physicists in its activities. She’s attended other conferences focusing on women in science, but the emphasis was always on career and social issues, such as balancing work and child care. Simmons felt there was another niche to be filled. She wanted to set aside a day when women scientists could come together and talk about their work, period. The idea has proved almost overwhelmingly popular. Pathways has been held for the past three years, growing from 75 students and teachers the first year to 425 last spring, when 150 applicants had to be turned away- even after attendance was limited to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. “It was sort of mushrooming out of control,” says Simmons. “We have to try to decide what to do about the program’s growth. Two days of 300 people each would be a little more manageable in terms of being able to talk to students rather than getting completely bogged down in administrative stuff. This year I had a demonstration table and was involved with the students, but we’ve reached the limit on that. Interacting with students and talking about science, and talking with people outside the faculty- that’s the fun part. I don’t want to get away from that. And we want to keep up the ratio of scientists to students, so all the students get to talk to scientists one-on-one.” Logistical details aside, it’s clear that Simmons sees a boundless future for the program. So far participation has included only high school students in eastern Massachusetts, but she hopes to extend its reach to students and teachers across the state. Plans also include matching students with scientist or engineer mentors. And, adds Simmons, “We want to get more participation from people in industry for a more accurate and balanced view of what’s out there [in technical fields]. Not everyone wants to do pure research. We want people to know that not everyone works in an ivory tower, that there’s a lot going on in industry as well.” The National Science Foundation has guaranteed support for two more years of Pathways conferences, and Simmons has also received support from CAS, the College of Engineering, at BU’s Science and Mathematics Education Center, EMC Corporation, Hewlett-Packard Corp./ Medical Products Group, Teradyne, Inc., the Harvard Medical and Dental Schools’ Joint Committee on the Status of Women, and other organizations. But nothing will affect the direction of Pathways as much as participants’ input, says Simmons. “We look at students’ evaluation forms and adjust things accordingly. We pay attention to everything from ‘I hated the lunch!’ to ‘This is the most interesting lecture I’ve ever heard.’ “What continues to be encouraging is discovering that what we hoped students might get out of the program is what they’re actually getting out of it- the hands-on experience, an ability to relate to the scientists, to see them as people who’ve had the same problems the students are experiencing, not as remote and separate beings.”