ACS Portland Section hosts Women in Science Student Summit

The ACS Portland Section and Reed College sponsored a Women in Science Student Summit on Jan. 28. Nearly 100 college students and professionals gathered at Reed College for the one-day event on how to navigate a career in science.

Through panel discussions, workshops, and presentations, students learned about the challenges and rewards of pursuing a career in science. Keynote speaker Marilyn Olmstead of the University of California, Davis, gave a talk, “My Career in Chemistry & Some Fun with Fullerenes.” The summit also included a “Meet a Mentor” lunch in which students were matched with professionals with similar interests.

Students from Lewis & Clark College, Portland Community College, Portland State University, Reed College, and the University of Portland participated in the event. In addition to faculty members from participating colleges and universities, professionals from Intel, Boeing, Oregon Health & Science University, Saturday Academy, C&EN, and start-up companies such as DesignMedix and Pacific Light Technologies were in attendance. The interactions between students and mentors throughout the day highlighted the important role mentoring plays in the advancement of young women embarking on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers. One student commented, “This was an exciting opportunity to network and get excited about science.”