The STEM-H PVCC Faculty Panel Discussion

Grace Kinsman, staff writer

On Monday, Oct. 16, from 12-1 p.m., the Women in STEM-H PVCC faculty panel discussion was in full swing in the North Mall Meeting room.

The panel was made up of six women faculty members who have careers in a STEM-H field. STEM-H stands for science, technology, engineering, mathematics and health care. Each of these categories were represented by at least one panelist.

Barbara Heyl and Reesheda Jones brought chemistry experience to the panel. Heyl is a chemistry professor and Jones is  an adjunct chemistry instructor at PVCC. Anne Allison is a biology professor at PVCC. Sue Haas represented both technology and engineering. Currently, she is the chief information officer, but during the discussion she revealed that she “is an engineer by heart.” The mathematics program was represented by Wendi Dass, a mathematics professor. Irene Aghahowa was the sole representative of health care; she is an assistant professor of nursing at PVCC.

The first talking points were about the women’s experiences, motivations, and career advice. Each panelist brought experience to the panel, but they all had different backgrounds. All the panelists stated that they had great experiences as women in STEM-H fields. Heyl did explain that there are many more women in these fields than there have been in the past. The motivations of each woman seemed to be similar; they just loved science. Allison said, “I like science because it is fun.”

When each woman was asked what advice they would give students, they had two main points. Firstly, Dass explained, “Sometimes it’s just not what you expect it to be.” Many panelists suggested shadowing or interning to make sure you know what you are getting yourself into. Secondly, Irene Aghahowa’s advice to the crowd was to “build your network, test the waters, and explore.”

The audience asked questions about possible career change. The panelists were more than thorough as they listed multiple career paths for each student.

Associate Professor Tamara Whyte asked what they would say to someone who thought they could not go into a STEM-H field because they were not good at math. Dass confessed that she does not think she is in the top 10 percent in her field. She just has always “worked really hard at it,” and she has accomplished great things including a doctorate.

The last question asked concerned their office hours. Each panelist said they would be more than happy to talk to any student in more detail during their office hours. These are posted on the PVCC website.