Women in the Sciences

A Passion for Science

"As a biochemistry major with an interest in organic chemistry, the Science Center has funded me to work in a lab at the University of Cambridge (UK) this summer, where we will explore heat shock proteins, which help proteins to acquire their correct conformations in cells. This kind of experience is unusual for many undergraduate students but is absolutely normal for a Wellesley student."
Laure-Anne '05

Women interested in science are not unusual at Wellesley College. It was hard to find female camaraderie in the lab before coming to Wellesley, however, says Laure-Anne '05, and her experience here has made an enormous difference on the work she is doing.

Growing up in Geneva, Switzerland, and the suburbs of Paris, France, Laure-Anne spent her earlier years in European schools where she was asked to choose an academic focus. She had always loved science and stayed in that track, where she was one of six girls in a 28-member class.

"Wellesley gives women the chance to be the dominant speakers and thinkers in the classroom, in the labs, and in the larger community. I took organic chemistry with Professor Julia Miwa as a first-year student and had an amazing experience with the class and our lab work, which included synthesizing a cyclic peptide using a solid phase peptide synthesis. I'm still working in Julia's lab and was able to attend the ACS (American Chemical Society) meeting with the department this year.

"As a biochemistry major with an interest in organic chemistry, the Science Center has funded me to work in a lab at the University of Cambridge (England) this summer, where we will explore heat shock proteins, which help proteins to acquire their correct conformations in cells. This kind of experience is unusual for many undergraduate students but is absolutely normal for a Wellesley student. Professors want us to do well and to meet colleagues in the field."

While Laure-Anne's major academic work has been in the sciences, she loves the opportunities a liberal arts curriculum affords her. Classes in history, politics, and religion have informed her views of what it means to be a citizen of the world and a responsible scientist.

"Wellesley is extremely intense intellectually," she says, "and forces us as students figure out our role in the world, no matter what our nationality and background. The whole experience of Wellesley is what makes it so special: professors care about what is happening in our lives, students really want to learn from one another and are good to one another, the administration wants to give us every chance to succeed. The environment is such a good place to challenge yourself."

To challenge others, too, is part of this same goal, as is evidenced by Laure-Anne's work with Vision, a volunteer program founded by a Wellesley student. Vision volunteers work with local elementary school students to spark an early interest in science and lab creations. "As smart women, we have a responsibility to teach others. Wellesley has reinforced that in me. I love to study here and am so happy when I see all of my peers with the same rigorous standards, at the same time having a lot of fun in their friendships."