Science Profile Archive: |
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| The links to these students illustrate a diverse range of experiences in the sciences at Wellesley. |
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Art and Science
Converge |
Falling
in Love with Computer Science Sara '04 |
Mapping
the Brain and Other Adventures Katie '04 |
Using Both Sides
of the Brain Sara '02 |
A
Passion for Science Laure-Anne '05 |
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A Professional
Dream Takes Shape |
Saving the Acropolis |
Science, Shadowing,
Singing |
Siberian Nights
on a Pristine Lake |
A
Stargazing English Major Bena '04 |
A liberal arts
education offers many opportunities for academic exploration outside
your chosen specialty. For example, Mie from Tokyo, Japan, pursued
her longtime interest in the sciences when she arrived at Wellesley,
but also discovered a passion for the arts. Mie's honor's thesis in studio art on "The Weight of Time" combines her talents in both of these areas and illustrates her interest in the aesthetic of age and decay as it relates to the process of making an etching. She explains, "My drawings and intaglio prints explore the spatial relationship between a figure and its surroundings, and how the space is affected by the mass of the body. I have examined this through careful observation of the depth created by light and shadow, by considering Einstein's general theory of relativity, and by abstracting shapes." |
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Mapping
the Brain and Other Adventures
Katie has nearly
unlimited access to Wellesley's MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
system for her research, a privilege she says even major research
institutions cannot match. And not only does she have access to
the instrumentation, but also she can tell you exactly how and why
it works, something that even technicians who use the system every
day can't always do. She explains, "Previous research suggested that the invertebrate brain was not as highly organized as ours is, where separate sections are used for different functions. We are interested in the specificity of the brain. For example, does a synapse from the olfactory antennule go only to the olfactory lobe? Or does it go to the optic lobe as well? We are testing this." Her research also has taken her to faraway exotic places. For a tropical ecology class, she and other students lived on a small island off the coast of Belize to study reef habitats, and they visited Costa Rica to study rain forest ecosystems. In Belize, they worked closely with three researchers from Belize and New Zealand. "We took a satellite phone and two weeks of supplies with us," Katie says, "and slept on mattresses on the floor in makeshift cabins." Another research trip is planned for Siberia's Lake Baikal, one of the most pristine lakes in the world. Lake Baikal is host to the only freshwater species of seals and to 1,500 species of life found nowhere else on earth. "I'm drawn to research because it's an individual pursuit and you have a professor who is in the top of her field who can advise you what to do next," she says. Katie adds that the opportunities for scientists are unique at Wellesley. "The scientific world is generally male dominated. One has only to look at the list of Nobel Prize winners to see evidence of the glass ceiling. Wellesley provides me with adequate tools not only as a scientist, but also as a woman. Needless to say, our labs are female dominated and there is a female-friendly atmosphere." |
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Sara has always been an independent thinker and risk taker. As a child actress, she was fired from her first commercial because she told her director he was rude. The director, who was not used to such spunk in a 5 year old, turned to Wasserman's agent and, in a scene right out of Hollywood, said with high drama, "You can take her home now; she'll never work in this town again!" But she did work again, and continued to appear in commercials through age 13, when she decided it was time to reclaim her childhood, go to Halloween parties and play soccer. It was her risk-taking that helped her decide to leave Los Angeles, California, to attend Wellesley. On the one hand, she knew attending a single sex college would not be a typical undergraduate experience; on the other, she believed the odds were very good that she would find other risk-takers just like her at Wellesley. "There's something about an 18-year-old girl who can say to her friends, 'I am ready to go to a woman's college.'" She has not regretted the decision for even a moment. Wellesley has allowed her to continue to play out her passion on the stage, while double majoring in neuroscience. Using both sides of her brain is an opportunity she doesn't believe she could find anywhere else, and it is embraced and respected. Her lab team comes to all of her performances and her acting colleagues show an interest in her science. In fact, one Saturday night, between two performances of Shakespeare's "Richard III," she had to rush over to her lab to rinse lobster brains. Six of her acting colleagues invited themselves along. In partial stage dress, they gathered around a microscope, examined the brain tissue and expressed wonder and fascination in her research. "It sounds really kooky, but I felt like this is why I came to Wellesley, because people would care about and honor the different facets of my life." |
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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." |
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A
Professional Dream Takes Place
Neo knew when she came to the United States from her native Botswana that she would enroll in a pre-medicine program of studies and pursue a career in medicine. But she did not know that one day she would be admitted to Harvard Medical School - a difficult feat, particularly for an international student - and be committing herself to returning home as a medical doctor to contribute in her country's efforts against its severe AIDS crisis. Neo's political and academic experiences at Wellesley helped her to realize this mission. She attended a number of conferences at the College on issues pertinent to Africa. Through her student associations, she also helped host lectures, film-series and student debates that fostered vigorous discourse on the issues that confront the continent. Neo also joined an organization called Botswana Students Against AIDS for which she participated in a clothing drive for families in Botswana affected by AIDS. An important moment came for her in 2000 when as a member of the Wellesley African Students Association she helped organize a conference with students from Harvard, MIT and Northeastern University. The conference, entitled The Youth as a Vehicle for Progress in the 21st Century: Forging Links Towards an African Renaissance, featured panels on various leadership, technology, youth activism as well as healthcare issues confronting the continent. The Deputy Chair of Harvard's AIDS Institute, Dr. "Rick" Marlink, spoke about the AIDS crisis in Botswana, where 36 percent of the adults are HIV positive. Tale said his and others' comments deeply affected her. Throughout her college career, "AIDS kept coming up, over and over," she says. "It made me understand what I could do as a patriot and as a concerned person." Eventually the social awareness and youth activism turned into an academic interest. She sought an opportunity through the Harvard AIDS Institute to participate in HIV/AIDS research at home. The research internship was funded by Wellesley and conducted at a lab jointly sponsored by the Botswana Ministry of Health and the Harvard AIDS Institute to conduct multifaceted studies on the HIV viral subtype HIV-1C prevalent in southern Africa. The internship allowed her to study biomedical research strategies for preventing transmission of HIV from mother to child, and also gave her thorough exposure to governmental and professional intervention efforts currently in place. The experience gave her hope, and it confirmed for her what she knew she must do. "While there are many people who can help, ultimately it is the responsibility of citizens of Botswana to equip themselves with the tools to help themselves. In a way I feel like I'd be a disappointment if I left my country. I just wouldn't find my experience rewarding if I was successful here and Botswana was the way it is now. I wouldn't be happy, because people are dying and they are my people." |
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Tara 's goal is to study and practice international environmental law, specifically in the area of preservation. Knowing she would need a strong science background, she signed up for a geology course. "What I hadn't anticipated is that I would become enthralled with this subject. Geology and classics really complement one another. I want to learn about why Venice is sinking, and I plan to study the history of the Acropolis, which is built of limestone. I want to learn about origins of this rock, ancient mining techniques, rock erosion, reasons for the building's deterioration in the past 80 years, economics of tourism, and preservation techniques. I was so excited when one of the Wellesley research librarians called to tell me she had found 60 books about ancient mining techniques. "Last summer, through an internship with the Geology Department, I studied ancient volcanoes in the Blue Hills southwest of Boston, where a fault line runs from there to Newfoundland. I hiked hills and, with a sledgehammer, gathered samples of granite outcroppings to analyze. I plan to pursue additional internships as an underwater geoarcheologist, and I'm also exploring semester programs off campus at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and Williams Mystic Seaport program. "Wellesley is very empowering. From the minute you step on campus, you feel as though you can do anything and that all your goals are attainable. Faculty members, the community, and alumnae have a vested interest in your future. Even Diana Chapman Walsh, Wellesley's president, knows my name. I sometimes see her in the morning exercising with her dog. She teases me about my color-coded Latin flash cards that accompany me on my walks around the lake. And when I call my class dean she knows who I am. She doesn't say 'Tara who?' In June I worked at reunion and met many older alumnae. Women from the Class of 1933 and 1938 were so happy and curious, and they were really interested in me. At Wellesley you are truly embraced into a sisterhood. You will never feel the same about yourself again." |
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Science,
Shadowing, and Singing
Kassidy came to Wellesley with a strong interest in the sciences. Since arriving, she's decided to make a career in pediatric neurology or trauma surgery, she's developed tight relationships with her science mentors, and she's learning how to sing. That's a full agenda. Kassidy says Wellesley's strong neuroscience program was the initial draw for her. She noticed not only that Wellesley had a strong neurology program, but that she could also dabble in biology, chemistry and psychology as an interdisciplinary neuroscience major. To improve her chances of succeeding in her work, the Norcross, GA., native was offered the opportunity to participate in a minority mentorship program for science students. The program, sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, gives students of color a chance to develop one-on-one relationships with professors who mentor them through their first two years of college. In Kassidy's case, she has been working very closely with Chemistry Professor Nancy Kolodny and Microbiology Professor Mary Allen. The students in the mentor program meet once a week, participate in panel discussions and workshops and shadow their mentors. Most of the discussions are led by upperclasswomen, but professors do participate. "The program gives you an opportunity to figure out if science is something you really want to do," she says. "In high school you stick to the basics with chemistry or biology. You don't know what other areas you can study, like brain behavior. It's been very helpful to learn about other places you can go in the sciences." Kassidy says the mentor program also has given her the confidence she needs to pursue her rigorous requirements. She participates freely in class, seeks help from her advisors when she needs it and is comfortable enough in her relationships with professors to engage them in academic and nonacademic discussions. "The teachers here are definitely your friends. They want to learn from you as much as you want to learn from them. And they have respect for you. They know that if you got into Wellesley, you must have something in your head." One of the critical things she's learned from her teachers and peers is how to relieve stress. In her second semester she loaded up her schedule with five courses and a lab. Since then, she's learned to slow down and take in all that Wellesley has to offer. Gospel choir is one of her main means of relaxation. "I've never sung in my life, but by the time Thursday gets here, I'm so ready for rehearsal. It's just such a relief to hang out with people I haven't seen all week. It's taught me to be a follower and a leader." |
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Siberian
Nights on a Pristine Lake
It is said that once you have visited Siberia's Lake Baikal, you will always yearn to return. Nicole believes it is true Deterring, visited the remote and astonishingly beautiful freshwater lake with 11 other Wellesley students on a summer abroad program organized by the Biology and Russian departments. The program afforded the students a chance to research the lake's biology, its culture and the impact of society's encroachment on this pristine place. Baikal is the deepest, oldest and organically richest lake in the world, hosting 1,500 species found nowhere else on earth. Like the Galapagos Islands, it is a living laboratory for studying speciation and evolution. Nicole and her classmates spent three weeks in the region, splitting their time between scientific field experiments and talks with anthropologists and others about the culture of the region. All the students had taken at least a semester of biology and most had taken at least a semester of Russian language. One of the field experiments looked at the impact of human encroachment on the lake valley's vegetation. Another experiment examined the movement patterns of a species of zooplankton that is the primary food of the lake. The students stayed at the bio station operated by Irkutsk State University in a village of 80 people. "A woman in the village cooked for us at her house," Nicole says. "Twenty-two of us with translators squished around this itty-bitty table eating porridge for breakfast. She made us sack lunches of hot dogs and pieces of bread, and dinner was soup to start, fresh bread, homemade jam, rice, grains, fresh vegetables and a lot of fish from the lake." Nicole, a native of a small farming community in Washington state, says the evergreens surrounding the lake reminded her of home. But that is where the comparison ends. She says the incomparable brightness of the stars, the meteor showers and feasts cooking over open fires at night still fill her with memories and beckon for her return. |
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In high school Bena never thought of herself as a math person, and definitely not as a science person. Her love is language, as evidenced by her major at Wellesley— English. She is also interested in Chinese and participated in Wellesley's exchange program in Beijing to strengthen her knowledge of the Chinese language. At Wellesley, Bena continues to pursue her lifelong passion for languages; she has also discovered some surprising new areas of interest. "When I first arrived at Wellesley," says Bena, who is from Fremont, California, "I wanted to fulfill my science distribution requirement right away to get it over with, so my first semester here I took an introductory astronomy course. Amazingly, since then I have taken an astronomy course every semester because I find this field so fascinating. "The Astronomy Department is incredible; the facilities are phenomenal, particularly considering Wellesley is an undergraduate school, and the professors are so personable," she says. "They really want to get to know you as an individual. One of my favorite courses was Basic Astronomical Techniques with Laboratory. We learned how to use Wellesley's 24" telescope and spent a lot of time observing at night. I also observed and took photos of the asteroid Kuitaissi. In addition, for this course we traveled to MIT's Haystack Observatory in nearby Westford, Massachusetts. Multiwavelength Astronomy was another favorite. In this hands-on seminar with only five students, we discussed current research in fields of astronomy that rely heavily on wavelengths outside of the visible range." Bena has integrated astronomy into other realms of her life beyond academics. She works at Wellesley's observatory and she serves as historian of the ASTRO (Astronomy Students Toward Recreational Observing) club, which exists to encourage and foster interest in astronomy among the College community and the town. The club sponsors open houses, lectures, and star parties. Annual events include the Leonid Meteor shower party and the Star Wars Marathon. Recently, two hundred people attended the ASTRO Halloween party (note the pumpkin-faced dome of one of the telescopes in the photo above) and were able to observe Mars that night. "The Astronomy Department may be small," says Bena, "but it is definitely high-spirited. It has become an important part of my life." Office
of Admission admission@wellesley.edu |
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