Major

Mathematics

Second Major

Communication Studies

Minor(s)

TMD with concentrations in Fashion Merchandising; Interior Design

Advisor

Jalette, Jerry

Advisor Department

Communication Studies

Date

5-2018

Keywords

Women; Education; STEM fields

Abstract

Ask any student to name five women who have made advancements in scientific fields and most likely they will not be able to name more than two. With a lack of courses highlighting women scientists’ achievements, this lack of knowledge is hardly surprising I am addressing this issue in my work. Through the researching of scientific advancements made by women, I have proposed a method to teach students about these scientists so names like Johnson, Franklin, and Curie become as commonplace as Einstein, Hawking, and Bohr. Frequently in science classes in middle schools and high schools, the focus is only on men. With few exceptions, women simply are not covered. This is a major problem in education, specifically in regards of representation. Women and young girls who want to enter STEM fields are often discouraged to pursue their interests through the perpetuation of the idea that science is for men; this has led to the belief that STEM fields are not typical for women to pursue. Through a course that teaches everyone about women being successful in scientific fields, there will be a more diverse representation and everyone will be encouraged to pursue a career in STEM fields. We do not usually question why we learn about the people we do in science classes, but sometimes it is necessary. Women have made significant advancements in a field that is typically male dominated. This work proposes a way to have more representation and fix a problem that is often overlooked.

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