Posted on Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Dr. Helen Boylan, ¾¨Ó㴫ý associate professor of chemistry and 1995 ¾¨Ó㴫ý graduate, was an invited speaker at the Girls' Science Lunch seminar March 4 at the Winchester Thurston School in Pittsburgh.
Boylan's interactive presentation, "The Many Faces of Science," involved 21 second- and third-grade girls.
"First, the girls were asked to draw a picture of a scientist," Boylan said. "As expected, they all drew versions of a laboratory scientist, many with lab coats and safety goggles. The goal of my presentation was to have the girls understand that there are lots of careers for scientists beyond a lab bench."
"Volunteers from the audience worked with me to act out some of the career options for scientists, and the audience guessed the profession. We performed skits that included a pharmacist, a teacher, a lawyer, and an environmentalist. The girls were very excited about science and were eager participants."
Boylan, who has been with ¾¨Ó㴫ý since 2001, earned an undergraduate degree from ¾¨Ó㴫ý and Ph.D. from Duquesne University.
Contact Boylan at (724) 946-6293 or e-mail boylanhm@westminster.edu for additional information.
