Lessons Learned: Stories from Women Leaders in STEM

Description

"Lessons Learned brings us the stories of thirty-one brilliant women in STEM who overcame the odds to push science forward while paving the way for the women yet to come. Uplifting, informative, and important."
—Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry

Women in this country have made great strides in terms of education — in fact, their educational attainment has outpaced men's. However, the story is different when it comes to STEM. While women make up 48% of the workforce, they hold only about 29% of positions in STEM fields, with the majority concentrated in the biological and life sciences.

There is no evidence that girls and women are uninterested in STEM. Research does suggest, however, that cultural attitudes — including implicit and explicit biases — discourage women from entering computer science, engineering, mathematics, and physics in particular. One of the most effective ways to increase that participation is through role models who inspire young women to consider STEM careers.

Lessons Learned: Stories From Women Leaders in STEM addresses the lack of women in STEM careers through the first-person accounts of notable women who have excelled in a range of STEM-related leadership roles.

"Role models matter," says Sheryl Sandberg, founder of LeanIn.org and former COO of Meta. "In Lessons Learned, Deborah Shlian introduces us to more than 30 extraordinary women who've pushed past gender bias to expand perceptions of what it means to lead in STEM. This book will inspire so many other women and girls to reach for their goals."

The women in this book lead across many different STEM disciplines and sectors, including academia, industry, and government institutions like the FDA and NIH. They are intentionally a diverse group — by area of STEM, by career stage (from early career to near retirement), by geography (East, Midwest, and West), and by ethnicity (Native American, Latina, Hispanic, African American, Asian, and Caucasian). Each contributor shares her personal career journey, including the barriers and challenges faced along the way.

The hope is that young readers — especially girls — will find these stories inspiring enough to consider a STEM career, and that those already enrolled in STEM PhD programs will aim to become leaders within their field.

Contributors include:

• Evangelyn C. Alocilja, PhD
• Cecilia Aragon, PhD
• Gilda A. Barabino, PhD
• Lisa D. Chong, PhD
• Daphney R. Chery, PhD
• Rita R. Colwell, PhD, DSc
• The Honorable France A. Cordova, PhD
• Catie Cuan, PhD candidate
• Margaret Dayhoff-Brannigan, PhD
• Claire M. Fraser, PhD
• Olivia L. George, PhD
• Korie Grayson, PhD
• Malika Grayson, PhD
• Judith Greenberg, PhD
• Ronna Hertzano, MD, PhD
• Aishwarya Iyer, MD/PhD student/candidate
• Maria Klawe, PhD
• Kristin E. Lauter, PhD
• Cathleen (Cat) Lutz, PhD
• Marcia McNutt, PhD
• Estelle Russek-Cohen, PhD
• Ida Sim, MD, PhD
• Barbara Simons, PhD
• Tatiana Toro, PhD
• Lydia Villa-Komaroff, PhD
• Valda Vinson, PhD
• Maggie Werner-Washburne, PhD
• Telle Whitney, PhD
• Amie Wilkinson, PhD
• Rachel Willand-Charnley, PhD
• Jiwon Yang, PhD, MBA

About the Author

Deborah M. Shlian, MD, MBA

Deborah M. Shlian, MD, MBA, is a physician, author, and editor with a career spanning medicine, business, and writing. In addition to her nonfiction work on physician and STEM leadership, she is the author of several award-winning medical thrillers, including the Sammy Greene series. Dead Air, the first in the series, won the 2010 Royal Palm Literary Award for best thriller. Devil Wind and Deep Waters followed with additional literary honors, and Silent Survivor won First Place at the 2017 Royal Palm Literary Award. All of Shlian's novels are available in print, eBook, and audiobook formats.