Girls Sweep Top Honors in Science Competition

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The discussion highlights a significant achievement by female students in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology, where girls won top honors for the first time. Janelle Schlossberger and Amanda Marinoff received a $100,000 scholarship for their work on a molecule that combats drug-resistant tuberculosis, while Isha Himani Jain won the individual category for her research on bone growth in zebrafish.The conversation reflects on the evolving role of women in science and traditionally male-dominated fields, suggesting that many societal barriers are being broken down. However, it also addresses the complexities of gender equality, noting that while women are increasingly recognized in STEM fields, there are still cultural biases that impact both genders. Issues such as the stigma surrounding men in traditionally female roles and the challenges women face in balancing career aspirations with family life are discussed. The dialogue emphasizes that true equality requires addressing biases and stereotypes affecting both men and women, along with recognizing the cultural factors that influence educational and career choices.
  • #31
russ_watters said:
In Philly, the politicians are currently arguing about whether a new expansion of the convention center should have a quarter or half of its construction contracts earmarked for minority/female owned businesses and if a quarter should be designated specifically for blacks.

Reverse-discrimination is flat out dumb! Sorry, I totally disagree with that kind of approach.
 
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  • #32
Right now I am going to Thomas Jefferson, and it actually had a girl have the best project in the entire world, in the Intel international science fair. Just to mention Jacob Steinhardt, who is also one of this year's winners, occasionally helps me w/ physics problems. I cannot believe I am at this school.

-scott
 
  • #33
russ_watters said:
Affirmative action can have a big impact on the government sector and have a heavy influence on the private sector. In Philly, the politicians are currently arguing about whether a new expansion of the convention center should have a quarter or half of its construction contracts earmarked for minority/female owned businesses and if a quarter should be designated specifically for blacks. Now I only have a few years in this business, but I have yet to meet a female or black engineer (at any level) or construction company owner*. So regardless of what they decide, it'll be a pretty tall order!

But that means that if you are a female or black engineer or business owner in such an environment, succeeding could scarcely be easier if you were able to crap gold nuggets.

*That's not actually quite true. We did come into contact with a front company that was black-owned and was hoping to hire us to do the engineering while they signed the contracts and took a nice fraction of the money for doing nothing. We declined.

Heck, I've not only come in contact with female, minority business owners, I worked for one. http://www.rbc.edu/library/SpecialCollections/Women_history_resources/vfwposter2003_elliott.pdf
Pretty nice if you can hit about three target groups with one company (female owned, minority group, small business). Serving as a subcontractor to the bigger companies looking for government contracts really helped her company get going, although after 15 years, Arrowhead doesn't quite fit under the small business category anymore and they don't just rely on being hired as a subcontractor to bigger companies anymore.
 
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  • #34