High School STEM Scholar Recognition

Proud families clapped as their daughters received recognition for their achievement in STEM fields.  The high school juniors received awards for their excellence in science, math or technology. They were nominated by their high school teachers and counselors.

AAUW member Tonna Kutner spoke about AAUW and its most recent research on pay equity. Four outstanding women scientists gave presentations about their research, their sometimes erratic paths to earn their degrees, and the importance of science to ourselves and to our planet. Awardees then had the opportunity to talk individually to the scientists.

Our thanks to AAUW members Elizabeth Ebersole, Kathy Myers, Myrna Muto and Tonna Kutner for making this year’s STEM Scholar Award Ceremony a truly memorable event.

We also wish to thank the UW Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and the Burke Museum for providing such engaging speakers. The speakers talked about their expertise, their journey to get there, their best advice, and their many hurdles and even failures along the way. Then the students got to chat with them individually and ask questions.

Our scholars were very engaged with the various careers. They’re confidence was boosted hearing about problems, changes of direction, and failures. A favorite piece of advice was that women often choose the major where they get the best grades, but it’s better to go with what is most interesting to you. Click on the pictures to see a larger version. Click on the “X” in the upper right corner to return.

Info on our great speakers:

Katherine Maslenikov is the Collections Manager of The Burke Museum’s Ichthyology Collection and a published scholar of Marine Science. The Ichthyology Collection maintains a large archival collection of more than 12 million preserved fish specimens from around the world. She has had an incredible journey in her career and just loves dead fish!

Dr. Caroline A.E. Strömberg, associate professor in Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington and the Curator of Paleobotany at the Burke Museum. Her primary research focuses on the deep time evolution and ecology of plants through the use of the fossil record. There is a special place in her heart for the most awesome of all plants: grasses.

Dr. Elena Austin uses emerging technologies to improve worker health and safety, particularly agricultural workers and their families in Washington State. Her expertise areas and past work include multi-pollutant exposure metrics, geographic information systems, and remote sensing to help improve the environment and health of workers.

Dr. Marissa Baker is an associate professor in the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS). Her research centers on occupational experiences of vulnerable or underrepresented groups. During the COVID-19 and beyond, she worked closely with a variety of worker organizations, government and industry partners to characterize physical and mental health outcomes experienced by workers, characterize their risk perceptions and needs, and propose and evaluate interventions for safe work.