NEW EXHIBITS OPEN AT THE
MARYLAND WOMEN'S HERITAGE CENTER
EXPLORATIONS & DISCOVERIES: MARYLAND WOMEN IN SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS
(STEM)
Celebrate the remarkable contributions of Maryland women in STEM by visiting new exhibits which are now on display at the Heritage Center . The exhibits , EXPLORATIONS & DISCOVERIES: MARYLAND WOMEN IN SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM), will be on display until November, 2012. At the inspiring Opening Ceremony for the display, many of the presenters representing different fields are among those being honored in the exhibits. These include Marylanders Michelle Shearer, chemistry teacher honored as the Maryland and National Teacher of the Year; Mary Cleave, engineer and former astronaut; Claire L. Parkinson, climatologist and coordinator of Women of NASA Goddard, Esther McReady, nurse who led the challenge to successful integrate Maryland’s nursing and other professional schools; and Andrea Evans, the founder of KidGINEERING, a special program for young children. The contributions of the Maryland women featured at the Maryland Women's Heritage Center have made a difference not only for Maryland, but for our entire nation and the world.
There are two major exhibits, one featuring several panels of photos and profiles reflecting contributions of historical and contemporary Maryland women in a wide range of STEM fields. These panels highlight Agricultural Sciences, Earth Sciences, Biological Sciences, Medicine and Public Health, Engineering, Aviation, Space Exploration, Math and Technology Pioneers, STEM Educators and Advocates, and STEM Students. Samples of student projects are on display, and several STEM-related programs will be held at the Center during the year. Among the honorees are women inducted into the Maryland and/or National Women’s Hall of Fame, as well as many as many -others.
Do you know some of the 90 women honored in the display? Learn more about Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross;
Helen Brooke Taussig, developer of the blue baby open heart surgery; Rachel Carson, biologist and founder of the environmental movement;
astronauts Mary Cleave and Judith Resnick; Eugenie Clark, marine biologist internationally known as the Shark Lady;
Louise Young, first Black female doctor in Maryland; Elaine Harmon, aviator and winner of the Congressional Medal;
Frances Oldham Kelsey, public health leader who banned thalidomide; Rita Colwell, first woman Director of the National Science Foundation.
The other major exhibit is Women of Goddard, highlighting the wide-ranging contributions of the women of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, including diverse areas such as engineering, astrophysics, chemistry ,biology, meteorology, and mathematics. The exhibit includes six dynamic and colorful posters, a touch screen computer display featuring interviews with women in a range of sciences, a model of the AQUA space satellite, and a new book depicting the work of more than 100 women of Goddard. Sets of the posters are being provided free to all Maryland middle schools, high schools, and community colleges by Goddard and the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center, and limited copies of the book are also available.
Visit the STEM Exhibit at the Maryland Women's Heritage Center, open on Wednesdays through Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. until November, 2012. Special programs will also be held during the year. Contact Linda Shevitz, Program Chair, program chair, lshevitz@msde.state.md.us for more information, or to inquire about holding small group meetings, arranging special group tours, or to recommend programs.
L to R: Linda Shevitz, Program Chair, MWHC,
Mary Cleave, Engineer and Former Astronaut,
Claire Parkinson, Climatologist and coordinator of
Women of NASA Goddard,
Frances Hughes Glendening, President, MWHC
Michelle Shearer, Chemistry teacher, honored as the
Maryland and National Teacher of the Year.
GODDARD WOMEN HIGHLIGHTED AT
MARYLAND WOMEN'S HERITAGE CENTER
Women of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD., are highlighted in a new book and a set of six posters in an exhibit at the Maryland Women's Heritage Center.
The book features 103 Goddard women in STEM careers. STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and math and encouraging students to study these subjects is the focus of NASA's education program. All Goddard women in STEM careers were asked to contribute a photograph, a short career description, and a quote for a one-page profile in the book.
The idea for Goddard's involvement began in November 2010, when Mary Cleave, a former NASA astronaut and former Goddard employee, contacted NASA Goddard climatologist Claire Parkinson to tell her that the MWHC was in the initial stages of planning a major exhibit of Maryland women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers.
Mary Cleave noted that there was no Goddard involvement in the planning. To correct that, Claire Parkinson organized a brainstorming session at Goddard in January 2011. At the end of that meeting, Claire Parkinson and Pamela Millar, Chief of Goddard's Laser Remote Sensing Laboratory, agreed to take the lead on a "Women of Goddard" book to contribute to the exhibit.
By mid-March, Millar and Parkinson recruited Goddard's Assistant Director of Science Communications, Michelle Thaller, to join the team. Millar also advocated the project to Goddard management, and Millar and Parkinson obtained initial seed funding for the effort from the Equal Opportunity Programs Office and the Earth Observing System Project Science Office.
There were 101 submissions, and Claire Parkinson wrote entries for Beth Brown and Joanne Simpson, two former Goddard employees who are deceased.
Goddard multimedia specialist Jay Friedlander took on the task of creating the book's layout, while Claire Parkinson concentrated on the editing. The final book, entitled "Women of Goddard: Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics", showcases the extraordinary work of Goddard women and their contribution to NASA's mission.
In addition to the book, the MWHC provides display space for six posters. Claire Parkinson, with the help from Mary Cleave regarding the shuttle missions, plotted out the posters based largely on the book. The six posters highlight the Hubble Space Telescope mission, the Sample Analysis at Mars project, the shuttle missions, the Aqua Earth science mission, and Goddard management, respectively.
Starting in August, after the book was sent to the printers, Claire Parkinson worked closely with Kevin Miller, a multimedia specialist who works in the Earth Observing System Project Science Office at Goddard, to prepare the posters. The six posters were completed and sent to the printers in October.
Claire Parkinson has worked at Goddard for over 33 years. She said, "The Women of Goddard project reflects the huge appreciation that many of us in the book and on the posters have for our NASA careers, and we hope that the book and posters will energize young people to study STEM subjects and consider pursuing STEM careers. The project also has been wonderfully positive in terms of making many of us a lot more aware of the work of other women at Goddard, spurring on some networking and increased camaraderie."
The STEM exhibit opened at the Maryland Women's Heritage Center on November 14, 2011, and will be open for a least one year.
For information about the Women@NASA program, visit: www.women.nasa.gov