For Women’s History Month We Celebrate Georgetown’s STEAMy Women

COMPILED BY KATE OCZYPOK

since last year, the amount of violent crime remains very unsettling to neighbors.”

It’s all about public safety. Crime and the perception of crime trump everything — inflation, education, environment, etc. What could be a more basic civil right than to pursue our liberties free from fear?

The proposed D.C. code provisions got President Biden’s attention and he said he would not veto a Congressional disapproval of it. Handwringing and self-serving opinions predictably followed.

But it’s time to get real — and get to work. Let’s fix those few provisions in the code that are the sticking points — and fix it together.

Let’s drop the attitude and hush the ideology. It’s time to be problem-solvers for all the people. We just might wind up with a safer — and better — nation’s capital.

Honoring the Women of Georgetown

Today, March 8, we honor International Women’s Day.

By presidential proclamation, the month of March is also designated every year as Women’s History Month. This time is set aside to honor women’s contributions to American history. Of course, boundless offerings flow from women in history, the sciences, literature, the arts, pop culture and more. But we wish to celebrate the many contributions women are providing in our community right now and the hurdles women have had to leap to take on such roles.

Hurdles? Our publisher, Sonya Bernhardt, quizzed our news team about which year we thought women in the United States were guaranteed by law to be allowed to hold their own checking accounts. The answer: 1974.

Today Georgetown is blessed to have women in leadership from the grassroots all the way to Mayor Bowser’s office. Mayor Bowser is the first woman elected to more than two terms in the highest political office in the city. On the D.C. Council, Ward 2 is admirably represented by Council member Brooke Pinto, who was sworn in on June 27, 2020 becoming the youngest member ever elected to the body and the first woman ever to represent our ward. Our local Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC2E) is also now chaired dynamically by Elizabeth Miller (2E07).

Over at the Citizens Association of Georgetown, Board President Tara Sakraida Parker and recently appointed Executive Director Brittany Sawyer serve to honor and recognize Georgetown’s unique role as an historic village where true community still exists. At Georgetown Heritage, Jennifer Romm serves as president, presiding last year over the launch of Georgetown’s new canal boat. Helping our business corridors thrive, Georgetown Main Street has two energetic women leaders in Board Chair Melanie Hayes and Executive Director Rachel Shank. Lisa Fager, executive director of the Mount Zion-Female Union Band Society Historic Park Foundation, also known as the Black Georgetown Foundation, works tirelessly to oversee the mission of the foundation to preserve, re-imagine and maintain care of the sacred space. Lynn Golub-Rofrano, founding executive director of Georgetown Village embraces the concept of Neighbors Helping Neighbors and has presided over the expansion of this volunteer-based haven for Georgetown seniors. Kelly Andreae, executive director of Georgetown Ministry Center presides over the community’s most extensive inter-denominational efforts to serve those experiencing homelessness in our area.

And we don’t have room enough here to mention all the women leading small businesses, galleries, restaurants, studios, and other vital areas of our Georgetown community.

In this month’s edition, we feature interviews with Georgetown women who work in the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) fields.

All these intrepid women in our community help preserve, protect and enrich our neighborhoods and keep Georgetown so wonderful – all while shattering the glass ceiling.

We spoke with Georgetown women who work in the STEAM fields (science, technology, engineering, art and math) about their careers and accomplishments and were inspired by their ambitious journeys, words of advice and “self-care secrets.” decade we have developed new programs that help college graduates explore careers in the humanities and culture. With a museum, library, publications, a concert series, a historic garden and so much more, Dumbarton Oaks is a microcosm of the humanities and arts. Our collections and activities offer so many opportunities to mentor and inspire young people. While the path to finance or consulting is relatively clear, pathways to exciting careers in the humanities and arts are harder to find. Growing this experimental program has been so gratifying because it nurtures future leaders in the humanities whose energy and talent we need.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Not reacting in the moment — there are always situations requiring swift response — but maintaining calm and cultivating some distance allows you to weigh different perspectives and distill them into action.

YOTA BATSAKI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DUMBARTON

What sparked your career path?

OAKS:

I fell in love with literature at a young age and that led me to the study of the humanities without a clear idea of what my professional path would be. Along the way, I have had wonderful experiences learning from great scholars and teaching in exceptional places. At the same time, I was always interested in exploring areas outside the traditional academic track. When I was in graduate school, I worked with a group of friends to start the longest-running Harvard study abroad program in Greece. It was a highly experimental project fueled by idealism and camaraderie and we still work together after more than two decades. Years later, when I moved to my current role at Dumbarton Oaks, those experiences gave me the confidence to trust in my management skills and pursue innovation and collaboration. I admire young people who are focused on forging a career path, but I encourage them to allow room for calculated risks and to pursue their passions. We spend so much of our life working, and our work must also sustain us spiritually and intellectually.

What would you say is your greatest accomplishment so far?

I’ll give an example of the work we have been doing at Dumbarton Oaks to broaden our mission that I am proud of. We are a Harvard institute of advanced research dedicated to supporting scholars. In addition, over the past

DR. NANETTE BISHOPRIC, PROFESSOR OF ONCOLOGY, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

What sparked your career path?

My father was a physician who helped give me the inclination to pursue the sciences. I really enjoyed science in high school and had great teachers who made the field fun, interesting and exciting. I had a wonderful physics teacher who taught electronics and radiation.

When I went to medical school, I was inspired to do biomedical research and, in the process, landed for a year at MIT. That year was an exciting year — sequencing RNA was figured out, and we learned how to culture mammalian cells. It was an interesting and exciting time! I was totally infatuated, there was so much to discover.

What has been your most memorable experience as a woman leader?

I can tell bad stories and good ones. It hasn’t always been easy. It hasn’t always been the case that I felt welcomed with open arms. I have had great experiences with trainees and stayed close, loyal, and supportive to them. It’s great to help other people come along in the world.

What would you say is your greatest accomplishment so far?

My three kids. Professionally, I am proud of serving as a physician scientist throughout my career. I balance clinical practice with basic science research. I’m also very proud of being with the University of Miami for over 20 years, having retired there as a professor emerita. I am also proud of my new professorship at Georgetown University and being a member of the University of Cardiologists.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Never quit!

What would you say is your greatest accomplishment so far?

I’m most proud of the teams I’ve led, watching the brilliant, strong women colleagues I’ve worked with go on to do great things. I believe wholeheartedly it’s our duty and honor as women to bring others up the ladder with us, and my greatest pride has been in mentoring and coaching women who go on to far exceed what I could ever do and learning from them along the way.

What is your hidden superpower?

My superpower stems from what I consider to be one of the most important values of humanity: connectedness! I find great value in connecting people for mutual benefit, forging connections that make one-plus-one equal more than two. Using technology to create meaningful relationships — among mentors and mentees, students and role models, etc. — that drive impactful change has been the leading theme in my career, my life, and this is the power of DreamWakers, as well!

Who inspires you?

Every day, I’m inspired by the teachers with whom DreamWakers works. Passionate educators who want nothing but to see their students succeed, feel valued, and find purpose, who are working in resource-constrained environments, and sacrificing so much to do so. They remind me of the enormous potential of today’s youth -- tomorrow’s leaders! -- and how important it is for all of us to invest in an equitable future.

DÉSIRÉE BAYONET, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AT GEORGETOWN VISITATION PREPARATORY SCHOOL

What sparked your career path?

that helps to run these tools. I really enjoy sharing what I’ve learned regarding these tools with the young women at our school. My most memorable experiences managing the Innovation Lab have been watching those students who have really taken to using the tools in this space. These are the students who come in outside of class hours. They use the equipment to work on class assignments, but also find time to work on personal projects. I watch them tinker with the software and create several examples before they arrive at a version that meets their high standards. The persistence, dedication, and passion that I see them display daily is what pushes me to research and learn how to use new tools to bring into the Innovation Lab.

KELSEY BOGDAN, HUMANITIES FELLOW, DUMBARTON OAKS AND THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY MUSEUM AND THE TEXTILE MUSEUM, 2019 HARVARD COLLEGE GRADUATE

What sparked your career path?

What has been your most memorable experience as a woman leader?

All my years spent playing basketball have been so rewarding. Not just on the court, but being someone whom my younger teammates can confide in and look up to has meant the most. Most of my best friends to this day are from basketball, and it has been amazing watching them bloom and grow into the fierce ladies they are today!

What would you say is your greatest accomplishment so far?

I would say getting into my dream medical school, but on my own terms. I spent years trying to be the perfect medical school applicant — doing research, volunteering, getting As. However, my senior year I fell in love with art, and the whole trajectory of my life got shaken up. It was so difficult to even consider my career going any other way, after all the years of effort I put into being pre-med. However scary it was, I am so glad I stepped off the well-trodden path to get my MFA. It was extremely challenging both personally and professionally, but I learned so much about myself. In this process I came back to medicine, and I am now looking at a career path that, though quite untraditional, is exactly where I am supposed to be.

What is your hidden superpower?

Probably that I am an artist especially in scientific spaces, nobody expects that!

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

JILLIAN SCOTT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DREAMWAKERS

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

This is one of the most common questions we hear students ask career role models. What’s stuck with me is one of the simplest concepts: always be open to new opportunities the world presents you! My work has shown me that most people have a circuitous journey to uncover their passions; if you establish your non-negotiables but are open to unique possibilities, you’ll be able to untap interests and pathways you never dreamed possible. For example, my studies focused on biological sciences. Little did I know I’d discover a passion for education technology leading me to where I am today.

I’ve always been interested in making things and being creative in general. When I was in high school and college that took the form of creating digital media, like short videos and graphics to share among friends. This ultimately led me to declare a major in electronic media and more specifically creating educational media. As I went further down this path, I realized I was more interested in what I was documenting with my camera. I was thrilled to see students using innovative tools in spaces like the library and museums. With a growing trend toward incorporating these tools into schools, I decided to try my hand at digital fabrication. This has led to a career in working and teaching in makerspaces, which I find to be an exciting intersection of technology, education and creativity.

What has been your most memorable experience as a woman leader?

In my time at Georgetown Visitation, I’ve had the opportunity to develop the Sister Mary de Sales McNabb Innovation Lab, a space where students can access 3D printers, laser cutters, robotic platforms, and the software

At Harvard I began studying psychology and neuroscience, with a minor in women, gender, and sexuality. My favorite classes were the ones that integrated both science and the humanities, situating scientific intuitions within a wider social framework. I became interested in healing not only on a cellular level, but also a more existential healing of the mind and soul. My senior year, I took my first studio art class after basketball season was ending. That class changed my life, and set me on the path to pursue an MFA in studio art. However, as I poured more of myself into art, I really began to crave a career where I could more deeply engage my scientific interests as well. Next year, I am heading to medical school at Brown University where I will focus in medical humanities, and one day hope to teach interdisciplinary courses that integrate art, science, empathy, and healing.

Who inspires you?

My mother has worked full time as a pharmacist my entire life. She first instilled in me my passion for learning, and I cannot thank her enough for her unwavering love and support through every step of my winding career.

The only thing you really have control over in this world is your attitude. Crazy things happen every day, but your power is in how you meet them.

What is your self-care secret?

Yoga! I began teaching yoga in Chicago four years ago, and it really is the best stress reliever for me. It was hard to adjust what my exercise outlet would be after playing basketball for 15 years, but I am so lucky to have found a space where I can get all my stress out and leave feeling so renewed.