9 minute read
SBS Women in SCIENCE
By Mark Luebbers
On an early winter afternoon, SBS Science Department Chair Meghan Lena is working closely with a small group of seniors in the downstairs lab in Jesser Science Center. The group is intensely focused on a small device called a gel electrophoresis chamber which is just starting to show the results of their current experiment: measuring the amount of genetically modified material in... a tortilla chip!
As they watch, the device starts to show its colors by projecting the sequence of the DNA in the sample as a spectrum through a tiny display. The verdict: after comparing the tortilla chip DNA to two control samples, one of which contained a GMO ingredient, and one which did not, they determine that at least one of the ingredients in a tortilla chip of this kind is certainly genetically modified.
The experiment is typical of the kind of discovery that happens in SBS science classrooms today. Learning is geared not just to give students a practical understanding of the tools and techniques required to make them comfortable and adept in a laboratory or technology space, but to spur their interest, give them a passion or even a cause that will lead them to pursue a course of study in the sciences or technology in college, and perhaps a career in these fields. This gives Meghan and the other science teachers at SBS a clear challenge: “We try to expose them to as many disciplines and skills as possible; ones that are as transferable as possible to the college classroom and lab.”
Unlocking the DNA of a tortilla chip to see what’s really in the food we eat is the kind of real-world science that Meghan thinks intrigues SBS students, makes them confident in a science or technology setting, and may motivate them to make a career in science or technology their life’s work. Meghan says, “When kids have a clear vision of where they want to go, it’s a big motivator, and therefore program offerings at SBS need to be flexible so they can pursue their interests and curiosity. This requires lots of potential resources for them.”
Katie Kowalyshyn ’20 has loved science since she can remember, but her passion really took hold when she came to SBS. She remembers baking bread in Beth Stinchfield’s class as a 9th grader and realizing how much fun discovery can be. Katie loves science because, she says, “There’s so
much mystery, so many things that even the most knowledgeable people don’t know, from DNA to outer space, and everywhere in between. The idea that there is so much left to explore makes me want to learn as much as possible.” That joy and curiosity has continued into Meghan’s IB Biology class, where the biotechnology experiments give Katie the chance to explore “something I didn’t think I’d get to do until college.” Andrea Tehan Carnes teaches Computer Science at SBS and she has a mission: getting girls to code. She believes girls aren’t being encouraged to find their talents or follow a passion in technology, so in recent years Andrea has developed programs to nurture future developers at SBS. The curricular component is Computer Science Principles, a course for students in grades 9 through 12, and to get students to realize their interest, Andrea hosts “Computer Science Education Week” before Winter Break. Each afternoon during the week, students can get into computer science with an array of increasingly challenging and fun activities: creating their own dance party, designing a digital greeting card, or working with Sphero and Lego Mindstorm robots. In order to keep up with the rapidly changing world that students will find once they reach the science lab and classroom in college, Meghan, Andrea and the rest of the SBS Science Department are constantly working to stay on top of the field, averaging three to four professional development trips per calendar year, many of these during the summer months. Andrea notes,“We try to take advantage of as much professional development as we can, especially if it’s free.” This includes trips to the academic tech hotbeds around Boston and the Pioneer Valley such as Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the University of Massachusetts. SBS science faculty also pursue professional development opportunities nationwide, such as the National Council of Girls in Science meeting in Richmond, Virginia, and a space education seminar in Houston.
Maintaining a science and technology program that meets these considerable and changing needs requires more than just a dedicated and forward-thinking faculty. Lab equipment, both basic and cutting edge, as well as technology tools and consumable materials, all weigh heavily on the annual budget at a small school like
– Annette Cazanave ’74
SBS. With this important need in mind, a group of supporters recently devoted their time and energy to building a significant gift in memory of Abbé Janov Litvack ’74. Abbé completed her Master’s degree in Epidemiology at Columbia University and did further study at Harvard. She worked at Memorial Sloan Kettering and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and planned to become a doctor. Abbé was challenged by poor health for many years, and passed away on June 21, 2016 at the age of 59, but she had made it clear to her many friends and her family that she hoped they could honor her by making a providential gift to the future of science at her school. and lifelong friend of Abbé. It became a mission for a team of eighteen of Abbé’s supporters, including Annette and Abbé’s sisters; Laurie (Fly) Janov Williams ’69 SPH, and Gwenellen Janov ’66 MAB to build a gift that would leave a lasting legacy for Abbé at SBS. She recalls,“A group of five or six of our classmates had a tradition where we gathered at least once a year. During one of those years – about two years before she died – we asked her what she would like us to do to memorialize her at SBS.” When asked about the group’s motivation and Abbé’s vision for the gift, Annette is emphatic when she says, “This is where we all met, and the school is beloved to us… so Abbé didn’t hesitate when she told us, ‘Anything science related. Anything that will encourage girls to pursue careers in science.’” Fly credits former teacher Mrs. Sally Davis with providing the spark that fueled Abbé’s enthusiasm for science. She says, “She was one of the most influential people in Abbé’s life. Abbé’s career in epidemiology was her passion. Had things been different with her health, she would have been a wonderful doctor.” The vision gained focus with the approach of the Sesquicentennial, “We had promised we would do something science related in her name and so we pursued the effort,” says Annette, “The School’s 150th anniversary and our class’ 45th reunion were approaching. With the School’s and science teacher Meghan Lena’s help, we came up with the project ‘Abbé the Science Angel.’ Meghan had a wish list that included about $15,000 of new, updated equipment. ‘Abbé the Science Angel’ not only provided enough funding for these materials but also funding for the program expenses for four years. I think Abbé would be pleased that we funded this effort in her name.”
Una Wu ’21 is fascinated by chemistry, plans to study biochemistry as an undergraduate, and has her sights set on a career in medicine. She says, “I’m aiming to help as many people as I can in the future, especially in terms of solving health issues.” Una credits her early experiences in the chemistry lab and classroom with forming this vision of her future; “One day Mr. Roosa spent the whole class period teaching us the chemical mechanism behind global warming. He said chemists are playing a big part in saving our planet...I learned the potential of chemistry study and it inspired me to discover more possibilities in the sciences.” Chemistry and IB Physics teacher Nick Roosa understands the urgency that comes with being a science educator in today’s world. “We have developed to the point that the health and survival of every living thing on the planet depends on the choices we make as a society in the coming years. Without an understanding of the nature of science, it’s impossible to know who to listen to or what the best course of action is.” Nick knows that as a science teacher in a girl’s school, he has both a broad challenge and a special opportunity to change how girls can see their role in this crucial time. “I have heard girls tell me they ‘can’t do chemistry’, or ‘science isn’t their thing’, or they’re ‘bad at science’. So I think it’s particularly important right now that girls hear the message that they can and are expected to develop scientific literacy.” He feels that in many educational settings the negative expectations facing girls in science are reinforced, but he says SBS “is in a fantastic position to encourage girls and to redefine expectations around girls’ science education. We want every girl who graduates from SBS to view themselves as a capable scientist.” Stoneleigh-Burnham School, through its immediate forebears Mary A. Burnham School and Stoneleigh-Prospect Hill School, is continuing a long history of championing the study of science for young women. Even with a creative and seemingly tireless faculty, and curious and passionate students, considerable resources are required for an ambitious and sustainable program of this kind. Providing these essential resources is the focus of some passionate alumnae who have worked over the past several years to raise funds for a substantial gift, one that will go a long way to ensuring that the future of the science program will be as powerful as its past and present.
The Science of Trash
Beth Stinchfield wants her students to really understand trash: the chemistry of trash, the physics of trash, even the impact of trash on economics and geopolitics. On a recent Monday, Beth started her IB Environmental Science Studies students on an unpleasant but crucially important subject by dividing the class into four groups and passing around a variety of recent news articles: on failed recycling programs in New York City, changes in the recycling industry in China, and how our assumptions about recycling the trash we produce can have unintended consequences. A teacher at SBS since 1983, Beth wants her students to know that their choices; what they buy, what they throw away, and importantly, how they do so, can make a significant difference in the future of the planet.
