Chemistry society welcomes 10 women

Rebecca Adams knew she was in a male-dominated field when she traveled to California for a scholarship opportunity and saw that she was one of only about 30 women out of 200 recipients.

But the Sweet Briar senior sees the predominance of men in chemistry more as an opportunity than a hindrance.

She is one of 10 students from Sweet Briar and Randolph College who today will be inducted into the local chapter of Iota Sigma Pi, the national honor society for women in chemistry. The chapter also includes Lynchburg College, although no students from there will be inducted this year.

In the 10 years since Sweet Briar professor Jill Granger founded the chapter, it has inducted about 100 students, with the goal of promoting an interest in chemistry among women.

“You don’t find many women on the faculties at large research universities,” she said. “But parity in almost every other sector has improved (since the chapter began).

“I think you see the numbers of women in those fields increasing, and that always makes it easier for people. They’re not the ones forging the way — the path has been laid.”

Today’s events begin with a 5 p.m. lecture by Nancy Mills, professor of chemistry at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. The lecture is open to the public and will be held in Sweet Briar’s Heuer Auditorium at Guion Science Center.

The public lecture will focus on Mills’ research experience, Granger said. Later, Mills will lead a private forum on women’s issues in careers in the sciences.

“It’s an awesome group of women to be working with,” said Ann Fabirkiewicz, a chemistry professor at Randolph College and founding member of the society.

She said the society is a fun way to recognize hard-working students for their accomplishments.

Jenna Wasylenko, a junior at Sweet Briar, is one of those students, and one of only two juniors to be inducted this year. The other eight are seniors.

“Especially with chemistry and the sciences that are male-dominated fields, it’s important to see women in leadership roles,” she said. “So I’m really excited to have the opportunity to be a part of that.”