LEXINGTON, KY - The Young Women in Science program, run by the University of Kentucky Center on Drug and Alcohol Research (CDAR) and designed to encourage young women from Appalachia to pursue scientific careers in drug abuse research, began July 18 with the arrival at UK of 26 young women who are entering the ninth grade. The program is supported by a $1.29 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a division of the National Institutes of Health.
"Very few opportunities exist for rural high school women to learn about the excitement of science and the related scientific career opportunities in drug abuse research," said Carl Leukefeld, professor, Department of Psychiatry, UK College of Medicine, director of CDAR, and principal investigator for the grant. "This project will provide scientific education and mentoring to attract more young women to the field."
UK researchers developed the program, and it is offered only by UK. Drawing from the experiences in this project, UK researchers plan to refine the curriculum and develop a manual for use in replicating the program, both at UK and at other institutions nationwide.
Although male and female high school students take about the same number of total science courses, young men are more likely than young women to take courses in all three core scientific areas - biology, chemistry, and physics. This disparity continues into the work force where women cluster in only 20 of 400 job categories, and two out of three minimum-wage earners are women.
Twenty-six young women entering the ninth grade from 13 counties in Southeastern Kentucky have been chosen to participate in the program. Next year, an additional 26 young women will be selected to participate, for a total of 52 participants. The young women for the first year were chosen for their academic achievement especially in science and math, participation in extracurricular and community volunteer activities, ability to articulate a career goal, ability to benefit from the program, and strong personal references.
The young women will be given in-depth training and education in drug abuse research at UK for three weeks each summer and five one-day weekend sessions each year over a three-year period. Along with lectures, scientific lab work and sports activities, the young women will go on field trips to local attractions, such as the Louisville Science Center, Old Kentucky Chocolates, and the Lexington Shakespeare Festival, during the summer session at UK.
Each young woman also will be paired with women mentors in the scientific and local communities.
"It is important that the young women make contacts with women who are succeeding in scientific and mathematically-based careers that are traditionally dominated by males," said Caroline Reid, program coordinator. "A mentor can confirm that society's pressures are real and also provide assurance that young women can conquer these obstacles."
Each young woman will earn a stipend upon completion of the summer study and a scholarship to the college of her choice upon completion of the three-year program.