Lauren H. '22 took Calhoun's Women in Science course and learned about "brilliant women scientists who often go unrecognized for their contributions." The class helped to fuel her passion for science, history and literature. Here she reflects on the impact the course has had on her education.

A project from the Women in Science course I took that still remains impactful to me is my Pioneer Project that I did on Grace Hopper. Grace Hopper was a computer scientist and pioneer for the Harvard Mark I computer. Throughout this project, I explored the ups and downs of Hopper’s career as a woman in science during the 1940s while delving into the unrecognized impact she made on the science community and the many doors she opened for future women in STEM to come.

Regardless of what kind, medical science is something I have always had a passion for. I thoroughly enjoy both history and science, and the Women in Science course was a perfect combination of both. I was learning about brilliant women scientists who often go unrecognized for their contributions, which has helped me relearn the image of science I had prior. Representation is important for me as I am a Black and Indo-Caribbean woman of Guyanese heritage and religiously Hindu. I do not often find women to look up to in science and medicine. Though in this course, I found those women and got to meet them (through Zoom, of course) and hear their present-day experiences, struggles and accomplishments. I deeply appreciated that the course was centered around brilliant women scientists of the past and the present.

Learning about women like Grace Hopper, Marie Curie, Henrietta Lacks, Margaret Rossiter, and the reasoning behind the lack of Black doctors in America today continues to drive my passion for science, history and literature even more. Courses like Women in Science are learning moments that I will carry with me throughout my walk of life and as I continue to dive further into the world of science.