Highlights ...

• AWIS Chapter Meeting
• Cast Your Vote for Women's Rights Stamp
• On-line Community Established by WVU Center for Women's Studies
• AWIS-WV E-mail Listserv
• AWIS-WV Support Book Donation to Ethopia
• Scientist Pen-Pals Wanted
• News from our Members
• Symposium on Women Entrepreneurs A Success
• Free Video on Gender-Based Biology Available
• The 1998 Career Enhancement Award Final Report on Award Disbursement
• Your Chapter Officers

AWIS CHAPTER MEETING

FLATWOODS, NOV 15, 1998

The annual chapter meeting will take place on Sunday, Nov 15, 1998 at the Western Steer Restaurant (private room #3) in Flatwoods, WV. The Western Steer (phone 765-2804) is located just below the Days Inn at exit 67 on I-79. The meeting will be held from 11 AM to 2 PM. Lunch will be provided (free!). All members and interested people are welcome to attend. The agenda is:

1. Minutes of the last business meeting
2. Treasurer's report
3. Report on EYH workshops
4. Spring 98 workshop in Williamson
5. Plans for the future
6. Report on Career Enhancement Award program
   • Report on the 1998 awards
   • Plans for the future
   • Break for Lunch--- Noon-1PM
7. Report on AWIS-WV web presence and electronic communication efforts
8. Nominations for upcoming Chapter elections
9. Plans for the 1999 Spring symposium
10. Other new business

CAST YOUR VOTE FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS STAMP

The U.S. Postal Service asks the Public to choose highlights of the 1970s as part of their "Celebrate the Century" stamp program. The Women's Rights Movement, Monday Night Football, Sesame Street, and Disco are among the 30 subjects that will compete by popular vote to appear on 15 new postage stamps honoring the 1970s. Voting starts September 1 and goes throughout the month. Ballots are at all post offices and on the web at http://stampvote.msn.com. Please cast your vote for the Women's Rights Movement. Remember: the recently-retired postmaster refused to issue a stamp commemorating the movement's 150^th anniversary!

ON-LINE COMMUNITY ESTABLISHED BY WVU CENTER FOR WOMEN'S STUDIES

WVWMST ( www.as.wvu.edu/wvwmst) is a state-wide outreach project of the WVU Center for Women's Studies. This web site includes a summary of West Virginia Women: In Perspective, a statistical analysis of the status of women in West Virginia, published by the WV Women's Commission. Visitors to the web site can explore, discuss and research topics and issue that directly impact the lives of women. In addition to lots of information and links to other relevant web sites, WVWMST also maintains an electronic discussion. To subscribe, send a e-mail to wvwmst@wvu.edu.

AWIS-WV E-MAILING LIST

The AWIS-WV chapter has an electronic mailing list. To subscribe, send an e-mail to listserv@listserv.wvu.edu. Leave the subject line blank and type the following into the body of the message

To subscribe to the list:

1. Create an e-mail to listserv@listserv.wvu.edu
2. Leave the subject line blank
3. In the message area type SUBSCRIBE AWIS-WV yourfirstname yourlastname
4. Send the e-mail
5. You will receive a confirmation from the list server that will contain more information about using the list.

To send a message to the list, send it to AWIS-WV@listserv.wvu.edu. This message will go out to all current subscribers.

AWIS-WV SUPPORTS BOOK DONATION TO ETHIOPIA

Thanks to the contacts that AWIS-WV member, Dr. Elizabeth Walker, made during her sabbatical last year as a Fulbright Scholar at Black Lion University in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a large shipment of medical books and books on gender studies was sent to Ethiopia in the early summer. Dr. Walker arranged for the donation of 14,728 new medical books, with a wholesale value of nearly $1 million. Many of the textbooks were brand new and donated by the publishing firm of Lippincott-Raven. These books were distributed to Jimma Health Science Institute, Addis Ababa University Faculty of Medicine, Dilla and Gondar Medical Schools and Colleges of Health Sciences. The shipment was coordinated by The Brother's Brother Foundation, based in Pittsburgh, PA, Rotary Clubs of Western PA and Rotary chapters in Addis Ababa. AWIS-WV members donated books and the Chapter contributed $250 to help with shipping costs. Additional shipping costs were covered by the United States Information Service, USAID and private donations. If you would like further information about book donations to schools in developing countries, please contact Dr. Walker at ewalker@wvu.edu

SCIENTIST PEN-PALS WANTED

The Science-by-Mail Program, in its tenth year, is a pen-pal program that pairs kids with volunteer scientists to work on two science challenge packets per year. Kids send their creative solutions to their assigned scientist who responds with encouraging feedback. The packets, developed by science and education professionals at the Museum of Science, Boston, contain materials and procedures for hands-on activities. The kids select two packets from six that are offered each year. The activity packets for 1998-99 are: Destination Mars (creating a Mars-based home), Science Magic, Imaging (digital imaging, animation), Communications (codes and signals), Simple Machines (wrist watches to cranes), Flight (create a flying machine).

As a volunteer scientist you will be assigned five to seven groups of one to four children from different areas, or you will be teamed with one classroom of seven teams of one to four children. On average you will spend 20-30 hours during the school year communicating with your teams.

Anyone with a minimum of a bachelor's degree in science can volunteer as a scientist pen-pal. All you need is the desire to inspire the scientific curiosity of children. The deadline for volunteering is October 15, 1998. You can contact the program by phone (1-800-729-3300), e-mail (sbm@mos.org) or via their web page www.mos.org/mos/sbm/sciencemail.html.

NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS

Dr. Linda Vona-Davis reports that she spent this summer teaching in WVU's Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) which has been in existence for fifteen years. As one of many instructors in the preliminary education component, Dr. Davis introduced biology and undergraduate research to 20 prefreshmen students selected from across the state. The aim of the program is to enrich the science, math, reading and writing skills of disadvantaged students who have aspirations of applying into allied health professions. Dr. Davis says that if college and universities want to produce highly qualified health professionals, then they need to begin academic reinforcement early. Dr. Davis was also a recipient of an AWIS 1998 Career Enhancement Award funded by the WV-EPSCoR.

Dr. Joyce Foster was one of six USDA staff members nationwide honored by Secretary Dan Glickman at an awards ceremony July 13, 1998 at USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C. The award recognized Dr. Foster's creative and effective approaches to recruitment and training of students. Joyce is employed by the Agricultural Research Service, the research agency of the USDA. She is a biochemist at the Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center in Beaver, WV.

SYMPOSIUM ON WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS A SUCCESS

by Linda Vona-Davis

The West Virginia Association for Women in Science held the third annual Spring Symposium in April dedicated to the theme of Women Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology. Held in Flatwoods, the symposium was designed to promote networking among women scientists and professionals from the local area. Kathy Covert from WVU organized the event and we were especially thrilled that our panel of speakers were willing to take the time from their schedules to meet with AWIS members and students.

The speakers were Dr. Gloria Gozdzik, President and CEO of Horizon Research Consultants. Dr. Gozdzik's company offers evaluations of potential archeological sites and also works cooperatively with in research partnerships with WVU. Paula Hunt, President of Environmental Answers, a hydrogeologist who consults in environmental and groundwater issues explained how she started her own consulting business three years ago. Kathryn Johnston, a business analyst with the Fairmont State College Regional Small Business Development Center spoke about the nuts and bolts of starting your own business. Jill Schaumloeffel, a computer network consultant and owner of Backbone Electronic Applications talked about her business interests in organic agriculture and her experiences with a quilting business in Germany.

Building upon a technology-based careers, these women are now utilizing a full range of business skills for marketing and sales, product management, regulatory affairs, human resources and personnel recruitment. All their experiences were quiet diverse and it was interesting to learn first hand from them what it was like to build new products, new projects and new companies. After listening to their stories, it was apparent that they possessed a truly fearless nature which allowed them to develop their own companies by following extraordinarily creative and independent routes. Those of us who attended noticed some common themes emerging from these women entrepreneurs--many felt they had taken a leap into the unknown, taking on unanticipated responsibilities and learning 'on the job' in order to develop their own companies. Probably the greatest challenge for them is understanding the technology of their companies and the application needs of their customers.

This gathering also included poster presentations from business and research sectors across the state including colleges and universities. The symposium hummed from start to finish as AWIS members networked and exchanged relevant information with women entrepreneurs dedicated to science and technology. At the same time, women from the private sector benefitted from a strong association with AWIS, the largest multi-disciplinary professional association for women scientists and engineers.

FREE VIDEO ON GENDER-BASED BIOLOGY AVAILABLE

The Society for the Advancement of Women's Health Research is inviting AWIS to take part in their national campaign to educate doctors, researchers, and future health providers about gender based biology: the scientific inquiry committed to identifying the basic biological and physiological differences between women and men, from the anatomical to sub-cellular levels. They are making available (and free of charge) their video Vive La Difference! to all chapters and members. This a short, informative and extremely interesting video on the developments in this field. If you would like a free copy, contact collins@awis.org.

The 1998 Career Enhancement Award Final Report on Award Disbursement.

September 17, 1998

Susan DeMesquita, Ph.D.

The West Virginia Chapter of the Association for Women in Science (AWIS-WV) is proud to announce the winners of the third annual Career Enhancement Awards. On May 13, 1998 the research stipend awards were mailed to science faculty around the state. The AWIS-WV committee of seven women scientists from across the state of West Virginia selected 20 projects for funding from a total of 53 applications. The average award was $1,900. Eleven women science faculty were awarded stipends for their projects. One faculty was awarded funding for both of her projects. Eight women science students were selected for funding based on their proposal and letter of recommendation from their research faculty sponsor. Five of the eight students are undergraduate students majoring in the sciences. The student awards were mailed to the student's faculty sponsor for distribution to the student. Five of the science faculty sponsoring the women students in their research laboratories this past summer are male scientists.

Only a quarter of the applications came from faculty and students at institutions other than West Virginia University and Marshall University. Two students at Fairmont State College were recipients of awards. Carrie Huggins, a senior is using her award to screen a cDNA library under the direction of Dr. Mark Flood. Jamie Brewer, also a senior at Fairmont State College; strongly recommended by Dr. Erica Harvey, is using her award for living expenses while participating in a Heath Study Group at the National Institutes of Health this fall. Dr. Joyce Foster, a research chemist at the USDA, Appalachian Soil and Water Conservation Research Laboratory in Beckley, used her award to support Susanna Bowling, a senior Chemistry student at Concord College, this summer as they worked together to analyze the amino acid content of chicory forage. Dr. Suzanne Rogers, Assistant Professor at Salem-Teikyo University, is using her award to produce genetically altered plants capable of removing metals from polluted water. Dr. Leslie Quinn, Assistant Professor of Biology and Associate Chair of the Biology and Chemistry Department at Wheeling Jesuit University, is using her award for equipment and supplies to examine the influence of calmodulin on glucose transport proteins in vascular smooth muscle cells. This year there were 16 applications from West Virginia University. Only one of the five student applicants and four of the ten faculty applications were funded. The only WVU student funded was Meridith McCracken a full-time graduate student in the Genetics and Developmental Biology Program at WVU. She is using part of her award to develop a gene therapy to combat human breast cancer under the direction of Dr. Jeannine Strobl. She will also use some of her award to travel to the Cancer Research meeting in Philadelphia this spring.

Of the nine faculty submitting CEA proposals from West Virginia University three were awarded four grants. Dr. Donna Ford-Werntz, Assistant Professor of Biology and Herbarium Curator, used her award to complete the West Virginia Flora Atlas for the WVU Herbarium. Dr.Stephanie Caswell Schuckers, Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, used her award to monitor and analyze abnormal electrocardiograms associated with sudden cardiac death. Dr. Linda Vona-Davis, Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery and Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology, had both of her applications funded. She will be using her awards to travel to American Heart Association meeting where she will present her work on amino-guanidine in acute endotoxemia. Her second award was used for salary support for an undergraduate student to work in her research laboratory this past summer.

This year there were 23 applications from Marshall University divided almost evenly between faculty and students. Five of the 12 Marshall University students applying were funded and three of those were undergraduates. Amy Hildreth graduated May 1998 with a BS degree in Biology with a 4.0 GPA. She worked with Dr. James Joy in the Biology Department this summer completing work on a computerized system to map the West Virginia breeding sites of mosquitoes capable of transmitting encephalitis. Danielle Cappelletti graduated with honors in May 1998 with a BS degree in Biology and worked with Dr. David Mallory this summer to develop and validate an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for rat follicle-stimulating hormone. Vicki Bennett is a junior majoring in Biological Sciences. She spent the summer working with Dr. Mark Simmons in the Department of Pharmacology studying the impact of tachykinin-like peptides on bullfrog neuronal signal transduction. Sharmini Soosaithasan, a Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. graduate in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics working with Dr. Donald Primerano, used her award for travel to present her research on the regulation of a late sporulation-specific gene SRR1 by a composite promotor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Jennifer Dolan is a third year doctoral student in the Department of Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics. She is currently completing a functional comparison of maternal and fetal blood leukocytes toward Group B Streptococcus under the direction of Dr. Susan Jackman.

Of the ten faculty submitting CEA proposals from Marshall University only half were funded. Four of the five faculty CEA recipients at Marshall University are faculty in the School of Medicine. The fifth faculty member, Dr. Marcia Harrison, in the College of Science is an Associate Professor of Biology and Interim Chair of the Biology Department, used her award to provide herself with release time from routine laboratory work so she could learn new experimental procedures to study protein kinases in plant tissues with Dr. Gary Wright in the Department of Physiology. Dr. Elizabeth Bryda, Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, used her award to build a radiation hybrid panel framework map of mouse Chromosome 10 for use in their lab and other labs to positionally clone genes on mouse Chromosome 10. Dr. Beverly Delidow, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, used her award to buy reagents to help her complete her work on pituitary cell growth regulation. Dr. Susan Jackman, Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, is using her award to study the role of cytokines in skin-directed autoimmunity. Dr. Darshana Shah, Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology, is using her award to investigate the impairment of neutrophil function during chronic iron overloading conditions.

All the 1998 CEA recipients will be invited to the Spring AWIS-WV meeting to present the results of their projects.

YOUR CHAPTER OFFICERS

President: Dale Birkle
Dept Pharmacology & Toxicology, WVU
PO Box 9223
Morgantown, WV 26506-9223
293-5798 (vox) 293-6854 (fax)
birkle@wvu.edu

President-Elect: Linda Vona-Davis
Department of Surgery, WVU
PO Box 9238
Morgantown, WV 26506-9238
293-1280 (vox)
dvona@wvu.edu

Secretary: Joyce McCune-Gentry
Washington Works, B150
PO Box 1217
Parkersburg, WV 26102
863-4739 (vox) 863-2583 (fax)