They took different paths – some intentional, others not – but their common drive, dedication and pursuit of knowledge have resulted in success in their various fields that have been challenging for women.The SIUE women’s studies Program hosted Lakesha Butler, PharmD, clinical professor in the SIUE School of Pharmacy’s (SOP) Department of Pharmacy Practice; Cristina De Meo, PhD, professor of organic chemistry in the Department of Chemistry; Amelia Perez, PhD, associate professor and department chair in the School of Nursing and SIUE alumna; and Cathy Santanello, PhD, professor of pharmaceutical sciences in the SOP. Women’s Studies Program Director Carolina Rocha, PhD, moderated the panel.
“The purpose of the panel was to increase retention and recruitment of female students in science, as well as offer valuable information about career paths,” said Rocha. “Another panel about women in STEM will take place at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10 in the Morris University Center’s International Room.”
“It is easy to focus on our successes, but typically those successes come with setbacks and hurdles,” said Butler. “I want to discuss my failures. It is important to mention them, because oftentimes that is how we experience growth. In my first year of undergraduate school, I failed my first chemistry exam. It was the first exam I had ever failed. I was devastated.
“I had been at the top of my high school class and did well on the SAT,” explained Butler. “I looked internally at my study habits. I also looked into campus resources such as getting a tutor, joining study groups and found intentional ways to succeed.”
“I was raised in a home, where my father was a physician and my mother a nurse,” remarked Santanello. “When I started taking science and enjoyed it, they were pleased. I loved science, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do.”
After working as a microbiologist, histopathologist and environmental specialist, which were good but unsatisfying career paths for Santanello, she landed a teaching job in biology at SIUE. “I love teaching and have loved working at SIUE for the past 26 years,” she commented. “My career has taken me to a lot of different places and three different countries doing study abroad with students, and has helped shaped me into the educator I am today.”
Perez confessed that she, too, had early struggles in school. “When I took one of the foundational courses in nursing. “I realized that nursing was going to require a lot of effort and preparation,” she said. “It was a wake-up call for me, that if I wanted it, I was going to have to work hard.” Perez earned both her bachelor’s and master’s in nursing from SIUE in 1996 and 2001, respectively.
Another lesson that Perez learned – keep your options open. “Early on, I wanted to go into pediatrics, because I loved children,” she continued. “Then I went into adult general medicine nursing and just loved it, and I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.”
De Meo shared her personal life story of a young woman living in Italy at a time where not so many career opportunities were given to women in science, and how she realized her passion for teaching later in life.
“Life can bring us to unexpected directions that will help us in knowing ourselves better and in discovering our potential,” offered De Meo. “We must always look for opportunities and be open to change.’’
For more information about upcoming Women in Science events, contact Rocha at crocha@siue.edu or 618-650-2313.
Photo:
(L-R) Women in Science panel members include Lakesha Butler, PharmD, clinical professor in the SIUE School of Pharmacy’s (SOP) Department of Pharmacy Practice; Cathy Santanello, PhD, professor of pharmaceutical sciences in the SOP; Amelia Perez, PhD, associate professor in the SIUE School of Nursing and SIUE alumna; and Cristina De Meo, PhD, professor of organic chemistry in the Department of Chemistry.