Author: Natalie Zender

Join WIST to Commemorate U.S. Women’s Equality Day – August 26

In honor of the work of many individuals to agitate, advocate, and advance equal access to voting and recognition as United States citizens we commemorate Women’s Equality Day.

From the National Constitution Center:

The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote nationally on August 18, 1920, so why is Women’s Equality Day on August 26th each year?

The simple answer is that even when a constitutional amendment has been ratified it’s not official until it has been certified by the correct government official. In 1920, that official was U.S. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby. On August 26, 1920, Colby signed a proclamation behind closed doors at 8 a.m. at his own house in Washington, D.C, ending a struggle for the vote that started a century earlier.

Read the rest here >> (https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/why-august-26-is-known-as-womans-equality-day )

Ready to test your knowledge of influential women in science, mathematics and technology? Check out this quiz >> https://anl.box.com/v/WISTQUIZ-Aug26 or video below.

September 2022 Edition

Emily Zvolanek, Senior GIS Analyst

It’s tough to identify career mentors when your career has only existed a short time. For Emily Zvolanek, a senior geographic information systems (GIS) analyst in the Environmental Sciences division, her introduction to GIS happened because one of her professors at Monmouth College was intrigued by the relatively new discipline (it began in the 1960s) and asked a small group of students (including Zvolanek) to figure it out through independent study.

“I found it interesting and challenging and I wanted to know more about it,” said Zvolanek, who recalls with a laugh that some assignments entailed walking around the school football field trying to locate GIS points.

Still, there was no degree program in GIS at Monmouth so, after earning a degree in environmental studies, she enrolled in the few classes on the subject offered at her local community college. No degree or certificate program was offered there either, but the professor teaching the class happened to work at Argonne. Following success in that class and an internship elsewhere, Argonne offered her a job in 2012.

“My path into GIS and to Argonne did not follow a straight line,” she quipped.

Zvolanek has since gained significant technical experience and she credits others at Argonne with helping her in this regard. She feels inspired to be that person for other young people trying to find their way into science-related fields or, specifically, GIS.

“I am that person naturally who wants to pay it forward,” she said. “I know it would have helped me grow more and faster in my career if I had had a champion early on to help me understand the significance of pursuing proposals, navigating situations, or getting involved more in project management.”

Zvolanek participates regularly in Argonne programs promoting diversity, equity and inclusion and she is grateful for WIST. She actively engages in the educational programs and activities that Argonne hosts in order to introduce girls to STEM careers. Whether that career is in GIS or in support of another field of science, Zvolanek recognizes the value she can bring to young women in search of guidance.

“By the time they get to where I am now, I want there to have been more support along the way,” she said.

In her spare time, Zvolanek immerses herself in another community of friends from Argonne: an Irish folk music group. They lack an official group name, but they practice together regularly and have fun learning the traditional songs. Zvolanek plays six-string guitar. Others play mandolin, banjo, guitar, flute, whistle, harmonica, and even the bodhrain, which is a traditional drum that resembles a tambourine without bells.

“The music isn’t overly complicated and it’s fun and low pressure,” said Zvolanek.

Her advice to young professional women interested in science is “pursue what you are interested in and are passionate about. If you’re the only one who looks like you in any sort of situation, whether it’s gender or race, that can feel isolating. My best advice is push through it because it won’t be that way forever. It will all work out in the end.”

September 2022 Edition

Pam Richmond, Senior Web Developer, EVS

Sometimes, STEM disciplines shift to reflect inclusion of art and creativity. In these rare intersections, the familiar acronym becomes STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math). It is in this rare corner where Pam Richmond has carved her career.

Richmond, senior web developer in the Environmental Science (EVS) division, is responsible for managing multiple facets of the websites she designs and develops, from color palettes to code. She also builds highly technical websites visible at all levels of the Department of Energy (DOE). Her website work is credited with improving public involvement in certain programs and more expeditiously sharing information.

Richmond became interested in computer programming in middle school but she always loved art. By the time she entered the College of St. Francis, she elected to major in computer science and minor in art. In the days before an image-rich, broadband Internet, she didn’t imagine the two fields of study would be that relevant to one another.

The opposite, of course, was true, and the narrative of modern web development arced toward the better for those who were creative and tech savvy. Richmond considers herself fortunate to have had a computer programming professor who encouraged the class not to just focus on the keystroke side of things. He emphasized the value of good writing and communication as well.

“That was excellent advice for any career,” said Richmond. “Even if you’re ‘just sitting behind a desk,’ you will interact with people and it’s important to be versatile and flexible. There will always be something to do if you can do a variety of work.”

Staying current with technology is a never-ending challenge for Richmond (and for all programmers), as web technologies and frameworks change quickly. She tries to lean on what she knows well to get her job done efficiently, but she also picks up new skills when opportunities arise.

“It can be difficult to anticipate where trends are headed and which approach will stand the test of time,” said Richmond. “It is impossible to learn everything.”

Her advice to women interested in careers in science or technology is, “Be open to trying new things, and be willing to make mistakes or fail; competence doesn’t come easily, but it’s worth the investment of time and energy to develop yourself.”

Richmond strives to find work-life balance and works part-time to be available for both job and family.

“Sometimes I use vacation time to attend school events or spend time with my daughter,” she said. “I am thankful for the flexibility because, as a result, we are able to share many special memories.”

“I keep working at it, and I find balance in the process,” she continued. “There are a lot of demands for our time and attention. It takes determination and perseverance to keep everything in perspective.”

September 2022 Edition

April Novak, Computational Scientist, CPS, and Maria Goeppert Mayer Fellow

There’s a small plaque at Argonne in Building 203 honoring Maria Goeppert Mayer for the 1963 Nobel prize in physics. Goeppert Mayer is one of only four women with that distinction, and she completed some of her research at Argonne, where a postdoctoral fellowship is named in her honor.

Today, April Novak is one of those fellows. For the past year and a half, the computational science postdoctoral researcher has worked and contributed at Argonne with a focus on nuclear fission reactors. Specifically, Novak’s efforts are directed toward the intersection of nuclear engineering and computational science.

Despite growing up within 30 minutes of Argonne, she had never heard of the lab or Goeppert Mayer before she studied nuclear engineering in college.

“When I began my undergrad program at the University of Illinois, I wasn’t sure which field of engineering to study. I enrolled in a seminar series that invited professors from every discipline of engineering to describe their work,” said Novak. “The professor from nuclear engineering was fascinating and charismatic, and I was immediately sold on the idea that we can create so much energy with tiny particles not visible to the human eye.”

Novak is the oldest in a family of three girls and she was always encouraged to pursue her interest in science. She is quick to cite both men and women who mentored her at various points of her undergraduate and graduate career. She said she has never felt alienated or like she didn’t belong within the scientific community.

Goeppert Mayer would be impressed.

The theoretical physicist emigrated from Germany with her physicist husband in the 1940s and was unable to find paid work in her profession for nearly 12 years. Undaunted, she persevered on a volunteer basis (read “unpaid”) until Sarah Lawrence University hired her as a professor. She was a working mother of two in an era when that was virtually unheard of.

As a member of a new and more progressive generation of female engineers, Novak is free to think about conquering other mountains. An avid hiker, she trekked 1,500 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, from Los Angeles to Portland, with her husband during the pandemic. Next, she has her gaze set on the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. She and her husband and a few leafy houseplants recently relocated to the state of Washington, where hiking trails are abundant.

Simultaneously, though, she dreams of leading a research group, making a positive impact within industry, and becoming known as the leading subject matter expert for computational science and nuclear engineering.

“Helping nuclear energy contribute to clean energy and climate change resolutions would be great validation for my career,” said Novak. “Nuclear energy has a lot to offer from a lot of perspectives and I believe I can contribute to making the world a better place.”

September 2022 Edition

Paytsar Muradyan, Atmospheric Scientist, EVS

The career path of Paytsar Muradyan, an atmospheric scientist in Argonne’s Environmental Science Division, makes a strong case for the power of self-agency, the psychological will to make changes that bring positive things into one’s life.

Originally from Armenia, Muradyan was working towards a master’s degree in physics when she fell in love and married a fellow physicist. In order for him to pursue his doctorate, they moved to West Lafayette, Indiana, where Muradyan was firmly convinced she’d be miserable until they could return to Armenia. She took the year off from her studies and spent her time learning English. An avid reader and book collector, she let good books lead the way.

“I’d read a few pages of one author and write down and memorize all the vocabulary words,” she said. “I quickly realized each author used a particular vocabulary set. I spent a fabulous eight months taking out library books, one author at a time, and that was a useful learning style for me.”

During that time, Muradyan read an incredible range of books. Garage sale romance novellas she could pick up for 10 cents so she didn’t feel bad scribbling notes on them. The complete works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who became her favorite author. The science journal Nature, which led her to the article – “The Hole Truth” – that changed her outlook, her field of study and, ultimately, her career.

“It was the first time I understood that we humans cause atmospheric ozone depletion and, as a result, the ultraviolet radiation ‘seeps through’ the ozone hole, causing significant health concerns and contributing to global warming,” she said. “As a young student in the era of no personal computers and internet at home in Armenia, I was unaware of our contribution to climate change. The knowledge opened my eyes to a whole sphere of science.”

With the encouragement of another young woman at Purdue University who was juggling her own PhD course load, the raising of two young children, and various volunteer positions, Muradyan decided to apply to Purdue’s earth and atmospheric science department.

“If she could do it, why not me?” Muradyan recalled thinking. “That woman was a real role model. Something changed in me.”

Muradyan began at Purdue as a visiting scientist and left with her doctorate. She also had a new love for scientific opportunity in the United States and a sense of empowerment.

“I began leading my life by the principle that if there is one person that can do it, then so can I,” she said. “If you are asked to make a cable for a project, never think there are other people with the job description of ‘making cables’ who will complete the job. Just jump in on the opportunity, ask to be taught, make the skill your own. You never know which skill in particular is going to be useful in your future.  You will never know unless you try.”

Most recently, Muradyan has been recognized for her work to establish a strong presence within the ARM program and for her field study work with the U.S. Air Force on prescribed burns as well as the Department of Energy’s wind forecast improvement program.