Women in Science Wednesdays

While women fill close to half of all jobs in the United States, they hold less than 25 percent of positions within the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Even as college-educated women have increased their share in the overall workforce, our country’s science and technology sectors continue to lack a female presence.

To help close this gap, UNC research is sharing their stories — from the depths of the ocean to the crest of a mountain, with projects that impact our state, the nation, and the world. Carolina’s female scientists from all areas of STEM are making waves in the world of research. Join us each week as our scientists share their unique perspectives on the rigors of research, and advice for other women in their fields.

Neeta Vora

December 7, 2016

Neeta Vora is a medical doctor and assistant professor of maternal-fetal medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology within the UNC School of Medicine. Her research focuses on the role of fetal factors in the initiation of spontaneous preterm birth. She is a member of UNC’s Caregivers at Carolina program, which supports young doctors who see patients and also conduct research.

Hendrée Jones

November 30, 2016

Hendrée Jones is the executive director of UNC Horizons, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the UNC School of Medicine, and an adjunct professor in the UNC College of Arts & Sciences Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. She is an internationally recognized expert in the development and examination of both behavioral and pharmacologic treatments for at-risk pregnant women and their children.

Brittney Luc-Harkey

November 23, 2016

Brittney Luc-Harkey is a doctoral candidate in the Human Movement Science Curriculum in the Department of Allied Health Sciences in the UNC School of Medicine. She works in the Sports Medicine Research Lab, and her research focuses on developing non-surgical interventions that decrease disability and improve long-term outcomes in individuals with joint injury and disease.

Adrienne Bonar

November 16, 2016

Junior Adrienne Bonar is an undergraduate research assistant at the Carolina Affective Science Lab who is double-majoring in psychology and women’s and gender studies. Her research focuses on how people’s body states and knowledge about emotions shape their emotional experiences.

Jesalyn Bolduc

November 9, 2016

Jesalyn Bolduc is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Basic and Translational Research at the Thurston Arthritis Research Center. Her research focuses on the processes in the body that are responsible for aging, as well as aging associated diseases such as osteoarthritis.

Giselle Corbie-Smith

November 2, 2016

Giselle Corbie-Smith is a social medicine professor in the UNC School of Medicine, as well as director of the Center for Health Equity Research and NC TraCS’ Community Academic Resources for Engaged Scholarship (CARES) Services. She is nationally recognized for her scholarly work on the practical and ethical issues regarding involvement of minorities in research.

Aya Avishai-Yitshak

October 26, 2016

Aya Avishai-Yitshak is a graduate student studying psychology and neuroscience in the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. Her research focuses on implicit processes, motivation, and health behaviors including exercise, eating, weight-gain prevention, and smoking.

Elizabeth Olson

Elizabeth Olson is an associate professor of geography and global studies in the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. She recently received funding from the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) for her research on youth caregivers.

Destinee Grove

Senior Destinee Grove is an undergraduate researcher in the UNC College of Arts & Sciences, majoring in exercise and sport science and psychology. Her research focuses on a collection of concussion measures like cognitive function, eye movement, and posture ability for athletes. She is a Morehead-Cain Scholar and also a research assistant at the Matthew Gfeller Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injury Research Center.

Elizabeth Dickinson

Elizabeth Dickinson is a clinical assistant professor of communication within the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, as well as an affiliated faculty member within the Curriculum for the Environment and Ecology. She is also a 2016-17 Faculty Scholar with the UNC Carolina Women’s Center. Her research focuses on interdisciplinary and humanistic approaches to critical intercultural communication and recently has focused on how diversity, equity, and inclusion are created, performed, and resisted through communication.