Endnotes: Which female mentor or role model inspired you during your time at Caltech?

Hands down, Prof. [Katherine] Faber! She was my PhD co-adviser, and she always gave comments to guide us to the right answers ourselves instead of telling us what to do or try.

Wei Lin Tan (PhD ’19), Singapore

Anneila Sargent (MS ’67, PhD ’77) was a fine role model as vice president for student affairs. She combined being a formidable scientist with a passionate attention to student concerns. And all this was communicated in her delightfully lilting Scottish voice.

Sean McKenna (BS ’17)Santa Monica, CA

Anneila Sargent (Astronomy), Marcia Neugebauer (JPL), Paulette Liewer (JPL), and Joan Feynman (JPL) inspired me to pursue the science I love—the solar wind—while showing me that I did not have to choose between career and family. Their mentorship provided me with critical support during a period of self-doubt when I was tempted to give up on finishing my education. I am tremendously grateful for their support, and I strive to pay it forward to the students that I now teach.

Kristin (Commer) Simunac (BS ’01), Palm Harbor, FL

Jenijoy LaBelle was Caltech’s first female professor, hired in 1969. A professor of English at Caltech, she fought for tenure for a decade and finally got it in 1979. She was a hero for all of us women students.

France Córdova (PhD ’79) Santa Fe, NM

Beverley McKeon motivated me, as a young woman in STEM, to pursue academia. It is important to have representation, particularly in engineering. Without a doubt, she was and keeps on being my role model.

Monica Martinez (MS ’12, PhD ’16), Riverside, CA

A major influence on my career, Barbara Wold took me into her research lab as a freshman and taught me to look at problems in a new light. She instilled in me to question assumptions and always fostered my unending curiosity.

Lawrence Schaufler (BS ’94), Denver, CO

Shirley Marneus was a great role model as director of TACIT. We learned about teamwork, conflict resolution, and the value of working long hours with true passion. She saw potential where we did not, and her vision was (and always will be) an inspiration to us all.

James Gleeson (BS ’99), Limerick, Ireland

I would love to tell you about an amazing female mentor who I first met at Caltech, Dr. Leslie Rogers. I was an undergrad working with Prof. John Johnson at the time, and I met Dr. Rogers, one of his postdocs, in passing at his research group meetings. Somewhat suddenly, it seemed to me, Prof. Johnson would be leaving us to start a new career at Harvard. I was supposed to be a SURF student that summer, and Prof. Johnson suggested that I work with Dr. Rogers for the time being. I suppose it was intended originally as a short-term arrangement so that I could continue to do research in the group even without Prof. Johnson physically at Caltech, but Dr. Rogers and I really worked well together.

We spent that summer and much of the next school year working on my SURF project on characterizing exoplanets around very hot stars. Then, it was time for senior year, and it seemed only natural that I continue to work with Dr. Rogers for my senior thesis project, this time on tidally-distorted rocky exoplanets. The project went very well, so well that we published it in The Astrophysical Journal. We have now been working together for about seven years and have been co-authors on three papers, with at least one more in the works. During that time, Dr. Rogers took a second postdoc position at Berkeley, and finally a professorship at UChicago.

Prof. Rogers has been an amazing mentor to me. She is always willing to answer questions, and I feel very comfortable asking just about anything, even if it seems simple or trivial at the time. She is truly an expert at taking complex topics and breaking them down into manageable chunks for someone new to the subject. She supports both my academic and personal endeavors, even attending one of my band concerts and Avery House faculty night while I was at Caltech. Now, I am preparing to apply for jobs and defend my thesis, and not only do we still work together, I am helping to advise one of Prof. Rogers's current undergraduate students, so I really feel like we have come "full circle" in a way. Our relationship started at Caltech and has lasted through multiple institution moves and role changes, and I sincerely hope that it continues to do so.

Ellen Price (BS ’15), Cambridge, MA

I am inspired by my graduate adviser, Dianne K. Newman. Her boundless optimism and perpetual encouragement were an integral part of my success in graduate school. She inspired me to think independently and nurtured in me a sense of academic and intellectual freedom.

David Basta (PhD ’19), Pasadena, CA

I was lost by all measures during the first year as a grad student not knowing where my interest or passion for research was. My officemate told me about the arrival of a young, charming faculty in our department and suggested I talk to her. This faculty member, who later became my PhD adviser, is Professor Dianne Newman. I still can't figure out what made her decide to keep me in her group and why she believed in me more than I did in myself. I will pay it forward by inspiring and supporting the next-gen scientists.

Yongqin Jiao (PhD ’07), Pleasanton, CA

When I received the call for Endnotes response about the female role model who inspired me during my time at Caltech, the first person that came into my mind is Prof. Jennifer M. Jackson from the GPS division. Jennifer was my PhD adviser at Caltech, and from her I have learned many life-inspiring lessons, including the following one.

I studied minerals with X-rays in graduate school, and for such experiments my labmates and I usually went to facilities called synchrotrons, which are huge and expensive X-ray machines that run 24-hour non-stop. In order to fully utilize the precious time, we had to split it into day shifts and night shifts, and took turns to do the experiment. Usually the night shifts were more exhausting and challenging, as the experimenter had to handle the experiments against the circadian clock. I got the night shifts in my very first synchrotron experiment because I had to take necessary facility training in the daytime. As a newbie, I felt anxious, while Jennifer told me that it was a good way to learn the technique by taking night shifts because I would be able to figure out everything by myself with little disruption. As for my concerns about the experiment, she said “we will figure it out together.”

Jennifer was right, that the night shifts did give me the opportunity to play with nearly every piece of instrument without having to compete with others. And Jennifer literally went through all the night shifts side by side with me. It was from her that I learned most aspects of the experiment in just one week, and I am still curious how she kept energetic all the time during the experiment. Anyway, the experiment was a great success and an impressive lesson for me, from which I learned not only advanced experimental techniques, but also Jennifer’s passion to research.

The successful first experiment was among the motivations for me to pursue my scientific career in synchrotrons. Now I work at one of the most popular synchrotrons in the world. Over the years, I have learned that it is not uncommon for senior researchers to leave their inexperienced first-year students alone for the night shifts, and I was just lucky not having to go through such a stressful experience. Great mentors like Jennifer are rare and precious, and I am still learning from her to become one. I have mentored a few junior researchers at our synchrotron, and I kept working together with them through their very first night shifts, in a way that Jennifer worked together with me. I feel that this is a great tradition I should pass down.

Dongzhou Zhang (PhD ’15), Chicago, IL

Stephanie Charles, who transferred in as a sophomore in 1970, has been a friend of mine since then, and a remarkable volunteer for, among others, the Alumni Association and the Red Cross.

Lawrence Rhodes (BS ’71), Livermore, CA

Erin Schuman was my PhD mentor at Caltech. Her fearless pursuit of unconventional ideas to understand the neurobiology of learning inspires and motivates me to this day. Indeed, I have been pursuing the unchartered territory she steered me towards beginning as a rotation student to this day!

Ueli Rutishauser (PhD ’08), Los Angeles, CA

I was at Tech from 1981 to 1985. I recall only one female science professor (astrophysics, and shamefully, I cannot recall her name). I did have two French professors and one English literature visiting professor who were female and all of them were wonderful teachers and role models.

I think the way that we all got by was to look to our own community of classmates, sports team mates, and our social network to mentor and support each other. Chris Wood was dean of students for a while and she was a source of encouragement, guidance, and help to many of us.

But in my field (physics) all the rock stars were male: Feynman, Gell Mann, Boehm, Delbruck, many others—not a single woman among them, in spite of the fact that women were contributing ground breaking (even Nobel prize-worthy work) at other institutions. Of course we had some historical figures like Marie Curie to look up to, and I do recall meeting some of the women from the first class in 1973 and wondering what that must have been like, to be at Tech with even less of a community and even less support than we had.

But the fact is that Caltech's history of excluding women did not instantaneously vaporize when a few women students were let in. A decade later, when I was there, the vast majority of influential women in the Caltech community were wives or daughters of male scientists, rather than scientists in their own right.

Over the years, it's been such a pleasure to see the accomplishments of women highlighted more and more frequently at seminar day and other forums. For me, this culminated with Frances Arnold's Nobel Prize—I very much hope that the sad chapter where gender was more determinative than talent (even, or perhaps I should say especially, at Caltech) is now behind us.

I appreciate that the institute is asking this question, and take it as further evidence of the sea change in attitude from my time at Tech. I would encourage Tech not to "bury" the lack of support that was the norm in the past. The fact that many women who are now in their peak years were able to prove themselves with so little institutional /community support is impressive in and of itself, and makes their contributions doubly impressive. And, that Tech itself has been able to change is also very impressive and I am sure is due to leadership, vision, and follow through. None of that should be forgotten.

Leslie Lippard (BS ’85), Brookline, MA

I entered Caltech in the fall of 1972, as a then-17-year-old undergraduate with an interest in medicine. After going through rotation I ended up in Page House. Page, one of the "jock" houses" was also in 1972 a rather raucous, wild place, especially for a new female student. I was very inexperienced, didn't know how to get people to leave me alone. Flora Wu also lived in Page. Flora Wu was one of the “Caltech 6": the first class of undergraduate women to graduate from Caltech. Like me, she was interested in a career in medicine. Most of that original class of women had been admitted in 1970 and were living in the "old houses" (Blacker, Dabney, Fleming, or Ricketts). The "new houses" (Page, Lloyd and Ruddock) had only started having women residents my year, 1972. But since Flora was a transfer student from PCC she was admitted in 1972 as a junior, and she ended up in Page. Flora was nice but also very quiet and focused. She didn't allow the craziness of student life surrounding her to interfere with her studies or her objectives. Even the rowdiest most persistent students respected her preferences, and I learned from that.

Fran (Wetter) Finney (BS ’76), Santa Barbara, CA

Eleanor “Glo” Helin offered for me to study/assist her experiments at Mt. Palomar and there I had the experience of a lifetime below the 200” telescope plus an opportunity to take a machining course with the operating engineers on the Palomar staff. Whereas I did not continue in astronomy, I remember the thrill of those days.

Louise Wannier (maiden name Saffman) (BS ’78), Pasadena, CA

Janet Sheung was an amazing mentor when we were both undergrads in the middle-aughts. She took a number of us under her wing who were a year behind her and, like her, physics Pageboys. She helped us navigate not just physics classes, for which she displayed a rare enthusiasm, but also the tricky aspects of transitioning to independent adulthood in Caltech's unusual social milieu. She's now a professor of physics at Claremont McKenna, still going above and beyond to mentor undergrads.

Zeb Rocklin (BS ’08), Atlanta, GA

I'd love to thank Professor Nai-Chang Yeh, my academic adviser throughout my undergraduate years in physics from 1991-1995, for her guidance and inspirations. In those days, we had "yellow cards" to be signed by the academic advisers (for registering classes) and despite her busy schedule, she shared a little of her work and views of the academia that formed a significant part of my preparation as I decided to go to graduate school (and later, to stay in academia). During my senior thesis work (theory) she offered lab opportunities if I wished to extend the scope. None of our discussion was gender-specific. But having a supportive figure I could relate to (she is also from East Asia) meant so much! She set an example that language and cultural barriers could be overcome, and what dedication really means!

Debbie Leung (BS ’95), Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

I joined the nascent Organization for Women at Caltech (OWC) during the first year I worked there as staff. It was mostly staff women, led by several geology department staff, especially Geraldine Silver. One meeting math Professor Olga Todd-Tausky attended, who was the only woman professor at the time. Her career was as follows, to the best of my recollection: she and her husband (John Todd) were hired, with her husband tenure-track, and her not so much. Every time she went to the department to ask for a better assignment (after another college had offered her a position), they would give her husband a promotion. Finally she went to the department and said, "I appreciate everything you've done for John, but [insert college here] has just offered me a full professorship..." Boom! Full professor. We asked her if she wanted to say anything at one meeting, but she declined; just wanted to listen. Female role models were scarce on the ground in the 1970s; we were all just nerds who wanted to be treated like anyone else, not glommed on or ignored.

Mary Johnson (BS ’76), San Diego, CA

Azita Emami is an amazing teacher and enthusiastic supporter of her students. In both of her classes that I took, she took care to involve her students and make sure they had the resources to understand their work. I am sure that she will help many more women like me feel equipped for their future male-dominated workplaces.

Suzannah Osekowsky (BS ’17),
Seattle, WA

Nai-Chang Yeh was the first female professor in physics when she joined Caltech in 1989. It’s a real blessing to be under her mentorship as she adds a powerful and wise philosophy on approaching both physics and life in general. Nai-Chang has taught us to be versatile and bold when facing tough problems in our research enterprise.

Deepan Kishore Kumar (BS ’15) Pasadena, CA

Alas, since I am in the class of 1963 there were no women classmates. However, Olga Taussky-Todd was an inspirational member of the faculty.

Barry McCoy (BS ’63), Stony Brook, NY

I was a freshman when I took Bi8: Introduction to Molecular Biology with Professor Ellen Rothenberg in 2013. To my delight, Ellen's course was specifically designed to get students excited about not only the intricate details of biology, but also the broader themes and concepts that underpin those details. While she emphasized the logic that underlies biological systems, she also instilled an intuition for recognizing phenomena that don't fit expected patterns. Her passion and energy infused every lecture, whether by describing seminal experiments that took place at Caltech (which made me even more thrilled to be at my dream school) or employing vivid metaphors to describe microscopic molecular processes. Beyond inspiring students in the classroom, she encouraged us to be curious and pursue scientific research, attended student research presentations and gave supportive feedback to enable our development as scientists. Ellen's manner of getting straight to the heart of a problem, eloquent scientific storytelling, generous encouragement and kindness have all been incredibly influential in shaping my development and the way I want to give back to others.

Suchita Nety (BS ’17), Cambridge, MA

I SURFed with the incredible Matilde Marcolli. Her understanding of math and physics is remarkably deep and diverse, but even more important to my experience that summer was the genuine warmth and care she showed for her students.

Adam Ball (BS ’16), Somerville, MA

Eleanor Helin (“Glo” to friends and colleagues) was a planetary scientist at JPL. She led a program to find near-earth asteroids long before this was a hot topic. She was my SURF mentor for two years and the first female boss I ever had. She showed me what a woman leader really looks like: authority plus love.

Celina Mikolajczak (BS ’91), Reno, NV

I never had a female professor in any class in my major, so for me, the best female mentors were the upperclass(wo)men in my house, especially those in leadership roles. They showed great poise and strength, and garnered respect from their peers.

Sierra Petersen (BS ’09), Ann Arbor, MI

I was a member of the second class to include women undergrads. Although I went on to a PhD in Genetics (Wisconsin), and ultimately medical school, one of my most important mentors at Caltech was Annette Smith. She was then a lecturer in French, which I did not speak at all prior to matriculating at Caltech. In two years of language class and an independent study of French literature with Annette, I learned enough French to argue with a waiter in Paris (I lost). I also absorbed life lessons that were completely unexpected, and I valued her humanism. I am glad to see that she went on to a full professorship and ultimately emeritus status at Caltech.

Cheryl Laffer (BS ’75), Nashville, TN

Taking Bi 114 (Immunology) from Profs Ellen Rothenberg and Pamela Bjorkman in 1993 (?) was literally life-changing. I decided after that class I would study immunology in grad school. It was my favorite Caltech class, had less than 20 students, and was the only one I had that was taught by two women. We were so lucky to have that experience.

Anandi Raman Creath (BS ’96)

I was a timid sophomore when I first asked Beverley McKeon (GALCIT) to be my research adviser. Although I had not taken any coursework in our research area, she was tremendously patient, and she always made time to teach me. She had only just started as an assistant professor herself, but already, she exemplified exactly the kind of researcher I strived to become. I will always fondly remember my time working under her mentorship.

Kevin K. Chen (BS ’09), San Diego, CA

Pamela Logan, who had reached a black belt level in Shotokan Karate just when I was starting it at Caltech, inspired me. I once saw her doing a kata (form), I think it was Empi, and was very impressed with the power and realism of the defenses, evasions, and attacks implicit in it. Though it is astronomically unlikely that I will ever (or ever would have) reached the level at which she practiced in 1983, still it inspired me in my own practice. “A man‘s reach should exceed his grasp/Or what‘s a Heaven for?”

Michael Turyn (BS ’85), Boston, MA

Postdoctoral scholar Marjorie Caserio brought a brightness and joy into the learning of chemistry while I was an undergraduate during the mid-‘60’s. She was a co-author with Professor John Roberts of Basic Principles of Organic Chemistry, published in 1964. It was a groundbreaking book in that it brought nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to bear on the structure of organic molecules. It was a pleasure and privilege to have been her student.

Richard Holmquist (BS ’61, PhD ’66), Richmond, CA

In 1973 I was a Phys 1 TA. I had the dreaded 8 a.m. recitation, which we had in various rooms in Old Mudd and Arms. By the third quarter, half my recitation (about 10) were undergraduate women. They were my most enthusiastic participants and did not seem to mind the early hour. It was an honor to know these young women who braved Caltech as the 10%ers.

Pamela Wiedenbeck (MS ’74), Altadena, CA

Melanie Pribisko Yen was my research mentor during my junior and senior years at Caltech. She was a postdoc at the time, and incredibly busy, but I remember she always made time to explain any questions I had or give me feedback when I needed it. I've had classmates whose mentors used them as grunt labor and wouldn't let them do more complicated tasks, but Mel gave me those chances to grow my research experience, even helping me to publish my first paper. I really appreciated the time and energy she spent on me, and also admire her for her work ethic, patience, and wisdom. I hope in the future I could be a support and guide for a younger person the way she was for me.

Grace Tang (BS ’15), San Jose, CA

I can’t narrow it to one and they’re both classmates. First Nicole Vogt: a true genius and inspirational in her incredible work ethic. She’s a woman who never rested on her laurels. And Karen Oegama, whose enthusiasm and joy of teaching helped me survive the first two years of undergrad. It’s wonderful that they both became professors and can teach the next generation!

Paul Searcy (BS ’89), Niwot, CO

Shirley Marneus was an amazing inspiration and mentor. She specifically created opportunities for me to excel and increase my experiences in doing technical theater with TACIT at Caltech. At the time, I didn't even realize the extra efforts she took to create opportunities, in hindsight I realize just how much she did for me—and I was only one of the many, many students and community members who she took care of and nurtured on our ways.

Michael Ricci (BS ’91), Camarillo, CA

During my time at Tech, from 1977 to 1982, I didn't have a single female instructor or teaching assistant. Nada. Zip. However, one individual does stand out, a graduate student named Ann Karagozian. She was my partner in a lab class we were both enrolled in; later, after she joined the faculty at UCLA, she hired me as a postdoc. Thank you, Ann!

Pam Logan (BS ’81, MS ’82), Lakewood, CO

Noelle Stiles was my SURF mentor in 2015 and continues to be a role model. From her, I learned the technical skills necessary to conduct quality research. More importantly, Noelle's passion for science is contagious. Now as a PhD student advising undergraduate projects, I strive to be the patient, enthusiastic mentor Noelle was to me.

Monica Li (BS ’16), Berkeley, CA

Sandra Troian was very inspirational during my graduate studies at Caltech. I was the only female student in my year in APh and it was great that Prof. Troian was the option representative that year. I recall that first thing she told us when she met our class: that our problems in graduate school should be about the science, “e.g. how to solve a difficult integral”. For everything else, she suggested we go to her. I did, and so did many of us. Not only was Prof. Troian happy to help by providing practical solutions to issues that often come up in grad school; She gave me perspective, she offered advice, and she did it with a sense of humor. Intelligence is easy to find at Caltech, but such generosity and positive attitude are rare. She inspires me to be a good mentor myself.

Georgia Theano Papadakis (PhD ’18), Palo Alto, CA

I arrived at Caltech in September of 1966 as a chemistry graduate student. There were no women undergraduates at the time and only a handful of women graduate students. A few years later I was introduced to Dorothy Semenow, the very first woman graduate student at Caltech. Professor John Roberts had fought to have her admitted. After getting her PhD in chemistry, and encountering the major barriers to academic women that existed at the time, Dorothy got a second PhD in Psychology and became a successful psychotherapist. I graduated during a recession when there were few academic chemistry positions available, and Dorothy inspired me to switch gears and go to medical school. I became an obstetrician-gynecologist practicing in LA at Cedars Sinai. Dorothy Semenow has been a lifelong friend, and though retired, is still active and creative. Her latest project is a board game teaching about Crisper Caz.

Paula Bernstein (PhD ’71), Los Angeles, CA

Dr. Beth Kautzman was a postdoc in my graduate lab when I started at Caltech as a PhD student in 2008. She was a continual source of technical expertise and compassionate support to our entire laboratory those first two years. I failed my first exam as a first year. I was convinced I didn't belong at Caltech and was overwhelmed with what to do next. She saw me after, was so concerned about how distraught I was, and helped me gain perspective on failure and perseverance for graduate school. After sharing some of her own failure experiences, she helped me get back on my feet, and 12 years later I not only earned my PhD in chemical engineering, but I have had a successful career as a process development and equipment engineer in industry. I often think about that time she saw me on the walkway after my failed mid-term and how she tremendously helped me at such a critical time. She taught me how to keep going after being knocked down—a skill you MUST develop to make it through any PhD program. Thank you Beth!

Jill Craven (MS ’10, PhD ’13), Hillsborough, OR

I am one of the four first woman graduates of Caltech. There was no female mentor or role model available. As the only engineering major among the four first woman graduates, I was the only female in essentially all of my classes. In addition, I was probably the first female student of many of my professors. However, I was not bothered, as I was immersed in the tremendous opportunities available for learning and research. I thank God for my Caltech experience, which propelled me to pursue breakthrough research for the next 47 years. I am still as excited about research as when I first tasted research in Caltech under the late Professor Pol Duwez.

Deborah Chung (BS ’73, MS ’73), E. Amherst, NY

I graduated 55 years ago; obviously, I'm male. I was a member of the Glee Club the whole time. Probably in '63 Olaf Frodsham, GC conductor, was away and Priscilla Remetta took care of us. Her dignity and confidence, along with perfect skills, gave me a standard toward which I might guide students and daughters.

Robert Sweet (BS ’65), Long Island, NY

More Stories, Fall 2020Jon NalickOctober 23, 2020Endnotes