| This Time, It Was All
About Women
 |
Three department chairs—Carol
Greider, Julie Freischlag and Janice Clements.
|
The celebration may have been dubbed “100 Women Professors,”
but between its conception in 2001, when that milestone seemed within
reach, and its birth in 2005, nearly three dozen more women at the School
of Medicine were promoted to full professor—bringing the grand
total to 115.
That’s something to celebrate, because as recently as 1979 only
seven women had been promoted to professor. That paucity is an indication
of the long struggle for acceptance and recognition faced by generations
of talented women scientists and clinicians.
On Nov. 1, the School celebrated their achievements with a daylong
symposium and gala dinner.
Janice Clements, Kathleen Sanders and
the woman who started it all—Mary Elizabeth Garrett.
|
|
Janice Clements, vice dean for faculty, welcomed more than 900 registrants
to the day’s events. “One woman,” she said, “can
change history,” and Baltimore philanthropist Mary Elizabeth Garrett,
who provided the funding to establish the School on the condition that
female students be admitted on the same terms as men, was such a woman.
Garrett’s legacy was very much in evidence at the meeting as
a parade of distinguished women took the podium. Special guests included
broadcaster Cokie Roberts, JAMA editor Catherine DeAngelis,
and 2004 Nobel laureate Linda Buck.
A few speakers reminded the audience that Hopkins, like other academic
institutions, still has work to do in equalizing pay and making working
conditions more female friendly. “It’s not a joy every day,”
admitted Julie Freischlag, director of the Department of Surgery. “Sometimes,
it’s a struggle.” That seemed to sum up the experience of
those who fought for the opportunities enjoyed by the young women in
the audience.
|
Anne Murphy and Catherine DeAngelis
|
Cathy DeAngelis was such a fighter. Promoted to professor of pediatrics
in 1985, she was only the 12th woman to achieve the rank in the School’s
92 years of existence. She went on to break open the bottleneck.
DeAngelis offered three pieces of advice: Choose your battles. Don’t
climb over people. Use your innate skills and beliefs to solve problems.
“I decided long ago that the only things that can make a difference
to me are my family and my knowledge. No one can take them away from
me but God.”
—Deborah Rudacille
 |
 |
 |
| Cynthia Wolberger and Leslie Plotnik;
Genie Heitmiller and Julia Haller; Diane Griffin and Barbara De
Lateur talk about leadership. (All photos by Larry Canner) |
|
|
|
|
