JULIE B. EALY
Present Position
Associate Professor of Chemistry, Penn State Lehigh Valley
Chapter Affiliation
Columbia University Chapter
Background Information
CV
Biography
Statement
Maybe it is because of the world pandemic of Covid-19 and the lack of understanding and/or acknowledgement of the necessity to listen to those scientifically knowledgeable that I have been motivated to want to make a difference through a stronger voice. Or perhaps it is the global crisis of environmental change or my personal adverse experiences as a woman
in science or those of my research students of color that have encouraged me to seek a nomination in Sigma Xi. All of the above and most likely other reasons are why I have submitted my nomination to become a member of the Committee on Nominations for the Northeast region. I want to help choose leadership who can provide scientific advice to our world community that is understandable, who supports decisions and policy for the protection of our environment, and who believes that diversity in science is important.
Though not new to Sigma Xi I have decided that after many years of membership it is my responsibility to become actively involved in Sigma Xi. After 27 years of teaching middle school through high school science I decided to pursue a Ph.D. at Columbia University under Dr. Leonard Fine and O. Roger Anderson. I was inducted into Sigma Xi in 1998 when I graduated. At that point I began teaching at the university level. I have been dedicated to science and education for 50 years and have taught a diverse population of students at a commuting campus of Penn State University for the last 19 years. I want to advance education through support of candidates where education, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are a priority and where the E of STEM also represents Education. It is important that elected members of Sigma Xi have the experience and background to assist in the education of the public who will trust that scientific knowledge can provide them with the ability to make sound scientific decisions.
My research crosses over between chemistry education and pure science research having mentored 27 undergraduates with 10 of them as co-authors on publications and all of them as presenters at conferences. A little over half of the students have been females, with at least eight nationalities represented. Since my research crosses over between education and science I believe a blend of the two areas is very important and that they are not mutually exclusive. There are those of us who want to understand how students learn and process information but who also want to apply their scientific knowledge to understand topics such as drug development or how a drug might interact with the active site of a protein, and most importantly they have a life-long interest in learning. Sigma Xi has an important role to play in support of a blend of the two areas.
Respect for diversity always plays a critical role in education whether it is with women in science, international students who need to be mentored in the nuances of the English language vs. assuming they understand us, and also students of color. Do we simply let a student with difficulties struggle on their own or do we take the time to mentor them? Because of prejudice/disrespect/misjudgment I had an unpleasant experience after I took a graduate chemistry course. Yes, I was an older student in the class (about 2 times the age of the other students and who had her own style of learning) but that did not make me incapable of learning. A year later after I had taken the course, I heard the professor speak at an ACS meeting where I understood everything he said. It was a scientific topic related to the course I took with him. He came out of the room, I complimented him, and he said, “you probably did not understand a thing I said”. I responded, “I understood everything you said”. His comment was inexcusable and it is this kind of comment made to people who learn differently than their instructors because the instructor prejudges them that can have such a negative impact on women, students of color, and anyone else who has experienced prejudice of some kind. I did not quit or give up, but how many of our students do give up? They are more than worthy of our time and guidance in an environment that can feel hostile but should be one of care and concern for the individual. For those of us who believe in the mission of Sigma Xi, we have a responsibility to cultivate a robust, diverse, and inclusive community. I have talked openly to two of my past undergraduate research students of color and it saddens me that they have experienced too many instances of prejudice in their classes, in their present research with other instructors, and in public situations. Can we do something? Can we make a difference? I vote for, yes, we can make a difference.
I would love to contribute to Sigma Xi as an active member in the nomination of our elected leaders and in the words of the priorities of Sigma Xi will advance STEM education, promote scientific leadership and influence, cultivate a diverse, robust, and inclusive community, and will demonstrate administrative excellence and fiscal responsiveness.