As the newest member of the Indiana Girls Collaborative Project Champions Board, Dottie L. King, Ph.D., president of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC), is joining the effort to break down gender divides in the fields of science, engineering, technology and mathematics (STEM).
The Indiana Girls Collaborative Project focuses on bringing together organizations and programs that encourage girls to pursue careers in STEM fields. The Project will develop creative solutions and strategies to facilitate connections that will expand STEM-related opportunities for girls. It is based on the model of the National Girls Collaborative Project, whereby the state organizations comprise the national organization.
Serving a two-year board term, King looks forward to mobilizing community stakeholders to strengthen and expand opportunities that inspire and motivate girls.
“As a women’s college, we [Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College] have historically developed opportunities to engage girls and young women in STEM careers. I am honored to help bring together educators, students and leaders in the public and private sector to inspire girls to explore these career paths. This project serves as a vehicle for STEM advocates to participate in meaningful collaboration with tangible outcomes.”
– Dottie King, SMWC President
The Champions Board is an independent statewide entity that works together with the local leadership team, the Convening Organization for Indiana and the National Collaborative Project Team. Its members include university faculty, staff and administrators, community leaders, business representatives, K-12 partners, nonprofits and government. It supports local and statewide programs including forums, conferences and programs.
Indiana State University serves as the Convening Organization for Indiana, to support a wealth of partnerships among girl-serving programs throughout the state, and to provide opportunities to leverage and share resources.
Bev Bitzegaio, Director of Outreach and Student Career Support and Project Lead, explained that since females are so greatly under-represented in STEM, there are many programs focused on attracting girls as a way to diversify and increase numbers in these fields.
“Having a collaborative model helps us to combine resources, thereby increasing our effectiveness in accomplishing common goals,” said Bitzegaio. “I am excited to have SMWC join us in serving the Indiana Collaborative. President King provides a level of personal expertise with her background in mathematics education, and will be a great addition to the Champions Board.”
Besides her role as president of SMWC, King’s knowledge and leadership as an associate professor of mathematics and chair of the sciences and mathematics department make her a strong contributor to the board. Passionate about the importance of STEM education, she has delivered numerous presentations and published research on factors that encourage women to persist in their study of mathematics. She published “Pedagogical needs of female mathematics students: Listening to their voice” for the “Journal for the Liberal Arts and Sciences.”
- Check out our coverage in the Terre Haute Tribune Star!