Iowa State University Alumni Association| online edition | fall 2006

FALL 2006
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Cover Story:
Good Chemistry

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An Exemplary Leader

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Special Olympics USA National Games

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The reigning queen of concrete

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Major wager

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BOYS & GIRLS, MATH & SCIENCE

It’s widely documented that there’s a gap between boys and girls when it comes to making the grade in math and science.

I was a good student in high school and college, but I definitely fell into the gender gap in math and science. I was more into English and journalism and art and psychology and things like that.

Of course, I wish now that I would have paid more attention in math class. My business manager here at the Alumni Association probably wishes this, too. Math and science were things I told myself I would never use as a journalist, and of course, that’s not true. I have to put together budgets and business plans, write stories about science and technology, and balance my own checkbook. Yikes!

But as a sophomore in high school, I wasn’t very focused on these things. I nearly flunked out of 10th grade geometry. I flirted constantly with the boy who sat in front of me – he was a senior and not the best role model for higher mathematics since he was re-taking the class after having failed it the first time. I don’t remember his name, but he was cute and older and he drove a sweet little Karmann Ghia, the only car of its kind in the high school parking lot.

So that’s what I learned in high school geometry.
College math was no better. I took what I called “dummy math” – the lowest level that actually counted for college credit. I had a terrible time with the decimal system, with fractions, and with computer programming (we had to work on the old-fashioned computers that took up an entire room and spit out reams of paper). I hated math class. It made me feel stupid, and I skipped it regularly, causing me to fall further and further behind. I don’t recommend this passive-aggressive approach to difficult subjects, but most days I just couldn’t face that teacher. I passed the class, but barely, and then I never took math again.

Science was another challenge for me. Here is what I remember about all my college science classes combined:

1. If you put wormy little pieces of clay on an overhead projector to illustrate chromosome structure, they will melt into a hilarious, goopy mess.

2. If you talk very sweetly to the cute graduate assistant in astronomy, he will plot all of the stars for you when you are out in the very dark field at night, so you can spend your time defending yourself against the cows that are EVERYWHERE and are bigger than you’d ever expect them to be, having previously
only seen them from the highway.

3. It’s a good idea to take introductory bioscience on pass-fail.

Seriously, that’s all I remember about science from college.

I wish I could say I learned more. Maybe I should go back to fourth grade and start over. Take myself on little field trips.

Now that you know all of this, it won’t surprise you to learn that I approached the topic of our cover story – chemistry – with a combination of personal dread and the thrill of the unknown. Honestly, I know just enough about the Chemistry Department at Iowa State to be dangerous. I know they’re doing very cool things and that it’s an extremely prestigious program. I know Victor Lin is in the news about every other day and that Ed Yeung has won a gazillion awards.

I know that President Geoffroy is an organometallic chemist, whatever the heck that means. I know we have some amazing chemistry alumni, and I know
we have some of the hottest young researchers in the country on our staff.

I learned a lot more as the story unfolded, but I won’t spoil it for you. Just read it! Don’t be afraid.

If I can do it, anyone can.

About the Writer | Carole Gieseke is the editor of VISIONS magazine.