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Women in Science and Health Lecture Series

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Women in Science and Health Lecture Series is an annual event sponsored by the College of Science and Health that honors the contributions of women to the natural and health sciences and to closely related fields.  Women have long been underrepresented in these fields and continue to face hurdles and challenges in their careers as scientists.  The purpose of the lecture series to honor women's contributions  and to foster community and scholarship in the DePaul community. Each lecture is presented by a prominent scientist at the forefront of her field, and the speaker usually participates in additional programming with DePaul students and faculty.
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The predecessor of the current Women in Science and Health Lecture Series was the Jeanne LaDuke Women in Mathematics, Science and Technology Annual Lecture Series which ran from 2005 through 2016.  The purpose the LaDuke Lecture Series was very similar to the purpose the current series. It honored the contributions of Dr. Jeanne LaDuke (Associate Professor Emeritus, Department of Mathematical Sciences), who taught for over 30 years at DePaul and who conducted groundbreaking research on the contributions ​of early twentieth century women mathematicians in the United States.  The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences established the Jeanne LaDuke Women in Mathematics, Science, and Technology Annual Lecture Series in 2005.​​​

​​​​Past Lecture Speakers and Titles

2016 Lecture
"Our Universe: Continuing to Reveal Surprises"
Dr. Wendy L. Freedman, Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago
delivered on October 18th, 2016

2014 Lecture
"The Value of Communicating Scientific Res earch with the Public "
Emily Graslie, Chief Curio sity Correspondent, The Field Museum
delivered on September 29th, 2014. 

2013 Lecture
"Solving Complex Problems in Health Through Diversity, Games, and STEM-Learning"
Dr. Melissa Gilliam, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Professor of Pediatrics and Associate Dean for Diversity & Inclusion in the Biological Division at the University of Chicago
delivered on October 17, 2013

2012 Lecture
"Artful Science: Recent Discoveries from the Scientific Examination of Works of Art"
Dr. Francesca Casadio, AW Mellon Senior Conservation Scientist, The Art Institute of Chicago
delivered on October 15, 2012

2011 Lecture
"What's a Little Girl Like You Doing with that Great Big Slide Rule?: Constructing a Lab of My Own"
Dr. Neena B Schwartz, William Deering Professor of Biological Sciences, Northwestern University
delivered on October 26, 2011

2010 Lecture
"The Hunt for the Missing Components of the Universe -- Dark Matter, Dark Energy....and Women in Physics"
Dr. Evalyn Gates, Executive Director and CEO, Cleveland Museum of Natural History
delivered on October 14, 2010

2009 Lecture
"Stuck in the Prehistoric Kitchen: How modern constructs of sex and gender impact our understanding of the past"
Dr. Anne Grauer, Professor, Department of Anthropology, Loyola University of Chicago
delivered on October 15, 2009 at DePaul University

2008 Lecture
"Women in Math and Science: Self-Confidence, Self-Doubt, and Self-Fulfilling Prophecies"
Dr. Sian L. Beilock, Department of Psychology, University of Chicago
delivered on October 23, 2008 at DePaul University

2007 Lecture
"Saving Plants and the Planet: Women in Botany and Conservation Science"
Dr. Kayri Havens, Chicago Botanic Garden
delivered on October 9, 2007 at DePaul University

2006 Lecture
"A Life in Mathematics and Computer Science: Almost Everything You Wanted to Know"
Dr. Lenore Blum, Carnegie Mellon University
delivered on October 19, 2006 at DePaul University

2005 Lecture
"Women Who Count: Pioneers in American Mathematics"
Dr. Jeanne LaDuke, DePaul University
delivered on May 11, 2005 at DePaul University​​​