Event Schedule
34th Annual Susan M. Arseven '75 Conference for Women in Science and Engineering
Check-In/Breakfast (MSC 2400)
3:00 PM
Welcome and WISE Introduction
3:30 PM
Session I
3:45 PM
The Central Science: Better Living Through Chemistry
Dr. Emily Pentzer, Senior Associate Dean for Research
Professor, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University
MSC 2406 A
Chemistry is the central science and we use it every day, whether we think about it or not. This presentation will give an overview of what got me interested in science, and chemistry specifically, and how spending a summer doing research that involved trapping squirrels made me realize I really liked that chemistry labs had air conditioning. The presentation will end with my journey as a chemistry researcher, using synthesis and processing to make better materials.
Catching Crows, Battling Blood-Suckers, and Pivoting to Pandemics: A Journey in One Health Research
Dr. Sarah Hamer, Professor
Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University
MSC 2406 B
Some of society's most pressing public health issues relate to emerging diseases that have their origins in nature. The one health approach recognizes that the health of humans, animals and the environment are all linked. I have devoted my career to understanding the ecology of emerging threats across changing environments- from blood-sucking vectors to pathogens to contaminants. I work with wildlife and domestic animals not only to improve their health, but also the health of humans with whom they share the environment. I will share highlights from my research program focused on uplifting graduate, veterinary, and undergraduate trainees with impactful field- and lab-based research programs. Our team plucks ticks out of the ears of migratory birds; blood-samples bats from the world's largest bat roost; lassoes lizards; uses molecular approaches to identify the host species upon kissing bugs have previously blood-fed; analyzes avian feather spectral signatures and microbiomes in the aviary; and uses advanced cardiology tools to study the health of working dogs. Our studies are diverse but united in the One Health approach, as we prepare to address society's next emerging health challenges from an ecological perspective.
Break
4:35 PM
Session II
4:50 PM
What Do You Want to Do with Your Life? Taking the Scenic Route Through a Nonlinear Career in the Sciences.
Dr. Keri Norman, Associate Professor
Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University
MSC 2406 A
I am always impressed with people who figured out early on what they wanted to do with their life and followed a perfectly executed plan for their career. My career path has been anything but straight and I definitely took the scenic route. If you had told my 16-year-old self that I would one day live in Texas, work in academia, and build a career centered around epidemiology and public health, I would have laughed. Although my career path has not been linear and I have been asked “what do you want to do with your life” by my supervisors, parents, and even myself, I would not change anything about my career path. I have worked in non-profit, government, and academia and each job was a learning opportunity that helped build and define the career I have today. I want everyone to know that it is ok to not know what you want to do with your life, and it is also ok for you to change your mind and even change your career. A nonlinear path can build resilience, perspective, and lead to a meaningful impactful career.
InnovateHer: How an Unconventional Journey Led Me to a Calling in Disease Ecology
Dr. Tammi Johnson, Associate Professor
Dept. of Rangeland, Wildlife, & Fisheries Management, Texas A&M University
MSC 2406 B
n this talk, I share the winding, and often unexpected, path that brought me to disease ecology. Early on, I felt a bit like a bug tangled in a web, uncertain, overwhelmed, and not sure which way to go next. But each surprising turn, from studying prairie dogs and plague in Kansas, to unraveling the ecology of tick borne relapsing fever in the mountains of Montana, added a new thread. Over time, those threads began to form a web. Today, I’m a disease ecologist studying ticks, pathogens, and the ecological drivers of disease in wildlife and livestock using natural, large animal models. My work focuses on identifying opportunities for prevention, integrated management, and healthier ecosystems. What I’ve learned along the way is that the most meaningful part of my journey hasn’t been a single project or achievement, it’s the network I’ve built: the mentors, collaborators, colleagues, and students who helped me shift from feeling like that bug in a trap to becoming the spider confidently building a web of connection and purpose. This is my story of embracing uncertainty, following unconventional routes, and finding a calling in the unexpected.
Break
5:40 PM
Keynote Speaker (MSC 2400) and Lunch
5:45 PM
Chemical Engineering, Administration, Family, and Self: The Full Catastrophe
Dr. Jodie Lutkenhaus, Associate Dean for Research, College of Engineering
Associate Agency Director, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station
Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University MSC2400
Join me on a journey from a science-curious teenager growing up in Texas to a full professor, journal editor, administrator, mom, partner, and “adulting” woman. I will discuss the long road to my lab’s most exciting discoveries in charged polymers and organic batteries, interweaving other experiences along the way.
Make-a-Difference Award
6:45 PM
Session III
7:00 PM
From Taiwan to Texas: My 10 Year Journey as a Woman, a Taiwanese, a Cancer Patient
Dr. Candice Chu, Assistant Professor
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University
MSC 2406 A
In this talk, Dr. Candice Chu reflects on her ten-year journey from Taiwan to the United States, navigating life as a woman in STEM, an international scholar, and a cancer patient while building an academic career in veterinary medicine. She will share the realities of pursuing graduate training abroad without established research credentials, facing repeated funding and scholarship rejections, applying competitively for U.S. residency programs, and developing her research direction to artificial intelligence. Interwoven with these professional challenges are deeply personal experiences, including confronting ovarian cancer during critical stages of her development.Through these experiences, Dr. Chu will examine the intersection of gender, nationality, health adversity, and professional ambition. This talk offers candid reflections on resilience, identity, and redefining success. It aims to encourage students and early-career scientists, particularly women and international scholars, to recognize that setbacks and vulnerabilities do not limit professional achievement but can instead shape a more purposeful and impactful career.
No Such Thing as Luck: Preparation, Opportunity, and a Global Science Journey
Dr. Nithya Rajan, Professor
Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University
MSC 2406 B
In this talk, I want to share my career journey and one idea I strongly believe in: success is rarely about luck. It is about hard work, preparation, and being ready when opportunities come. It is also about staying enthusiastic and focused on your goals. I have been very fortunate to have mentors who guided me, colleagues who inspired me, and collaborators who became close friends. Their support has made a real difference in my journey.
Break
7:50 PM
Speaker Panel
8:00 PM
Closing Remarks
8:30 PM
