Flood watches are posted for the southern half of Minnesota ahead of a round of storms that could bring 1-4 inches of rain

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

If the gender gap has narrowed and girls outperform boys in math and science courses, why are females still underrepresented in science and math programs and careers?

Karen Panetta, founder of Nerd Girls and director of the Simulation Research Lab at Tufts University, will join The Daily Circuit Tuesday to talk about women in science, technology, engineering and math careers.

During her 2011 Anita Borg Institute Women of Vision Award for Social Impact acceptance speech, Panetta told a story about taking a career assessment test in high school.

"My best friend, who happened to be a male, scored slightly lower than I did in math and science but we fully expected our career assessment reports would be identical," she said. "His highest scoring profession came out to be a university or college professor. My first career ranking came out to be a schoolteacher... Second on my friend's list was an engineer. Second on my list was to sell cosmetics. His last career choice was to be a politician. Mine said I could be a cook."

Panetta's Nerd Girls organization encourages girls to enter science and technology fields typically dominated by males.

Lana Flakes, director of membership for the Society of Women Engineers, will also join the discussion.

VIDEO: Karen Panetta award acceptance speech

Gallery

Science

Education News

If the gender gap has narrowed and girls outperform boys in math and science courses, why are females still underrepresented in science and math programs and careers?


Why aren't there more women in science and math careers?

Go Deeper.

Like this?