2025 International Day of Women and Girls in Science
February 11 is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Faculty of Science is proud to have many brilliant women contributing to our community as curious students, visionary researchers, empowering leaders, innovative instructors, and insightful support staff.
This year, we talked with Dr. Katie Mitchell-Koch, associate professor at the Department of Chemistry and Kara Loudon, undergraduate chemistry student about their experience as a woman in science, their proudest achievements, and the challenges they have faced and how they have overcome those.
Dr. Katie Mitchell-Koch, associate professor, Department of Chemistry
When asked about the challenges women face in science, Mitchell-Koch tells us that her experience has been that men are believed to be capable, on the face of it and women must prove that they are capable.
“You just have to work a little harder. But I learned so much, because I did, because I had to go over and over again and try harder. My science got better”, says Mitchell-Koch.
Loudon points out the representation from a student point of view and that the majority of the professors remain male, and women are underrepresented in these and similar leadership roles.
Kara Loudon, undergraduate chemistry student
“I think maybe part of that is women entering jobs that were traditionally considered to be male-dominated with no adjustments for their unique needs”, explains Loudon.
Join us as we continue the conversation and watch the full video on the Faculty of Science’s YouTube channel. You can view the Women in Science news archive to learn more about the inspiring women in science.