In sixth grade, Amanda Whitehead wanted to become a botanist.
Her goals changed several times since then, but one common thread held them all: She wanted to study science.
Now in her second year at the University of Utah, she works in a research lab, exploring the complexities of theoretical chemistry.
In a field in which women are scarce, she hopes to pursue research and teaching.
With an appetite for science, she won an ACCESS scholarship, a program that celebrated its 10th anniversary this weekend.
Designed to encourage women to study science and science related fields, the program received initial funding from the National Science Foundation as part of its efforts to increase women&s representation in science.
John Roth, a U professor of biology, has seen the proportion of women in his field grow to around 50 percent during his career.
&Biology used to be similar to chemistry, physics and math. It&s changed over the last 20, 30 years,& he said.
However, in those other fields, the proportion of women compared with men is &dismally small,& said Sid Rudolph, the ACCESS program director.
Over the past decade, women&s enrollment in the College of Science has hovered in the 30 percent range. In the College of Mines and Earth Sciences, that number fell between 20 and 30 percent. The College of Engineering brings up the rear with enrollment reaching nearly 13 percent, according to statistics from the Office of Institutional Analysis.
The ACCESS program offers stipends, special classes and research opportunities annually for approximately 20 female students interested in science.
A decade ago, the program&s founders noticed a high drop-out rate among female students in math and science programs within their first years. Even female students who appeared to be doing well felt they were &barely making it,& said Chris Johnson, a former ACCESS program director.
&By getting smart people together8212;having them work together8212;you create a special bond, whether it&s social [or] academic,& Johnson said.
Without the scholarship she received in 1999 and the tight-knit social support that came with it, Kandice Nielson is not sure she could pursue a major in biology.
&I don&t know if I would still be in science without the support of the [ACCESS] girls,& she said.
On Saturday, she and a few other students displayed posters and discussed their work in the Skaggs Biology Building.
Without the program, she is certain she would not be doing research in a lab.
Christina Yong also received her scholarship in 1999. But for her, it was only a boost toward a career in science that she would have pursued regardless.
She enjoys having others to share her interest with.
&They get really excited about my research,& she said.
Keith Wilder, director of outreach/diversity for the College of Engineering, remembers attending a meeting of the Society of Women Engineers where a speaker suggested that women can make unique contributions to science-related fields.
&They have communications skills, the ability to present ideas in different ways,& Wilder said.
Perceptions about what a scientist should look and act like can affect women in science at all levels.
&We exclude people from areas that stereotypically we think are for a certain group,& he said.
An article in the May 11 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education addressed concerns that women and minorities were under-represented in the National Academy of Science.
Membership in the NAS8212;the highest honor a scientist can receive short of a Nobel Prize8212;is a lifetime achievement for American scientists .
But because membership is awarded to those at the peak of their careers, it may be some time until NAS membership reflects the increasing numbers of women in science, according to the article.
Female scientists and engineers are younger, on average, than their male counterparts, according to an NSF report for 2000. The age difference is partially responsible for the salary gap between male and female scientists and engineers, said the report.
NAS officials assert that female membership will increase as younger women advance.
Robyn Barrios, a 1999 scholarship recipient, said in some of her classes she is one of few women and often the youngest.
&Other than my noticing it, it&s not a problem,& she said. &I&ve had a lot of encouragement from the &white male establishment.&&
The ACCESS application process selects women with a clear interest in science, Rudolph said. Many maintain this interest.
During a review prompted by its anniversary, program administrators researched past participants. Nearly 76 percent had graduated with degrees in science or a science-related field.