Dean Jean King to Join National Academies Panel on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine

Jean King, the Peterson Family Dean of Arts and Sciences at WPI, will participate in the Women in Leadership Roundtable Thursday, Jan. 16, at the National Academies in Washington, D.C. 

King, a neuroscientist who studies the adverse effects of stress on the brain, body, and behavior–particularly for women and people of color in STEM–will talk about issues she explored in a recent article in “Nature” about the cost of stress for women in science. She has argued that building networks and “finding your people” is essential for these communities; she is co-chair of World Women in Neuroscience, an independent consulting, mentoring, and networking organization that promotes and amplifies the expertise of female neuroscientists. 

Thursday’s roundtable is part of the National Academies’ Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine. King has participated in several recent National Academies panels, including an October session on burnout and gender equity in STEM, and “Keeping the Fire Burning,” a November forum on policies, practices, and systems to retain and advance Black people in science, engineering, and medicine.