Women in Science Host Girl Scouts Science Fun Day

By Anna Goroncy
University News Services

Even the cold and rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of the first Girl Scout Science Fun Day at Virginia Commonwealth University’s MCV campus.

Approximately 60 Girl Scouts from 12 troops around the Richmond area toured the campus in April with stops at the departments of Microbiology and Immunology, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Clinical Laboratory Sciences and at a crime lab setup by the Department of Forensic Sciences.

In the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, event organizer and graduate student Jamie Sturgill told a group of 10 girls about her career as a researcher, including how she chose her career, what she does in the lab and her education. Sturgill explained that she wanted to help people and cancer research allows her to do that.

She then told the girls about cancer research and allowed them to examine cancer cells and normal cells under microscopes.

Throughout the day, the girls were encouraged to ask questions and did so without hesitation.

“What do you have to do to be a neurosurgeon?” one girl asked.

“I want to be a forensic scientist,” another offered.

Sturgill explained that the purpose of the event was to foster an interest in science and to inform the 7th- to 12th-graders of the many careers available in science. 

“The day went really well. I was so excited about the enthusiasm of the girls. The volunteers and the girls enjoyed the hands-on interactions at all of the stations,” she said.

At each station, the girls had the opportunity to interact with the material and the scientists. In the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, a group of 15 girls watched an immunohistochemistry test on a mouse brain. The test is used to localize proteins in tissues. At another station, girls used pipettes to set up a western blot to identify proteins.

“This is the level of work I do so you’re doing what Ph.D.s do,” Lisa Middleton, Ph.D., told the girls.

Tori Thomas, a freshman at Atlee High School in Mechanicsville, said she enjoyed looking at different blood cells through microscopes.

“This has broadened my view at looking at different types of careers and how they involve the same thing but are so different,” she said.

Throughout the day, girls were able to meet female students and professors at every level — from undergraduates to doctorates.

Each of the four tour groups contained girls from each troop, so they also had the opportunity to meet new friends with similar interests.

Tour guide Kia Jackson, a third-year doctorate student in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, said she heard about the event through a Women in Science meeting and greatly enjoyed the day with the Girl Scouts.

“Everyone seems so interested and asked really good questions. It’s so amazing to see people this young interested in science,” she said.

Sturgill said that based on the response from the girls, their leaders and VCU students and faculty the event will be held again next year.