Women in STEM

This document profiles Dr. Blicher, an endodontist and practice owner known for being detail-oriented, driven, and persistent while balancing dentistry, teaching, and family life. She completed college at Colby, dental school at Harvard, a residency at Tufts, and went on to help patients and write endodontics textbooks used by residents. Dr. Blicher emphasizes the importance of strong academics, mentorship, manual dexterity, and perseverance—especially for women navigating a male-dominated field.
 

This document profiles an economics professor whose workday centers on research, teaching, writing papers, and collaborating with others, with major research contributions on homelessness and health policy outcomes. Her work—including research connected to Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act—helped advance understanding of access to care and reduced mortality, bringing greater awareness to social and economic inequality. She emphasizes following genuine interests, building strong math and research skills, cultivating mentors, and navigating gender-based double standards
 

This document profiles Dr. Billmeier, a surgeon specializing in minimally invasive surgery who balances a demanding medical career with teaching, mentorship, and family life. Inspired by surviving bone cancer as a child, she pursued surgery through rigorous training, including undergraduate study, residency, fellowship, and leading a highly selective MIS fellowship. She advises students—especially women in medicine—to find their passion, seek broad exposure, protect their time, and persist through the long, marathon-like path of surgical training.
 

This document highlights Beth White, founder of Habitat for Aviation, who entered aviation as an adult after learning to fly and noticing how few women were in the field. Motivated by gender gaps in aviation and her experience surviving breast cancer, she created a hands-on, community-focused nonprofit that empowers youth—especially girls—to fly, build, and repair airplanes. She emphasizes learning by doing, choosing a strong attitude in the face of challenges, and solving problems that matter to you right now.

This document profiles Dr. Jesse Mast, a senior scientist and biology educator who shifted from aspiring doctor to cancer biology researcher and teacher. She earned a PhD in Cancer Biology, published several research papers, and later transitioned from academic research into science education. She stresses the importance of affordable education, flexibility in career paths, and assertiveness, especially for women in STEM.