Women in Science

Much like science, history is cumulative. History is passed down in stories in order to be remembered, honored, and learned from. In the tradition of the historical female pioneers of science such as Marie Curie, Barbara McClintock, Dorothy Hodgkin, Rosalind Franklin, Jane Goodall and many more, we celebrate our Women in Science with profiles describing their paths to scientific studies and the heart of their passion for the disciplines they practice. Each has a different story, and some provide advice for up and coming women contemplating a career in science.

Here are their stories.

Yu-Pei Tseng, an application scientist with HORIBA, embarked on her scientific journey driven by an insatiable curiosity about the unseen world and a passion for understanding the intricacies of nature.

Lyufei’s journey to becoming a scientist and her passion for STEM fields started early in her life, and you could say, she had a burning desire to pursue science.

“I think I've always been more a scientist than an artist. My dad’s an engineer, and he’s one of those people who will have a go at anything. He designed and built the house that he lives in because he couldn't find a house he liked.”

Giorgia Marucci was torn between to disparate fields ― art and science. But a university experience melded the two, and ignited her passions for STEM.

“The world of science is constantly evolving. It's always changing and we're always learning,” she said. “It doesn't stay the same. There's always something more to know, and something that can help us in terms of healthcare, particularly.”

As a little girl, Linda Kidder would visit her grandmother’s farm in rural Pennsylvania. One with barns, machinery, and an assortment of animals.

By day, Mandy Campbell is a scientist. She’s a biomedical scientist in fact, who helps diagnose and find cures for diseases. But by night, she’s a biker chick.

“This experience made me interested in regeneration. It continuously occurs in our body,” Sakiko said. “This is my motivation for my job.”

As a young child growing up in Kyoto, Japan, Atsuko Yano would watch a television series called the NHK Special.

Ruth Geiger, Ph.D, runs scientific businesses in Germany and France. She was born and raised in Nürnberg, Germany. Her father’s side was filled with members working in the natural sciences.

Amy Mirchandani, a HORIBA sales engineer, completed a circle when she went to work in the sciences.

Amy Hou was born in Harbin, a beautiful city in Northeast China. It is known as “Ice City,” and it holds a famous annual winter festival with snow and ice sculptures.

Growing up, Kulwinder Sagoo thought her best career choice was in accounting.

When she was younger, Johnstone liked taking things apart to see how they worked. She was always helping her dad fix things.

Logic and rainbows. That’s what got Nikki Kuhar, also known as Nikki K., started down the path of science.

HORIBA applications scientist Sofia Gaiaschi grew up in a small village in the east suburbs of Milan, Italy. The kind of village where everyone knows everyone else.

Michelle Sestak always liked to tinker with things. Even if it was just assembling a piece of furniture, she had a constant curiosity about the way things worked.

Not many people can say their work is used in outer space. But Audrey Liard Cloup can.

When she was 15 years old, Cécile Lerondeau wanted to be a musician.

Now, Valérie Paret, Ph.D., will soon add a new title to her name – black belt.

Li Yan grew up in a petrochemical town in Hunan Providence in southern China.

It is an old Chinese saying. If there is a paradise in the heavens, you will find it on earth in Hangzhou.

She is HORIBA Scientific’s Applications Specialist for the company’s Optical Spectroscopy Division.

Linxi Chen grew up in the river-rich city of Wuhan in Central China. It features the country’s longest waterway, the Yangtze, which translates to “long river.”

Kurt Lehovec had a background in physics and material science. European-born, he passed his passion for the sciences onto his daughter Susan.

It wasn’t until her visits to the Franklin Institute Science Museum in Philadelphia that she truly discovered her interest in science.

Beth Finamore had an inkling the sciences were in her future at an early age.

The seeds of science for Nassim Rahimi were planted in her home in the arid, sunny climate of Tehran, Iran.

During the summers, Karen Steege Gall’s mother, a first grade teacher, led a family science course. Fourth-graders and their families would attend. Karen sat in at times too.

A small girl from the Middle East learns her love of science, passion for biomedical engineering and a way to help others see interactions on an elemental scale.

Growing up in Philadelphia, Fran Adar liked to read and play the piano. But it wasn’t until high school chemistry, when she first saw the Periodic Table of Elements, that Adar found her true passion.

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