Girls in Science program shines on

"The Real Haunted House! What is Making People Sick?" staged at EOU Oct. 27 - deadline for regisration is Monday, Oct. 15

Laura Hancock | University Advancement | (541) 962-3585 | lhancock@eou.edu

5 October 2007

LA GRANDE, Ore. (EOU) - Introducing young women to the world of science is the common thread that brings experts in anthropology, computer technology, biology and chemistry together each year for the award-winning Girls in Science program at Eastern Oregon University.

The program is an example of a collaborative effort that has grown from humble beginnings to be a hugely successful annual event. It is the only science program in the region geared just for girls. Now in its sixth year, Girls in Science is gaining popularity among students from Union County all the way to Malheur, Grant and Harney counties.

"It's like a steam roller - we couldn't stop it even if we wanted to," said Heather Stanhope, one of the event organizers and education adviser in EOU's College of Education.

The American Chemical Society is also taking notice of the program. For the fourth year in a row Girls in Science received a national ChemLuminary Award from the ACS Women Chemists Committee. The award for the 2006-07 year is for Outstanding Outreach to Girls or Young Women.

Anna Cavinato, EOU professor of chemistry and chair of the Women and Minority Affairs Committee of the ACS Richland Section, believes Girls in Science is successful because so many people with different backgrounds bring all the components together to form one cohesive event.

The Northeast Oregon Area Health Education Center, (NEOAHEC), office at EOU handles all the registration information and promotion of the event.

"Everyone has their calling in this," said Sandy Ryman, executive director of NEOAHEC.

More than 60 volunteers are helping this year with everything from theme development to making sure things run smoothly the day of the event. The chemistry and biology departments work hand-in-hand with anthropology, computer science and multimedia studies, the College of Education, and members of Oregon Health and Science University.

"Our aim is to develop a unifying story theme with a mystery for the participants to solve, and the answers are always open-ended," Ryman said.

EOU students in the chemistry and biology clubs test experiments and theater students take on various roles, bringing the story line to life.

Laura Mahrt, associate professor of biology, remembers when the idea was born for a girls-only event. Marie Balaban, professor of psychology at EOU, was the first to bring a small group to campus in the late 1990s for a day of science exploration. The first Girls in Science was held in 2002.

"It's fun to watch the girls become so involved in solving the mystery and defending their findings," Mahrt said. "The students are the driving force behind it all."

Linda Jerofke, assistant professor of anthropology, provides the socio-cultural connection for Girls in Science. Presenting social science as part of the entire experience is a key factor, she said.

"We are creating a cultural environment where the girls can research how people's behaviors and beliefs can effect their health," Jerofke said.

With the rollout of a new curriculum this year, "The Real Haunted House! What is Making People Sick?" Jerofke has the opportunity to stage three different houses. The participants will interview the residents of each house, as portrayed by EOU theater students.

Everything from the type of food and quality of water that is consumed, down to the furnishings in the houses will be investigated as possible causes of illness. Inspiration for "The Real Haunted House" came from the FOX television series, "House."

The registration deadline for Girls in Science is Monday, Oct. 15. The event takes place Saturday, Oct. 27 in the Science Center at EOU. Students in grades six through eight are eligible to attend. Registration is $5 per student and is limited to 100 participants on a first come, first serve basis.

Sponsors are EOU, NEOAHEC, Soroptimist International of La Grande, the ACS Richland Section and Engineering and Technology Industry Council. For more information or to register, call (541) 962-3801 or e-mail neoahec@eou.edu.

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