[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 3426]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   CELEBRATING WOMEN IN SCIENCE WEEK

  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, it is with great honor that I rise today 
to publicly recognize South Dakota's Women in Science Conference that 
is taking place March 7-11, 2005.
  Hosted by the National Weather Service, this conference introduces 
junior and senior high school females to the multitude of opportunities 
available to women in science- and math-related occupations. Studies 
indicate that, while females thrive in science and mathematics in grade 
school, far too frequently female students lose interest in these 
subjects by the time they reach graduation. As Kristine Thompson, a 
geologist and curator of the Mammoth Site's In-Situ Bonebed notes, ``In 
the past, many girls and young women with an interest in science and 
math often were redirected to other fields. Although women account for 
half of the work force, they constitute less than 20 percent of 
scientists.''
  Consequently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's, 
NOAA, National Weather Service forecast offices in Aberdeen, Rapid 
City, and Sioux Falls, in conjunction with local and State agencies, 
schools, and businesses, are cohosting Women in Science conferences 
throughout South Dakota. These symposiums, created 5 years ago by the 
Aberdeen National Weather Service, are designed to foster personal 
connections between accomplished professional women scientists and 
female students. The Women in Science Conference creates a unique forum 
where successful female scholars and professionals meet and hopefully 
inspire young women to continue developing and cultivating their 
interests in the natural and physical sciences. To demonstrate the 
significance of these events, Governor Mike Rounds, by Executive 
Proclamation, declared this week ``Women in Science Week in South 
Dakota.''
  Among the notable guests featured throughout the week is keynote 
speaker Karen Stoos. Karen is a native of Hoven, SD, and is currently a 
biologist at the Genetics and Molecular Biology Branch of the National 
Human Genome Research Institute in Bethesda, MD. Other presenters' 
areas of expertise span the fields of geology, animal science, 
engineering, medicine, and metrology. Additionally, the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Weather Service, and 
the Girl Scouts will have exhibits and representatives in attendance. 
More than 1,000 seventh through twelfth-grade students and teachers are 
already registered to attend.
  I am proud to have the opportunity to share with my colleagues this 
exciting and significant series of events, and I am very pleased that 
the conference's efforts are being publicly honored and celebrated. I 
strongly commend the hard work and dedication of the National Weather 
Service and all of the sponsors of the Women in Science Conference, as 
their contributions will positively impact the lives of so many young 
women in South Dakota.

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