Women in Quantum Science and Engineering Lecture Series: Laura Greene


Picture Gallery
Interview with Laura Greene:
Upcoming Talk: Tuesday, March 7 at 11:00 a.m.
Year of Diversity at PQI
The Year of Diversity at Pitt
Last April, Provost Patricia E. Beeson announced in her closing remarks at the Senate plenary session that the upcoming academic year will be the Year of Diversity at Pitt. “It’s going to be a year that we’re going to celebrate difference; a year when we’re going to engage in conversations about difference: about cultural difference, academic difference and political differences,” she said. The Office of the Provost has therefore offered opportunity and support to organize various events to celebrate diversity in academia. At the Pittsburgh Quantum Institute (PQI), we decided to celebrate Women in Quantum Science and Engineering: outstanding researchers dedicated to furthering different fields of physics, chemistry, and engineering, and who happen to be strong, brilliant, empowering women.
Women in Quantum Science and Engineering
Women you said? Yes, in the field of Quantum Science and Engineering—as in most STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields, women are a resonating minority. Even at PQI, out of our seventy members, only ten faculty members are female, which accounts for a mere 14% of the membership. To overcome this gender imbalance, it is important to convince more women—as well as other underrepresented students—to pursue majors and careers in Quantum Science and Engineering. This may be achieved by giving the opportunity to established women scientists to share their experience with the local student community. The mission statement of the Pittsburgh Quantum Institute is to help unify and promote Quantum Science and Engineering in Pittsburgh. Within the framework of the Year of Diversity, we therefore propose that the efforts to fulfill this mission be directed by and for the community of Women in Quantum Science and Engineering.
A Lecture Series
PQI is therefore organizing a Lecture Series, with four local speakers and PQI members from the Departments of Physics, Chemistry, and Chemical Engineering at Pitt, as well as from the Department of Materials Science at CMU. Four additional speakers have been carefully chosen for both their scientific achievements and their involvement in bridging the diversity gap in STEM. They will all give colloquium-style talks throughout the Spring semester of 2017. Spread the word, and encourage your peers or students to attend. Although we are celebrating diversity in gender, we encourage the participation of all minorities in our events! These events not only ties in the Year of Diversity, but also fulfills PQI’s mission statement by providing the opportunity to personally meet strong female role models, which may broaden the perceived perspectives in Quantum Science and Engineering.
Biography: Laura Greene
She is noted for her research on Andreev bound states and is an expert in strongly correlated Fermionic systems. During the discoveries of the first high transition temperature (Hi-Tc) superconductors she and collaborators from AT&T laboratories, were amongst the first to report on the role of oxygen and crystal structure in the copper-oxides. Laura Greene is a champion for diversity and is active in promoting equal rights for women and minorities. She is a member of the Department of State supported COACh team, an organization for assisting in the success and impact of women scientists and engineers.
Laura Greene studied physics as an undergraduate at Ohio State University and was awarded a cum laude BS, (1974) degree and Master’s (MS) in 1978. For higher education she joined Cornell University. At Cornell, first she was awarded a MS in experimental physics (1980) and then in (1984) she completed a PhD degree in condensed matter physics. With her PhD she joined the fabled AT&T Bell Labs in Murray Hills in New Jersey (NJ) and later Bellcore, Red Bank also in NJ.
Laura Greene is committed to equal rights for women and minorities in education and in the work place, particularly when it comes to the hard sciences and the engineering professions; she actively promotes awareness and sensitivity towards people who face difficult health challenges. She is a Co-founder of the Forum on Outreach and Engaging the Public (FOEP), and a member of Committee on Informing the Public, both parts of the American Physical Society. Laura Greene was on ‘BOOST/Grantwriting/Indonesia Advisory Board’; part of COACH International, for the Kavli Frontiers of Science Indonesia Meeting, Bali, Indonesia and she has served on the Argonne Education and Outreach Council for the Division of Educational Programs, Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne-U/Chicago-LLC).
Abstract
Women in Quantum Science and Engineering Lecture Series
Tuesday, February 7, O'Hara Student Center
Tuesday, February 28, Allen Hall 321
Tuesday, March 7, O'Hara Student Center
Tuesday, March 21, Allen Hall 321
Wednesday, April 5, Benedum Hall 102
Tuesday, April 11, Eberly Hall 307
Tuesday, April 18, Eberly Hall 307