In June, I got to go to Toolik Field Station on the North Slope of Alaska as one of the Marine Biological Laboratory's journalism fellows. I have written a lot about the science happening there (see the links embedded in the text and at the bottom), but I thought I'd take this opportunity to write a little bit about life at Toolik, since friends, family and colleagues have asked me about it again and again.

This is my summer science story!

This year for my birthday, unlike in year's past instead of partying with friends or family in an air conditioned restaurant, I opted to keep things simple and natural (kind of like my hair). I spent my birthday in the idyllic hills and overlooks of the Shenandoah National Park located in Luray, Virginia (about 2 hours west of the DC Metropolitan area).

Alice Domurat Dreger is Professor of Clinical Medical Humanities and Bioethics at the Feinberg School of Medicine of Northwestern University. Her Ph.D. dissertation in History and Philosophy of Science at Indiana University led to her work in patient advocacy. Apart from writing numerous articles, she has also authored two books: Hermaphrodites and the Medical Invention of Sex and One of Us: Conjoined Twins and the Future of Normal  and edited three books on disorders of sex. She has two blogs, one on her homepage , and one at Psychology Today. Dreger is also a columnist for Hastings Bioethics Forum. She recently spoke with Under the Microscope about merging science, feminism, ethics, and medicine in her career, her writing, and her advocacy work.

High above the bustle of Midtown Manhattan at rush hour, on the 22nd floor of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers headquarters, historian Julie Des Jardins recently spoke. Her audience was an eager group of science writers and members of the New York chapter of the Association of Women in Science. She discussed her motivations for writing The Madame Curie Complex and about the process of crafting a narrative on women in science.

With the early evening glow of the East River behind her through the conference room’s panoramic windows, Des Jardins, who is a professor of history at Baruch College, said she wanted to present the sociology of women in science through her book.

Two recent comments from 9-year old girls in my science club stand out in my mind.“Mommy, where are all the girls?” This was from my daughter upon entering a room filled with mostly boys. I had signed her up for a science workshop hosted by a nearby town’s recreation department. We walked in, and to my daughter’s surprise there were about 14 boys but only two other girls. She looked me wide-eyed and posed this question.