Base scientist contributes to girls’ math conference

  • Published
  • By Renée Wright
  • 3rd Wing Public Affairs
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Among the milestones of mathematics, around 20,000 B.C. people carved notches in wood to represent numbers, and in 3500 B.C. people in Sumeria developed numbers based on place value. However, it wasn't until around the year A.D. 400 that a woman named Hypatia became the earliest notable female mathematician as a teacher of mathematics and philosophy at the university in Alexandria, Egypt. 

Today, more than 1,600 years later, women remain a disproportionately small part of the work force in math- and science-related fields, according to research from an American Association of University Women Report. 

To assist in the continued effort to stress the importance of mathematics for girls, a member of the 3rd Civil Engineer Squadron took part in the Anchorage School District 16th Annual Girls' Math Experience Conference Feb. 28 at Bartlett High School.

Melissa Markell, an environmental scientist here, volunteered as one of 18 professional women presenting at the conference.

"The idea is to demonstrate to these middle-school-aged girls that math is a critical part of a wide variety of career choices," said Markell. "It's important for them to realize that math is not just an abstract concept. I use math every day in my job."

About 300 girls from Anchorage middle schools identified their career choices out of three main categories - business/human services, science, and medical - to match them to appropriate topics and presenters. Each presenter discussed the value of math and its importance in her profession and then led the girls in a related hands-on math activity.

Girls matched to Markell's presentation used radiation detection devices from the Elmendorf Bioenvironmental Engineering Office, with the help of Capt. Patrick Ryan and Senior Airman Raven Motz.

"We involved students in activities that demonstrated the significance of math in our everyday mission," said Motz, who specializes in industrial hygiene. "It was very interesting to see so many students that comprehend the importance of math at such a young age."

The students located sources of radiation hidden in the classroom, recorded measurements, converted units, calculated averages and compared their results to safety standards.

"My goal was to somewhat demystify radioactivity," said Markell. "I wanted to demonstrate that radioactivity is a natural earth process, and that we can use math to calculate radioactive exposures and risk levels."

Discussions during the session included what levels of radiation surround people all the time, such as when flying in an airplane or getting a medical x-ray.

Several members of the 3rd Medical Group also offered presentations to conference students with interest in medical professions. They were Capt. (Dr.) Joanne Balintona, 3rd Aerospace Medical Squadron; Leyla Kelter, 3rd AMDS; Airman 1st Class Amanda Smet, 3rd AMDS; and Capt. (Dr.) Kathleen Davey, 3rd Medical Operations Squadron.

In addition to the smaller, specialized sessions, the students also all gathered for keynote addresses by Alaska Supreme Court Chief Justice Dana Fabe in the morning and Alaska Federation of Native President Julie Kitka in the afternoon.

"The fabulous ladies of the Air Force really stepped up to the plate. Giving of their time so generously to share their careers and how they use math in their careers is commendable to the nth degree," said Patty Kennedy, event organizer with the Anchorage School District. "The involvement of women from the business and professional community emphasized for girls the importance of making wise choices for their future. The girls attending remember this event for the rest of their lives."