FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Maria Ibañez
202-588-8175
Ibanez@awis.org
AWIS Mourns Passing of Dr. Neena B. Schwartz, Founder
WASHINGTON DC, April 19, 2018 – Dr. Neena B. Schwartz, a founding mother of the Association for Women in Science (AWIS), passed away April 15, 2018, in Chicago, Ill. at the age of 91. She served as the first AWIS President from 1971 to 1973 and remained on the national governing board through 1975.
One of the world’s most influential reproductive biologists, Dr. Schwartz’s seminal work in endocrinology changed the way science thinks about the relationship between the brain and the reproductive system. In her 2010 autobiography, A Lab of My Own, she related her early experiences in the workplace, “I was the only woman getting my PhD in the department of physiology at Northwestern. At my first job at the University of Illinois, the chairman of the department asked me to pour the tea. ‘Sure,’ I said, ‘but maybe someone else can pour it next time.’ Nobody ever asked me again.”
In 2002, Dr. Schwartz was the recipient of the AAAS Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement. She was honored for her passionate dedication and long-standing commitment to promoting the careers of female scientists. As her cousin Dr. Robert Shulman noted, “I think she was mentoring to the end.”
The vision Dr. Schwartz and her co-founders laid out for AWIS continues nearly 50 years later. AWIS is proud of our continued work to support their affirmations including the intrinsic ability of women to function as professional scientists at a level of competence equal to that of men and the necessity to take a firm, public stand on matters of discrimination which involve the careers of professional women.
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About AWIS: Founded in 1971, AWIS has been the leading advocate for women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to achieve business growth, social change, and innovation. We are dedicated to driving excellence in STEM by achieving equity and full participation of women in all disciplines and across all employment sectors. In addition to scholarships, AWIS provides career resources, professional development, as well as networking, mentoring, and volunteer opportunities to build leadership skills. To learn more, visit awis.org and @AWISNational.