The April 16 issue of the Boston Globe has an interesting profile of MIT Associate Professor of Health Sciences and Technology and Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Sangeeta Bhatia, titled "Her studies link engineering, biology". The article begins by pointing out that she is doubly a minority in the engineering community:
It's a sad statement on gender equality that in Boston, it's easier to find a Yankees fan than a woman engineer. Dr. Sangeeta Bhatia, professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT, is a rarity on account of her gender and because she's a woman of color in a field that's primarily male. Not to mention that at 38, she's one of the most accomplished young scientists in Kendall Square.Bhatia is the director of the Laboratory for Multiscale Regenerative Technologies, which is working to develop micro- and nanotechnology methods for tissue repair and regeneration. Projects include the development of nanoparticles that mimic blood platelets and can deliver chemotherapy to tumors, engineering special substrates to build artificial livers and grow stem cells.
Like so many women scientists and engineers, she wants to encourage girls to follow in her footsteps.
Being a role model for women aspiring to engineering careers is a source of pride for Bhatia. "I want young girls to think that engineering is great. A lot of them don't make a connection between this profession and their iPods. I want girls to know that you can make an impact and still have a life. I tuck my girls in at night. I take vacations. It's not an unattainable goal."See also:
- "A Better Toxicity Test," Technology Review, March /April 2006
- "Sangeeta Bhatia Looks at Life's Architecture," The Scientist (subscription required)
- Global Indus Technovators Award 2004
- Technology Review 2003 Young Innovator
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