STEM Fields

Mary-Ellen Taplin Wins Lifetime Achievement Award From the Prostate Cancer Foundation

Dr. Taplin is a physician at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and professor at Harvard Medical School. Her research has centered on how prostate cancer responds and adapts to hormone therapy. Her work over the past three decades has resulted in now standard-of-care treatments for advanced prostate cancer.

Research Finds Little Progress in Women’s Senior Authorship in *Nature* Journals

Among the top 10 journals by total first authorships, only two increased their representation of female first authors by more than four percentage points over the past decade and only four had women make up at least one-third of first authors in 2025.

Nazareth University in New York Launches Graduate Degree for Women’s Health Nurse Practitioners

Geared toward registered nurses holding a bachelor of science in nursing degree, Nazareth's new hybrid graduate program combines online coursework with in-person sessions to train nurses to diagnose, treat, and educate patients through a holistic approach to women's health.

Kristine Yaffe Awarded for Pioneering Research on Aging and Dementia

The National Academy of Medicine has honored Kristine Yaffe, endowed professor in psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, for her pioneering research on cognitive aging and dementia prevention.

Zhen Xu Wins the 2026 Golden Goose Award for Developing New Cancer Treatment

Dr. Xu, the Li Ka Shing Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan, has been honored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science for inventing histotripsy, an ultrasound-based treatment that destroys tumors without surgery and with few side effects.

Three Women Scientists Named Schmidt Polymaths

Schmidt Sciences is a nonprofit organization founded in 2024 by Eric and Wendy Schmidt. Eric Schmidt is the former CEO of Google. Zohreh Davoudi of the University of Maryland, Grace X. Gu, of the University of California, Berkeley, and Lauren Zarzar of Penn State will each receive up to $2.5 million for their research.

Grants or Gifts Relating to Women in Higher Education

Here is this week’s news of grants and gifts that may be of particular interest to women in higher education.

Marni Sommer Awarded for Transformational Research and Global Advocacy for Menstrual Health

The CDC Foundation has honored Columbia University's Marni Sommer for transforming menstrual health into a recognized global public health priority. Beginning with her doctoral research in Tanzania, Dr. Sommer has focused her work on how menstruation and puberty disrupt girls' education.

Yasmin B. Kafai Named an Outstanding Educator in Computer Science

Professor Kafai, the Lori and Michael Milken President's Distinguished Professor in the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania, has been honored by Association for Computing Machinery for her long-lasting contributions to computer science education for children and youth.

Two Universities Present Awards to Renowned Geneticist Huda Zoghbi

Baylor College of Medicine's Huda Zoghbi has been awarded Columbia University's Louisa Gross Horowitz Prize and Villanova University's Mendel Medal in honor of her groundbreaking research into the genetic causes of neurological disorders.

Elon University’s Hwayeon Ryu Honored for Distinguished Teaching in Mathematics

Dr. Ryu has taught at Elon University in North Carolina for the past seven years. She was recently honored by the Mathematical Association of America for her dedication to undergraduate mathematics education, mentorship, and research.

The American Institute of Physics Launches the Nancy Grace Roman Papers

Dr. Roman (1925-2018) was the first chief of astronomy at NASA. The administration recently launched the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope, which is designed to explore the mysteries of dark matter, dark energy, and exoplanets.