Signature

At the start of my senior year at Agnes Scott, Dr. Lili Harvey asked about my summer. She, along with other faculty in the chemistry department, had helped me obtain a summer research position in a government laboratory and was eager to hear about my experience. With a quiver in my voice, I told her, “I don’t think I’m cut out to be a chemist anymore.”

I knew this news would be disappointing. Over several years, Dr. Harvey supported my dream of a career in chemical research, welcoming me into her laboratory for an independent study and guiding me toward resources and opportunities that fit my interests. With care and concern in her eyes, she asked me to explain.

The story, honestly, remains embarrassing. I was performing a reaction in the laboratory that required slowly introducing a chemical into a flask using a syringe. While setting up, I grazed my thumb with a freshly opened syringe needle, instantly triggering my (secret) needle phobia. I fainted and woke up on the cold laboratory floor surrounded by government scientists. How could I possibly become a chemist if I couldn’t perform a simple reaction?

Dr. Harvey smiled and said she understood what I was feeling. She told me about her own experiences facing and overcoming fears in the lab. She encouraged me to continue pursuing my goal and apply to graduate school. While this conversation may seem unremarkable—silly, even—I frequently think about the impact it had on my career. I was ready to give up, but Dr. Harvey listened to my worries and encouraged me when I needed it most, as a true mentor.

This kind of mentorship, common to the Agnes Scott experience, makes it a special place to become a scientist. Yes, ASC provides a comprehensive and rigorous education in the sciences. From introductory to advanced courses, the material is relevant and up-todate, providing the foundational knowledge and laboratory techniques for students to go on to successful scientific careers. But what truly sets Agnes Scott apart is the supportive, student-centered environment that fosters a genuine sense of belonging in the sciences.

Outside the classroom, professors take on formal and informal mentoring roles, checking in with students on their coursework and career goals. Faculty and staff help students identify opportunities in line with their goals, empowering them to pursue their own interests. In the classroom, faculty care deeply that all students can access and learn challenging material, intentionally selecting

pedagogical techniques proven to promote welcoming and inclusive environments for diverse learning styles.

Agnes Scott also fosters a strong community among students in the sciences. The Resource Center for Math and Science offers peer mentoring, tutoring and studentled course-specific workshops. I have fond memories of learning from my friends and classmates, relishing in the camaraderie that stems from working together to answer stimulating scientific questions and thinking about those questions in the context of the social, cultural and intellectual challenges of our times.

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve seen how such scientific questions can impact individual lives in a dramatic fashion. Basic scientists laid the groundwork for vaccines to be developed, tested and approved in record time. Genomic epidemiologists alert us to new variants, and translational scientists and public health experts bring these innovations directly to the public.

However, we’ve also seen inequities in the distribution and benefits of these scientific advances. Black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) are more likely to die from COVID-19 than other groups. Global and local inequities in health care infrastructure and vaccine distribution have led to continued disease transmission and devastating loss.

In parallel, women, trans and nonbinary people and BIPOC continue to be underrepresented in science and research-related professions. These gaps result from implicit and explicit systemic bias, which leads to feeling unseen, unheard and unsupported. Experts agree that a scientific workforce and culture supportive of women, trans and nonbinary people and BIPOC would not only lead to greater overall creativity and excellence in science but also bring more attention to addressing the needs and problems facing minorities and underserved communities.

Agnes Scott is a place where students can feel seen, heard and supported—a place of belonging—in the sciences. It’s a place where students can walk into a science classroom or laboratory and feel community with peers and faculty and where mentors inspire and encourage, even in passing conversations.

— Christine Franzel Markwalter ’13

BIO: Christine Franzel Markwalter ’13 is a postdoctoral scientist at Duke University studying malaria genomic epidemiology to help understand, control and, ultimately, interrupt malaria transmission. Markwalter earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry and mathematics at Agnes Scott and her Ph.D. in chemistry from Vanderbilt University. When she’s not in the lab, she enjoys family hikes and bike rides with her husband, Daniel, and daughter, Ellis.