Women in Science: UC San Diego Alumnae Succeed in Male-Dominated Fields

Campus played a key role in career success of nationally-recognized
scientists Abbie Celniker, Pamela Coker, Megan McArthur and Marcia McNutt

February 22 , 2010

By Kristin Luciani

Not only is the University of California, San Diego a leader in cutting-edge research and academic excellence, it is also a training site for national—and world—leaders.  This winter, President Obama announced the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Initiative, calling for a series of nationwide programs to educate and inspire students to excel in science and math, especially underrepresented groups including minorities and women. In unison with this initiative, UC San Diego, renowned for its collaborative, diverse and cross-disciplinary culture, continues to provide a firm foundation for groundbreaking research and success. 

UC San Diego alumni have gone on to become society’s leaders and innovators, including four alumnae who have been sharing the spotlight in the scientific world: Abbie Celniker, ’80, CEO of biotech company Taligen Therapeutics; Pamela Coker, ’70, computer software entrepreneur; Megan McArthur, Ph.D., ’02, astronaut on the space shuttle Atlantis; and Marcia McNutt, Ph.D, ’78, recently appointed by President Obama to serve as director of the U.S. Geological Survey.  These four women have taken the lead in the traditionally male-dominated fields of science and technology.

Abbie Celniker, ’80, a prominent figure in the biotechnology field, is currently the CEO at Taligen Therapeutics, a leading company in the development of new therapies to treat immune diseases.  Previously, Celniker was the global head of Novartis Biologics where she built the basic infrastructure for the late-stage discovery and development of protein therapeutics.  She has over 20 years of experience in building biologics-focused businesses, including experience with Millennium Pharmaceuticals and Genentech, where her group revolutionized the use and refinement of several analytical assays used to characterize protein biopharmaceuticals.  In 2009, Celniker was one of three female CEOs highlighted by the Boston Business Journal for their leadership in the biotech industry.  Following her example, Celniker’s son, Kellen Mandehr, ’12, is studying human biology at UC San Diego.

A pioneering entrepreneur in the software industry, Pamela Coker, ’70, was the founding president and CEO of Acucorp, whose innovative software allows customers to utilize data in the COBOL programming language on today’s computer systems.  Founded in 1988 with her brother Drake Coker, Acucorp was one of the first software companies in San Diego and quickly grew into a $20-million-a-year international company, with offices in five countries.  Coker received her degree in cognitive science from UC San Diego, where she was exposed to unique opportunities and grounded in fundamental principles that put her on the path to success.  “At UC San Diego undergraduates had the ability to do original research and to think on our own,” recalled Coker.  “To get that kind of experience as an undergraduate was fantastic! I wasn’t just regurgitating someone else’s thoughts,” she added. The interdisciplinary prowess and global perspective that she cultivated at UC San Diego helped Coker to achieve international success with her company. 

While Megan McArthur defended her thesis and earned her Ph.D. in applied ocean sciences at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO), she was also training with NASA.  In 2000, while still a graduate student at Scripps, McArthur was accepted by NASA as an astronaut candidate.  In May 2009, McArthur took off on the space shuttle Atlantis to repair the Hubble Space Telescope – the only female crew member on the journey.   After her flight, she returned to the UC San Diego campus to share her experience of journeying through space, complete with home movies and souvenirs from the flight.  In addition, she expressed how influential her experience at Scripps Oceanography was in achieving her dream.   “I’ve been standing on the shoulders of the folks here at Scripps to reach this goal,” said McArthur.  

Marcia McNutt is the first female director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and oversees the organization that tackles tough issues including climate change and energy independence.  As director, McNutt draws upon the research principles she developed as a graduate student at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.  “People underestimate the importance of formulating the right questions,” McNutt said.  “What I enjoyed best about my experiences at Scripps was how it trained me in the kind of research I’ve spent my life doing: not only knowing where to look for answers to problems, but knowing how to formulate a good research hypothesis.” McNutt earned her Ph.D. in Earth sciences at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, where her research focused on geophysics and the processes within the Earth’s crust and mantle.  Her body of research has led to important contributions in the understanding of the formation of volcanoes and mountain ranges.    
Celniker, Coker, McArthur and McNutt are four extremely successful leaders in some of today’s most challenging and competitive fields, from computer software to biotechnology.  “I hope that young women see this and think ‘Well, that looks like fun. How do I get to do that job? What are the subjects I have to take in school?’” said McArthur.  As successful alumni of UCSD, these women prove that with a UC San Diego degree and an ambitious spirit, anything is possible.   

UC San Diego is making additional efforts to advance STEM education through the California Teach Program.   The California Teach Program, also known as “One Thousand Teachers, One Million Minds,” is a University of California initiative to put 1,000 new science and math teachers into the classroom each year.  To achieve this, UC San Diego has developed a special series of courses to provide a deeper understanding of science and mathematics, as well as enhance the ability of students to effectively communicate scientific and mathematical ideas to others.  Through Cal-Teach, UC San Diego is making a commitment to creating the next generation of science and math educators.

 

Media Contact: Kristin Luciani, 858-822-3353 or kluciani@ucsd.edu