30 BULLETIN


You Can Do What With a Science Major?


Four accomplished alumnae returned to campus in March for the 2012 Women in Science panel and shared their experiences since graduating with Randolph students and faculty. Panel members Vicky Proctor Turgeon ’93, Genevieve Neale ’93, Laura Black ’08, and Priyanka Uprety ’10 talked about volunteering, internships, summer research, and how their professors have influenced their choice of careers. Students also asked questions on preparing for graduate school and how to seek out a suitable job or internship.


Vicky Proctor Turgeon ’93, a biology major, went on to receive her Ph.D. in neurobiology and anatomy from Wake Forest and was hired as a professor of biology at Furman University in 1998. “I wanted to be an inspirational teacher like Professor Shedd,” she said. While Vicky has achieved her goal, completing her Ph.D. thesis was not without challenges. “I lost funding for my graduate research and had to write my own grant proposal to be able to continue. As I had children, I was ever mindful of the need for


work-life balance. My Ph.D. program started with 12 candidates. Only two of us finished.”


Vicky has received several awards for excellence in teaching that commend her use of her own research in spinal cord development while mentoring students. She has conducted research with over 60 undergraduate researchers since 1998, all of whom have presented and/or published their research. She encouraged the Randolph students saying, “You have to be determined and creative—negotiate your way to your goal.”


After completing a dual major in biology and dance, Genevieve Neale ’93 entered the graduate veterinary medicine program at Virginia Tech. Her liberal arts degree was unusual for DVM students, but her strong academic background served her well. She worked in an established veterinary practice for a few years, and then started to think about owning her own business. “Many more women complete veterinary school now then when I did in 2000, but few are practice owners.


Women in Science panel members included, from left, Genevieve Neale ’93, Vicky Proctor Turgeon ’93, Laura Black ’08, and Priyanka Uprety ’10.


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