Key Speakers
Virginia Valian
Dr. Valian is Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Linguistics at Hunter College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY). She is a cognitive scientist whose research ranges from first and second language acquisition to gender differences and gender equity. Her research on language acquisition is currently funded by the National Science Foundation.
In her landmark book, Why So Slow? The Advancement of Women (MIT Press, 1998; paperback, 1999), Dr Valian asks why so few women are at the top of their profession, whether the profession be science, law, medicine, college teaching, industry, or business. To provide an answer, Dr Valian integrates research from psychology, sociology, economics, and neuropsychology.
Dr Valian's science-based approach has been featured in the Science section of the New York Times, Nature, Scientific American, The Women's Review of Books, and many other journals and magazines. She has been interviewed on public radio, the BBC, and the Voice of America. Reviewers have called her book "compelling", "scholarly and convincing", "accessible and lively", and "a breakthrough in the discourse on gender".
Two aspects of Dr Valian's work on gender are currently funded by the National Science Foundation. One project is web-based tutorials for students, faculty, and administrators, using slides and voice-over narration. The goal is to give wide access to information about how gender influences the careers of men and women. The website with the first tutorial is www.hunter.cuny.edu/gendertutorial.
The second project is an ADVANCE Institutional Transformation Award, on which Dr. Valian is the lead Principal Investigator. This award will improve the status of women scientists at Hunter College and serve as a model for other colleges and universities. Information about the Gender Equity Project and its initiatives is available at www.hunter.cuny.edu/genderequity.
Dr Valian is a sought-after featured speaker. Her audiences have included the National Science Foundation; the National Institutes of Health; the American Association for the Advancement of Science; medical schools; science institutes; universities and colleges in the US, Canada, England, and the Netherlands; women's studies programs; and such diverse professional groups as academic and arts administrators, astronomers, chemists, choreographers and dancers, cognitive scientists, philosophers, and theater directors and performers.
Rita R. Colwell
Dr. Colwell became the 11th Director of the National Science Foundation on August 4, 1998, and served until February 21, 2004, when she accepted a position at Canon US Life Sciences. Her term at NSF was set to expire in August; however, only three previous NSF directors have stayed until their term expired, so it's “not unusual” for Colwell to leave early. Dr. Colwell will be serving as chairman of Canon US Life Sciences, a subsidiary of Canon USA . Canon US Life Sciences was founded in December 2002 to identify and develop life science solutions with potential applications in diagnostics and medical instrumentation.
During Dr. Colwell's term at NSF, its budget increased 68% and the average annual grant size grew from $90,000 to $142,000. Colwell also was responsible for increases in graduate student stipends, initiatives to support women and minorities in science and engineering, and programs to encourage science and math graduate students to participate in K-12 education.
Prior to coming to NSF, Dr. Colwell was President of the University of Maryland’s Biotechnology Institute from 1991-98, and she remains Professor of Microbiology and Biotechnology (on leave) at the University of Maryland.
Dr. Colwell has held many advisory positions in the U.S. Government, non-profit science policy organizations, and private foundations, as well as in the international scientific research community. She is a nationally respected scientist and educator, and has authored or co-authored 16 books and more than 600 scientific publications. She produced the award-winning film, InvisibleSeas, and has served on editorial boards of numerous scientific journals.
Vanessa J. Castagna
Ms. Castagna recently joined Cerberus Capital Management as a full-time senior member of its operations team. Headquartered in New York , Cerberus and its affiliated entities manage funds and accounts with capital in excess of $14 billion and are investors in many different businesses. Cerberus is part of the investment group that recently acquired Mervyn’s Department Stores, and as one of her first duties, Ms. Castagna will assume the role of chairperson of Mervyn’s.
From July 2002 to December 2004, she was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of J.C. Penney Stores, Catalog and Internet. She joined the company in 1999 as Chief Operating Officer and was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer in 2001.
From 1994 to 1996, she was Senior Vice President and General Merchandising Manager for home décor, domestics, furniture, crafts and children’s apparel at Wal-Mart. Prior to Wal-Mart, Ms. Castagna served in several senior level positions in the retailing industry, including Senior Vice President, General Merchandise Manager at Marshall ’s stores, a division of TJX Companies. From 1985 to 1992, she served as a merchandising Vice President at Target stores. Ms. Castagna began her career in 1972 with Lazarus, a division of Federated Department Stores, where she rose to Senior Vice President and General Merchandise Manager.
She has been on Fortune’s “Most Powerful Women in Business” list for the past four years, as well as 2004’s Forbes’ “Most Influential Women in Business.”
Linda Katehi
Dr. Katehi currently serves as the John A. Edwardson Dean of the College of Engineering, and as such is its primary academic and administrative officer. The College of Engineering includes ten major degree areas with over 6,000 undergraduate students and more than 1300 graduate students. There are over 320 faculty members, including 15 members of the National Academy of Engineering, 80 Fellows in Engineering and Science societies, and 40 distinguished and named professors.