Women in Science, Up Close and Personal

In celebration of International Women's Day, we're shining a light on the many women moving science forward.

For more inspiration, we are showcasing the work of Pfizer's women scientists in a new series, originally published on Get Science. These stories feature their personal experiences, advice and insight. Here's a roundup of the series:

* Back in 1988, when Megan Robinson was a freshman in college, she got appendicitis and missed a week of class. When she went to talk to her male science professor about making up her work, she wasn't worried: After all, she had a 102 average. "He told me I should drop his class because ‘women don't belong in science anyway.'"

See how she pushed through this resistance to pursue a career in science, working as the Director of R&D Scientific Learning at Pfizer's R&D site in Groton, Connecticut.

* Even though women make up 56 percent of college students in the U.S., only 13-33 percent of women have bachelor's and master's degrees in physical sciences, engineering or computing. Mentoring has been shown to benefit both mentors and "mentees" and to improve retention rates among students.

Hear from Pfizer researchers as they share tales of mentors who inspired them to pursue science and helped to shape their ambitions.

* Marie Curie. Katherine Johnson. Rosalind Frank. All of these ground-breaking women scientists have inspired the work of many women at Pfizer. Discover what role models our researchers name as having had an impact on their pursuing careers in science.

* No one said a career in science would come without hurdles. Whether it's maintaining work-life balance, facing imposter syndrome head-on, or finding motivation when you have a lack of support, our researchers have found ways to overcome these hurdles and pursue their passions.

* How can we inspire girls to become the next generation of female scientists? Our scientists have a few real-life research findings to share.

* "I don't assume that men think I'm less able in my field because I'm a woman," says Katrina Loomis, Senior Director in Target Sciences and Technologies at Pfizer's R&D site in Cambridge, Massachusetts. "If I pursued my work and interactions with this assumption in mind, I would never try anything. Instead, I am blessed with enough self-confidence to let the interesting science and needs of the organization drive my actions and interactions." Read more advice from Katrina and other Pfizer scientists that could help prospective young female scientists, and the organizations – aimed at young women who are launching scientific careers – and for the organizations hoping to hire and keep them.

Learn more link: For more inspiration and scientific innovation, visit GetScience.