In 2007, the Sigma Chapter of Graduate Women in Science, serving Orange County, California, celebrated its twentieth anniversary.  The purpose of OC GWIS, like that of the national GWIS organization, is to advance the participation and recognition of women in the sciences.  It’s good to remember those active in its founding: Efforts inaugurated by the national GWIS President Katherine Baum secured the support of Dr. Jewel Plummer Cobb, then President of California State University, Fullerton; Dr. Marjorie Caserio, then professor at University of California, Irvine and later Vice Chancellor at University of California, San Diego; and Dr. Virginia Carson, Professor at Chapman University, later Dean of Wilkinson College, Chapman University.  In 1987 the Orange County Sigma Chapter was recognized with 47 members and Dr. Virginia Carson as its first President.

OC GWIS meetings over the years have included lectures by prominent scientists, panel discussions of current issues in science and field trips to research laboratories. In addition, there have been a number of unique activities in its annual schedule, including night boat trips in Dana Point to get a crash course in basic oceanography, a holiday dinner at which the foods and traditions of Chanukah were taught, and a weekend trip to the USC Marine Center on Catalina Island.

The Sigma Chapter’s first experience in hosting a National Meeting of GWIS came in 1995 at Chapman University in the city of Orange, California. The logistics were a challenge, but it was carried off with fine speakers, an afternoon workshop, and a poster session.

In addition, we hosted the 2001 Grand Chapter Meeting and National GWIS Conference, also held at Chapman University. The topic of the meeting was “Genetic Modification of Food”, including the processes used in engineering crops, the advantages of these modified crops in our food supply, and society's ethical concerns with genetically engineered food. The National Award of Recognition was presented to Dr. Nell Mondy, PhD. Our local board of officers under President Denise Foley, Melissa Rowland-Goldsmith, Karen Stammen, Jody Tyler, and Elizabeth Frayne went the extra mile by providing an afternoon beach party for attendees.

An annual Student Research Conference was begun by OC GWIS in 1989, and it has been held every year since. In 1996, at the 7th Student Research Conference, a poster session for research at the graduate, upper division, and community college levels was included for the first time. A prize of $100 for the best research at each level was awarded. The addition of the poster session increased the conference attendance by 50 percent over the preceding years, and was thus included in subsequent years, as well.

It was the sentiment of the chapter that a student's ability to speak clearly and answer questions about his or her research project is a critical component to a scientific career. Because of that, the poster session was further expanded in 2001 by the requirement that students also give a 10 minute presentation to the judges. The poster requirement was eliminated in 2003, and since then the only presentation requirement has been to give ten-minute explanations of their research using PowerPoint. That type of presentation turned out to be very successful. So many students were entering that the number of speakers had to be reduced from three to one. Another conference was needed at which professional women scientists would bring their specialized knowledge to OC GWIS Sigma Membership.  The board decided to have a second conference each fall to fill that need.

At the suggestion of Dr. Liz Syage, Dr. Ruth Booth, then OC GWIS President, applied for and obtained a $2000 grant from Allergan to support the chapter's fall and spring conferences of 2002 and 2003. Allergan’s Research Theater was made available for the fall 2002 Science Symposium on "Complementary and Alternative Medicine". Every year through 2005 the team of Ruth and Liz continued to obtain the grant and the use of Allergan’s theater. Sadly, Ruth died in 2006 and is much missed. Since then Virginia Carson has filled in for Ruth as President of OC GWIS Sigma Chapter and as grant writer. Dr. Liz Syage, now a vice president at Allergan, has continued to assist with the application. The fall Science Symposiums at Allergan included “New Advances in Skin Care,” in 2003; “Enlightening Perspectives on Body Weight Control,” in 2004; “Disaster Risk and Preparedness in Orange County,” in 2005; “Building Blocks to Improve Your Mind,” in 2006, and "New Horizons in Medical Research" in 2007.

The increases in grants given by Allergan over time has allowed OC GWIS to increase awards for best research by student presenters at the annual spring Student Research Conferences. In 2003 the awards were increased to $200 for each level, Ph.D., MS, and undergraduate, thus bringing the total awarded to $600. From 2004 through 2007 awards of $300 first place and $200 second place were made in each category with a total of $1500 given out each year. With the increased awards the number of enterers has nearly doubled.

The 18th Student Research Conference in 2007 was the most successful conference since student research presentations began.  OC GWIS welcomed thirty-one student presenters, including seven Ph.D. candidates, seven MS candidates, and seventeen undergraduates, from a variety of scientific fields. Dr. Dixie Fisher, coordinator of judging, is to be highly commended for the smooth projections and for compiling the committee’s evaluations of the presentations so that the awards could be made. Each group of students seemed very pleased when they came to the podium to receive their certificates and awards. Their big smiles said a great deal about the value of the conference.

OC GWIS Sigma Chapter developed ties with the Association for Women in Science (AWIS) chapter at Orange Coast College, and many of the GWIS meetings are attended by their members. Professors Ann Harmer and Sharon Daniels, also GWIS members, have brought displays of plastinated animal parts produced in their OCC lab to our conferences and provided tours of their facility. OC GWIS Sigma Chapter also has ties with the Society of Women Engineers of Orange County (SWE-OC). Very pleasant joint holiday parties have been arranged by Cynthia Jensen-McMullin, a member of both groups.

Dr. Carson has for twenty years been a mainstay of OC GWIS Sigma Chapter. The year 2007 marked her seventh term as President. She served as National GWIS President in 1999-2000. Active in other fields, she was named an Outstanding Woman in the area of Health and Science in Orange County in 1996. She has organized more symposia at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meetings than the rest of national SDE GWIS membership combined. In 2006 she was elected a National Honorary Member of GWIS, a well deserved recognition of her contributions.

Among those not mentioned above who made important contributions to OC GWIS were Amybeth Cohen, Shandy Hauk, Fleur Tehrani, Nancy Segal, Helen Clucas, Denise Foley, Amelia Russo-Neustadt, Melissa Rowland Goldsmith and those who served as officers of OC GWIS Sigma Chapter over the years.

One way of evaluating our chapter’s achievements is to look at the total number of presentations, 208, and total amount given in awards, $8,200, at its yearly conferences over twelve years. Especially gratifying is the increase in the number of Ph.D. candidates and undergraduates presenting their research. OC GWIS Sigma Chapter has also provided a venue for women scientists, including local chapter members, to share their research, discoveries, and experiences with students at all levels as well as with other members. It is through these various activities that OC GWIS Sigma Chapter has advanced our stated purpose, the participation and recognition of women in the sciences.