Women's Scientific Creativity: That Contributes to Society

By Christine Charyton

In a world that increasingly relies on innovation, the role of women in the scientific community is more important than ever. "Women's Scientific Creativity: That Contributes to Society" sheds light on the often-underrepresented contributions of women scientists and innovators. This publication aims to inspire, educate, and empower by highlighti

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christine Charyton Ph.D.
• Release date: Aug 26, 2023
• ISBN: 9798989002917

Book preview

Women’s Scientific Creativity: That Contributes to Society

Christine Charyton, Ph.D.

Copyright © 2023 by Christine Charyton, Ph.D.

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that neither the author nor the publisher is engaged in rendering legal, investment, accounting, or other professional services. While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a qualified legal, investment, or accounting professional when appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, personal, or other damages arising out of or related to the use or misuse of the information presented in this book

Dedication and Acknowledgements

Special gratitude goes out to all my clients. Helping to improve lives holds deep meaning and is truly important. I am grateful to my Dad, Olekca Xariton, for teaching me to stand up for myself and advocate for both myself and others. He instilled in me the value of standing up for what I believe in, no matter the opposition or its severity. I am also grateful to my Mom, June Charyton, for teaching me to believe in myself. Both Olekca and June Charyton constantly remind me that I can be anything I want and encourage me to strive to be the best of the best. I express my gratitude to my Aunt Dianne Charyton and Uncle Bob Charyton for their support, which allows us to live beyond our dreams. I am immensely grateful to Frank Farley for introducing me to the works of C.P. Snow and Edward O. Wilson, which have added depth and helped me establish my own career path. Their inspiration has helped me overcome adversity and violent opposition, fostering resilience despite all obstacles.

I find inspiration in the Ukrainian people, my entire family, our lineage, and the rich cultural and spiritual history we share. I appreciate the understanding that pain and suffering are not void of meaning; they bring us deeper understanding and purpose. Currently, I am enjoying my pilgrimage.

To all my clients, employees, students, and fellow Ukrainians, thank you for joining me on this journey as we strive to enhance lives and make a positive difference in our society. It was my Dad who inspired me to become the President of the USA, and my Mom who always said, When there is a will, there is a way! I extend my gratitude to Temple Grandin for her significant contributions, as well as to Dr. Mom for her wisdom and remarkable achievements.

Forward

Forward by Temple Grandin, Ph.D.

I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to my teachers and mentors; whose guidance and support were instrumental in shaping my successful career as a Professor at Colorado State University and as a designer of livestock handling systems. The equipment I developed now plays a vital role in handling almost half the cattle in North America. However, my journey began with its fair share of challenges.

At the age of three, I struggled with severe autism, including being non-verbal and exhibiting various symptoms. Thankfully, I had the privilege of working with many exceptional teachers who played a crucial role in helping me overcome these obstacles. Among them, my mother stood out as one of my most influential teachers during my childhood. She consistently nurtured my love for art and encouraged me to explore my interests. Instead of letting me fixate on drawing the same horse head repeatedly, she gently urged me to expand my artistic skills and draw the entire horse. Her guidance broadened my artistic abilities and fostered creativity.

During my elementary school years, my inquisitive nature led me to bombard my engineer grandfather with countless why questions. I would eagerly inquire about various scientific phenomena, such as why the sky is blue. He patiently explained the underlying science behind each curiosity, feeding my thirst for knowledge and inspiring me to explore the world around me.

Unfortunately, high school proved to be a difficult period marred by bullying and teasing, making it the worst time of my life. However, I was fortunate to have two influential mentors who made a significant difference during those trying years.

One was my science teacher, Mr. Carlock, who recognized my potential and motivated me by presenting captivating projects. For instance, he challenged me to build optical illusions, using these projects to convince me that studying in high school would pave the way for a future in scientific pursuits. Almost overnight, I transformed from a lackluster student into someone driven to work hard and excel academically.

My fascination with the cattle industry blossomed when I visited my aunt's ranch in Arizona. The experience ignited my interest in beef cattle and sparked a passion within me. I realized that achieving success in any career requires a combination of exposure and mentoring. Students need to be exposed to a variety of experiences and opportunities in order to discover their passions.

I dedicated myself to my studies in college and achieved good grades overall, but I encountered challenges along the way. There were instances where I had to drop physics and computer programming classes because abstract math and algebra proved to be incredibly difficult for me. However, my passion for psychology and animal behavior led me to major in psychology, which set me on the right path.

Interestingly, my career took a different turn when I delved into design work in concrete and steel construction. Through my experiences working with various meat companies, I came to realize that there are two facets to engineering. On one hand, there are the mathematical engineers with formal university degrees, and on the other hand, there are the ingenious individuals in the shop who invent, construct, and patent mechanical machinery. Surprisingly, most of these talented individuals did not possess college degrees, and many struggled with algebra, much like myself. We shared a unique ability to visualize and comprehend how objects work, which proved crucial in our work. Unfortunately, I am concerned that in today's educational landscape, individuals with these valuable skills are often overlooked and filtered out at the high school level.

When I began my professional design work, I faced an even greater barrier than autism or my struggles with math: being a woman. During the early 1970s, being a woman in a male-dominated industry posed significant challenges. I faced discrimination and exclusion, even being kicked out of feedlots and industry meetings solely because of my gender. However, I was fortunate to have a remarkable mentor, Jim Uhl, a former Marine Corps Captain who was establishing his own construction company. Jim sought me out specifically to design cattle handling facilities and provided invaluable support in getting my business off the ground.

I faced an incident early on in my career where a ranch foreman approached me inappropriately, and when I rejected his advances, he falsely claimed that my corral designs were faulty. At that moment, I contemplated quitting, but Jim Uhl convinced me not to give up. He believed in me and went on to build many more of my designs. It's worth noting that most of the harassment I encountered as a woman came from middle management positions.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1 Introduction Abstract

History 1.1

Longitudinal Studies 1.2

Attributes 1.3

References

CHAPTER 2: Case Study: Temple Grandin, Ph.D.

Abstract

Background 2.1

Interview 2.2

2.3 Conclusions

References

CHAPTER 3 Engineering and the Creative Engineering Design Assessment (CEDA) for Men and Women, Their Commonalities and Differences

Abstract

3.1 Background

3.2 Creative Engineering Design Assessment (CEDA)

Figure 1.

3.3 Female Engineers compared with Male Engineers

3.4 Engineering Education

3.5 Core Principles and Ideology of Creative Engineering Design.

3.6 The CEDA

3.7 Relevance

References

CHAPTER 4 College Students’ Creativity and Creative People

Abstract

4.1 Creative Persons

4.2 Caucasian Males

4.3 Eminent Women

4.4 Creative Persons

4.5 Role Models

4.6 Women and Ethnicity

4.7 Gender and Engineering

References

CHAPTER 5: Creativity, Eminence and the Nobel Prize

Abstract

5.1 Nobel Laureates

5.2 Women, Marriage and Children

5.3  Peer Mentors of Laureates

5.4 Eminence and Nobel laureates

5.5 Exceptionality

5.5.1 Marie Curie

5.5.2 Gerty Cori

5.5.3 Maria Goeppert Mayer

5.5.5 Post 2008

5.6 Recent Trends in Women Laureates Since 2009: Accomplishment Recognition Increases

5.6.1 Physics

5.6.2 Chemistry

5.6.2.1 Jennifer Doudna

5.6.3 Medicine

5.6.4 Economics: (Elinor Ostrom and Esther Dufio)

References

CHAPTER 6 Ukrainian Cossack Warrior Women

Abstract

6.1 Ukraine and Warriors

6.2 Kateryna L. Yushchenko

6.3 Antonia Prikhot’ko

6.5 Overcoming Obstacles and Nobel Laureates

References

CHAPTER 7 My Mom: June Beverly Charyton

Abstract

7.1 GE NASA: General Electric National Aeronautics and Space Administration and UNIVAC (Unysis): Universal Automatic Computer

7.2 Technology

7.3 Interview

7.4 Conclusions

Reference

Chapter 8  Discussion and Future Directions

Abstract

8.1 Accomplishments

8.2 Core Values and Future Directions

8.3 Past, Present and