Thursday, October 28, 2021
2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Auditorium between building 2 and 3
The Journey Of Women In Science: Where we have been, where we are and the road ahead
By Dr. Katayoon Dehesh
The director of the Institute for Integrative Genome Biology at UC Riverside and the President Elect of the American Society of Plant Biology
Abstract
As a middle eastern woman, I have traveled across borders and between continents in pursuit of my academic career. The start of the journey was as an undergraduate in an American university in Iran, followed by a PhD in the United Kingdom, and an ensuing habilitation position in Germany (equivalent to a tenure track faculty position in the USA). However, my scientific goals directed my path to the USA, where I obtained industrial and academic experience. I am currently Distinguished Professor and Director of the Institute of Genome Biology at the University of California in Riverside, and I am the first non-white president of The American Association of Plant Biology (ASPB).
This long and tumultuous journey has armored me with much experience as a woman in science, in a variety of societies, and has awakened in me the desire to share, help, shape and ease the path of women, in this region in particular, on their scientific journey.
About the speaker
- Ph.D. Plant physiology/ biochemistry Sussex (England)
- B.Sc. Biology (Honors) Pahlavi (Iran)
Professional experience
- 2020 Elected President of ASPB (American Society of Plant Biology)
- 2020 Distinguished Professor, Molecular Biochemistry
- 2017 Chair of GRC (Lipid signaling)
- 2016 Ernst and Helen Leibacher Endowed Chair in Botany and Plant Sciences
- 2016 Director, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside
- 2015 Co-Chair of GRC (Lipid signaling; Galveston Texas)
- 2011-2016 Endowed Chair of Paul Stumpf in Plant Biochemistry
- 2009-2016 Chair of Designated Emphasis in Biotechnology
- 2006-2009 Chair of plant biology graduate group
- 2002 Full-Professor
- 2000-2002 Lipids program leader, Calgene Campus of Monsanto
- 2000-2002 Adjunct Professor, Plant Biology, UC Davis
- 1997-2000 Senior Research Scientist, Calgene Campus of Monsanto
- 1994-1997 Principle Research Scientist, Calgene
- 1989-1994 Assistant Specialist Plant Gene Expression/ Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Berkeley.
- 1987-1989 Postdoctoral Fellow, Plant Gene Expression/ Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Berkeley.
- 1986-1987 Sabbatical from University of Kiel working with Professor Peter Quail, Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin, Madison.
- 1982-1986 Wissenschaftliche Assistant” (scientific assistant), University of Kiel, for the purpose of Habilitation.
- 1981-1982 Post-doctoral fellow supported by the German Science (D.F.G.), Biological Institute, University of Freiburg, West Germany.
- 1977-1980 Assistant Professor, School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Studies, National University of Iran.
