Speeches

Penn State Women: Inspiring, Innovative, Ingenious

Good evening. It's a pleasure to be here tonight to again celebrate the many accomplishments of women -- most notably the women of Penn State. 

Throughout history, women have been pioneers in the fields of science, medicine, law, education, business, the arts, government, and more. Women have greatly shaped American culture and society, and have contributed tremendously to its technical advancement.

The Color Purple and Peter Rabbit, bullet-proof vests, Scotchgard, fireproof building materials, home diabetes tests, space helmets, cancer treatments, and lasers for eye surgery -- all invented or created by women.

In 1939 Nadia Boulanger was asked what it was like to be the first woman to conduct the Boston Symphony Orchestra in the world premiere of Stravinsky's Dumbarton Oaks. She replied "Well, I have been a woman for 50 years now and I have recovered from my initial astonishment."
   
Her humor certainly drove home the point that cultural change was obviously still needed and there should be nothing surprising about a woman conquering new worlds. 
  
Here at Penn State we have our own list of groundbreaking discoveries made by women. Over the years, I have expressed many times that the women of Penn State are innovators, achievers, and great contributors to our University.

Women like Mary Frecker, associate professor of mechanical engineering, who has designed a new surgical mini-tool that promises to make eye surgery safer, less traumatic, and less invasive. 

Or Laura Klein, assistant professor of biobehavioral health, who is trying to decrease the number of adolescents who smoke. Dr. Klein also does research into stress in the hopes of improving women's health.

And recently, I received a letter about Donna Holmes, the director of our Small Business Development Center, who has helped to create nearly 400 new jobs for Pennsylvania, has worked with 40 graduate and undergraduate students, and has over the last seven years, boosted external funding for the center by more than 2,000 percent.

I don't know if any of those women are here with us tonight, but they certainly illustrate my point. At each of your tables, there are women just like the ones I have mentioned. All around us, every day, Penn State women are achieving great things and playing a central role in the success of this University. You are a tremendous source of inspiration, innovation, and ingenuity.

Which really puts a damper on the prediction of Charles H. Duell, commissioner in the U.S. Patent Office, who in 1899 declared, "Everything that can be invented has been invented."

I want to urge you to ignore short-sighted naysayers like Mr. Duell and to keep pioneering, keep inventing, keep discovering, keep encouraging other women, and keep closing the gap between the promise and practice of inclusiveness.
I hope you have a wonderful evening tonight, celebrating the power and achievements of women.