麻豆视频

As an undergraduate Biology major at聽Allegheny College in the 1950s, professor聽emerita Barbara Iglewski, PhD, was one of聽only two women in her organic chemistry聽class.

鈥淲e were told flat-out the first day, and聽almost every day, that we had no business聽being there,鈥� she recalls.

Hopefully that professor saved her聽autograph. Staying in that class鈥攁nd acing聽it鈥攊s just one of a long line of 鈥渇irsts鈥� that聽have defined Iglewski鈥檚 world-renowned聽career.

Born in 1938, Iglewski earned her聽doctorate from Penn State, and then聽spent 40 years鈥攎ost at the University of聽Rochester鈥攕tudying how a common kind聽of infectious bacteria spreads and how to聽stop it.

Her laboratory was the first to discover聽that pseudomonas actually 鈥渢alk鈥� to one聽another, using a chemical language to聽coordinate attacks on human cells and聽initiate disease. Her work launched an聽entire field of study into how bacteria聽communicate, and spurred the development聽of drugs to thwart the communication聽process.

In 1986, she became the School of聽Medicine and Dentistry鈥檚 first female聽department chair when she was tapped聽to lead the Department of Microbiology聽and Immunology. As chair, she doubled the聽department鈥檚 tenure-track faculty members聽to 21, and grew its NIH funding from $1聽million to $12.3 million. From 1987 to 1988,聽she presided over the American Society for聽Microbiology, and chaired its publications聽board in the 1990s, at a time when very聽few women served on editorial boards.聽A highly cited scientist by the Institute of聽Scientific Information, she has authored or聽co-authored more than 150 articles, and聽holds seven patents. Later, she became the聽first female to serve as UR vice provost for聽research and graduate education.

But Iglewski was honored by the Hall of聽Fame for breakthroughs well beyond her聽work as a scientist and administrator. In a聽male-dominated field, she made it her life鈥檚聽purpose to mentor, advocate, and open聽doors for women who shared her curiosity聽for the sciences.

鈥淚 have a passion for doing what I could聽to help other women,鈥� says Iglewski, who聽helped women advance to faculty positions,聽connected them with editorial opportunities聽and resolved salary discrepancies.

She recalls that when she was offered聽her first teaching position, the department聽chair 鈥渢hought I would have children and聽quit,鈥� but over the years, things began to聽change.

She often looked to icons like Susan B.聽Anthony for inspiration.

鈥淭he suffragettes were amazing women,聽when you look at what they did not have聽and what they fought for,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey聽couldn鈥檛 keep their wages. They didn鈥檛 have聽the right to vote. If a man divorced them,聽they had no right to their children or the聽property. They had none of the rights that聽we take for granted.鈥�

On Oct. 3, Iglewski took her place among聽these and other women who led the way聽in many fields they were once told they聽did not belong: the arts, athletics, business,聽government.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not only an honor but it鈥檚 a very聽humbling experience,鈥� says Iglewski. 鈥淚聽really believe, man or woman, that as you聽achieve and move forward, you have to聽reach back and help. And, if you don鈥檛,聽shame on you.鈥�