Lawrence Girls Attend Young Women’s Conference

Editor's Note: The following is a news release that was issued by the . 

The Lawrence Township Education Foundation recently sponsored 12 Lawrence Township students to attend the annual Young Women’s Conference sponsored by the United States Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Lab at Princeton University’s Plainsboro campus. The goal of this annual event is to increase young women’s interest in science, math and technology. Participants submitted essays on the topic of women making a difference in science to be eligible to attend. 

Attending the conference from Lawrence were Hannah Cohen, Olivia Davis, Nelle Evans, Gina Gutierrez, Zora Holness, Erica Levin, Shaye Lipskind, Linda Luo, Marie Nicandro, Mathilde Roux, Chidinma Nwachukwu, and Melissa Rothenberg. 

The Lawrence students joined 230 other seventh- through 10th-graders from area schools for an interactive program about science and a wide variety of careers in the fields of science, math and technology. Speakers discussed how they began their careers, what inspired them to pursue their chosen fields, and what they do for a living. The students then met in small groups with scientists whose areas of expertise were varied and unique. 

Oceanographer Marian Westley shared her experiences including her adventures at sea and what she learned and discovered. The girls also met a scientist who makes artificial muscles, two scientists who work with mycoplasmas (a type of bacteria), a scientist who works with the brain, and many others.

Current Lawrence Middle School student and future scientist Erica Levin stated: “Nothing could compare to the Young Women’s Conference. For me the most interesting scientist we met had contributed to the invention of 3-D glasses. Meeting with her was truly inspirational. The conference encouraged many young women to consider a career in the fields of science. We would like to thank the Lawrence Township Education Foundation for sponsoring our trip. Attending this conference inspired me to think outside the box and learn about things I wouldn’t have even thought about before.”

The Lawrence Township Education Foundation is a non-profit organization devoted to enhancing educational opportunities for Lawrence Township public school students. It has funded over 450 programs in Lawrence schools since 1992.  For more information about LTEF and the programs it supports, contact Executive Director Ivy Cohen at (609) 219-0340 or email info@ltefnj.org.