Women and Science: A Mount Holyoke Tradition

Ever since its founding in 1837 by Mary Lyon—a female chemist, no less!—Mount Holyoke has been a leader in science education for women. Approximately 25 percent of our students major in the sciences, and our graduates are admitted to top professional and graduate school programs. Our many successful alumnae include Dr. Virginia Apgar ’29, who developed the Apgar Score, an internationally recognized test for evaluating the health of newborn infants that is used routinely in obstetrics to this day. In 1995, Apgar was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, joining Mary Lyon and other Mount Holyoke notables in this honor.

Science faculty comprise more than 25 percent of the total faculty, and the College boasts a high number of tenured women faculty in science as well. Mount Holyoke students work side by side with faculty, many of whom have won prestigious grants and awards, including the coveted National Science Foundation awards. In addition, Mount Holyoke faculty publish regularly with students. Faculty research is integrated into the curriculum, providing students with graduate-level research and lab experience.

Mount Holyoke students get hands-on experience with sophisticated instrumentation, often starting in their very first year. Our world-class science facilities include scanning and transmission electron microscopes, NMR spectrometers, a confocal scanning laser microscope, and complete video microscopy capabilities. Biochemistry and molecular biology students use thermal cyclers, ultracentrifuges, DNA sequencing equipment, electrophoresis apparatuses, and scintillation counters for measuring radioactivity. At MHC the research opportunities for undergraduates are truly exceptional. While research universities may have larger facilities, those facilities are usually reserved for graduate students.

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