Professor Kristina Niovi Jones and Nisreen Abo-Sido '18 Discuss How Wellesley Offers a Unique Environment for Women in STEM

For the past several weeks, our Monday Daily Shot has been devoted to sharing conversations about Wellesley's effect on the lives of its students and alumnae recorded by StoryCorps. This week, we present a conversation between Kristina Niovi Jones, director of the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens and adjunct assistant professor of Biological Sciences, and Nisreen Abo-Sido '18. The pair discussed their passion for botany and science, and examined how Wellesley offers a unique environment for women in STEM.

"...Even though I've never been your student in class, I think of you as both a teacher and a mentor. I really appreciate it, so thank you," Abo-Sido told Jones.

"Oh, you bet," Jones replied. "I think students don't realize, especially at a small school, how much faculty talk to each other and how interested we are in the students."

"Part of the reason I chose to come to Wellesley was I really felt from day one, people were here for me...," Abo-Sido responded.

"...I think there's something about just being a women's college. The dynamic in the classroom is different. Labs are quite different," Jones replied.

Listen to an excerpt of their conversation.

This conversation, and other stories representing a rich mix of anecdotes, insights, and memories, will be preserved for future generations to serve as a lasting record about the women of Wellesley. The stories will be posted to the Campaign microsite and added to Wellesley's archives. StoryCorps, known as "America's oral history project," will also add these stories to the national archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

Alumnae are invited to record their own stories by using the StoryCorps app or add their voice by submitting their written stories directly to the Campaign website.