Russell Women in Science Leadership

Russell Women in Science Leadership is a Mills College legacy program designed to create pathways for women and gender non-binary individuals to succeed in STEM leadership. The program continues to build on this legacy by providing a new generation of students with faculty-mentored high-impact research experiences and showcasing accomplished women scientists who have achieved firsts in their fields.

Northeastern students in lab suites work on an assignment during the organic chemistry lab

The Russell Scholars Program is designed to empower the next generation of science leaders by providing student scholars with hands-on research experience, mentorship from faculty, and leadership opportunities. Student scholars will apply to work on a specific research project of participating faculty members. Russell Scholars will be awarded a scholarship.

Learn more about the Russell Scholars Program

The Russell Lecture Series is a public lecture series that brings diverse international women scientific leaders to speak on campus in their area of expertise. The series offers students inspiring examples of scientific leadership and brings together the campus community to affirm the commitment to women in the sciences.

Two female speakers sitting on stage with a red curtain in the background.

“This is a truly opportune and decisive moment to launch a bold, visible effort to build women leaders in STEM. More than ever, there is an acute need for a robust pipeline of women prepared to have the core communication and leadership skills necessary to champion their own work and to transform the cultures of their respective disciplines. The Russell Women In Science leadership program is crucial to realizing that goal.”

Cristine Russell, Mills College Class of ’71

The program reflects the life and vision of its donor-founder, Mills College alumna, Cristine Russell ’71, a renowned science journalist and senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School Environment and Natural Resources Program. As a change agent who is creating opportunities for women in the male-dominated STEM space, she founded the Russell Women in Science Leadership Program to offer students from underrepresented groups access to science experts and speakers, as well as to provide an empowering mentoring network for students.

Launching in 2014 at Mills College, the Russell Women in Science Lecture Series past speakers have included:

Dr. Naomi Oreskes Professor of the History of Science at Harvard University
Dr. Rita Ng, Physician-in-Chief, Kaiser Permanente, Oakland
Dr. Carla Brodley, Professor, Dean & Founding Executive Director of Inclusive Computing, Northeastern University
Dr. Rita Colwell, the first woman director of the National Science Foundation.
Dr. Gilda Barabino, President of Olin College of Engineering
Dr. Cori Bargmann, Neuroscientist, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
Dr. Shirley Malcom, American Association for the Advancement of Science and a STEM leader in promoting women of color in science
Dr. Inez Fung, UC Berkeley world-renowned climate scientist
Dr. Meg Urry, Astrophysicist at Yale University
Dr. Marcia McNutt, Geophysicist, President of the National Academy of Sciences

For more information, contact Lynn Santopietro

Our Team

Location

Mills Hall, Office 128
5000 MacArthur Boulevard
Oakland, CA 94613-1301
510.430.3232

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up

Donate