Page 24 - Laker Connection Fall 2013

DEAN LILA ROBERTS
A MATHEMATICIAN; AN ADVOCATE
FOR DIVERSITY IN STEM
By John Shiffert
Dr. Lila Roberts Dean of CIMS
Dr. Lila Roberts, dean of the College of Information and Mathematical Sciences (CIMS), isn’t a “token” in a field where only 25 percent of sci- ence, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degree hold- ers are female. She has earned all that she has accomplished as a leader in the field of mathematics – not as a female mathematician.
Still, she understands why, in the past, young women have been reluc- tant to pursue science and mathe-
technology and applications at NASA, all of whom were male. Best experience I ever had.”
Foremost among those providing opportunity in the Ph.D. pro- gram in Computational and Applied Mathematics at Old Do- minion University was Dr. John Swetits, who Roberts describes as an exceptional mentor who saw some talent in a non-traditional Ph.D. student... one who now leads CIMS at Clayton State and is a leader in the STEM fields, and an advo- cate for diversity in the STEM fields.
“Clayton State, with its diverse student population, has a tremendous potential to prepare students to enter STEM fields which, in addition to being intellectually challenging, have higher salaries than other occupations,” she says. “Broadening participation in STEM from underrepresented groups is impor- tant to me, and I am proud of the work that our student organ- ization, WISTEM, has done over the past few years in supporting women, many of whom are non-traditional stu- dents, who have chosen to enter the traditionally male-domi- nated fields.”
Another part of Roberts’ advocacy of STEM has been shown through a legacy gift she and her husband of 35 years, Lonnie Roberts (“I couldn’t have done any of this without his support,” says Dean Roberts) have made to Spivey Hall.
“I firmly believe that music and the arts are the gateway to cre- ativity, which is the basis for discovery in math and science,” she explains. “Being able to think and imagine beyond what is in a textbook; that comes from the arts. So supporting Spivey Hall through such a legacy gift is one way to promote that.”
matics as careers. She remembers having taken many courses where she was the only woman in the room, and she remem- bers an experience from her high school days.
“In high school [in North Carolina], I was good at math and enjoyed it. I was enthralled with the space race and watched every launch with envy, wishing I could get into a capsule and see the earth from outside the atmosphere,” she recalls. “My high school received a grant for the math teacher to take one student to the Bell Labs in New Jersey. I hoped I would be that student.
“Alas, the thought was that I would ‘just become a teacher’ or ‘just get married and have kids,’ so the experience would be somehow wasted.”
While many would quibble with the concept that an exemplary high school student would become “just” a teacher, the point is that the opportunity would not have been wasted. Roberts did teach high school mathematics for six years and then went on to graduate school where she experienced the closest thing to a ride in an Apollo capsule.
“A faculty member saw some talent and got me into a NASA Graduate Student Fellowship program at NASA Langley Re- search Lab in Hampton, Va.,” she says. “I also had the oppor- tunity to work with some wonderful scientists in laser
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