There are enough statistics out there about the percentage of women in scientific fields, and admittedly it isn’t as large a difference as in other fields. According to the National Science Foundation’s 2015 biennial report “Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering,” the percentage of women scientists and engineers actually working in science and engineering occupations in 2013 is about 30%. This means many either work in a position outside of science and engineering, or do not work at all. In that same year however, the percentage of employed women within the science and engineering workforce is about 46% of the entire workforce, and it is even higher in my field, life sciences, at around 49%. These numbers sound good but, those of us in the scientific industry have seen the split between women in technician-level positions versus the number of women in upper-level positions. The path I took to get to where I am today was not easy. I’m not sure if all women in science have had to work towards this in the same manner, but I wanted to provide some information on how I had to get there. As a scientific director of a new medical marijuana testing laboratory, I admit I do not think I would be here if I did not have the uphill battles in the agriculture industry to work through before obtaining this position.
In my field of agriculture, I’ve witnessed the “good old boys” mindset for years. Despite this, I’ve obtained management positions in every company. Whether or not the following applies to all fields, or whether or not one feels it is fair, the truth is that it is possible to advance quite quickly in science as a woman if you are dedicated. By dedication, I mean WORK. I mean an insanely large amount of WORK. It will be a battle and it will have to be earned. Throughout my career, I’ve had to work my way up, and as a result I quickly learned the work I’d have to put in to get there. I had to prove myself and I had to find a niche where no one else could accomplish what I could in the same amount of time or at the same cost to the company. I had to become an asset, and an indispensable one at that. Despite my solid background, I’ve been hired in at lower positions in almost every company, only to work my way up to management in the first year. I’ve become accustomed to knowing this is the path that will be required, and I’ve often assumed it was due to my education and sex. Whether it is fair or not, I know I would not have had the career I have had without the overwhelmingly hard work.
I want to provide a little about my background to explain what kind of fight it truly took to get where I am. My background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Biology (Plant Molecular Biology tract), a minor in chemistry, and two attempts at completing a Master’s Degree. As an undergraduate, I went around to every professor in the plant sciences to try and get a job in their lab. I finally suckered one into giving me a job for 9 hours a week. Despite only being given credits (3 hours) for those 9 work hours a week, I often found myself working early mornings, and into the wee hours of the night on various experiments. I was obsessed, but because of this I learned more in my undergraduate years than many graduate students. An employee from a seed company came in to work with my professor on a collaborative project, and observed me working. I was offered a job part-time, and that eventually became a full-time position. From that point on, I worked at various seed companies throughout my career, supporting breeding efforts in agriculture with genetic analysis. At each company, I typically started out as a lab technician or at a lower level, and worked my way into managing those groups in the first year.
My education hit a few speed bumps and has been a constant question when being interviewed for new positions. My first attempt at a graduate degree was thwarted by two issues. Issue one was that my graduate professor was leaving to accept another position and I would have to start my thesis over in Plant Pathology. The second issue is that I was pregnant. Choosing between starting my thesis over or accepting a position at a company that would provide insurance for me and my child was a no-brainer. I took the job. A year later, they offered to pay for me to finish my Master’s degree in Plant Genetics. I worked towards that while working full-time as a single mother for several years. My company was bought out by another seed company, and I was transferred to another state. I took classes at different colleges and transferred them into my program. Unfortunately, a 1 credit course that was required in my program could not be taken at another institution. My thesis was completed and written, and results were presented at a conference. But, that one credit did prevent me from finishing the degree, and I’m positive this plays a role in why I’ve had to start at lower positions.
Despite never finishing my master’s degree, I have had the opportunity to learn a great deal in my career in quantitative genetics, breeding, horticulture, transgenics, seed science, chemistry, molecular markers, and now chemical analysis of cannabis. My career path has bounced me around from one agriculture company to another, including Cargill Hybrid Seeds, Dow Agrosciences LLC, Pioneer Hi Bred International, Syngenta Seeds, and Iowa State University. With the industry experience I have had in agriculture, I’m thrilled to be able to apply my background to this new cannabis industry. Pazoo hired me in a management position at the beginning, and at a salary that is very competitive. Growing up poor, and having no means to pay for college myself without huge loans, it is an amazing feeling being able to put my son through college without any debt for him. Reading their job description, it was difficult to believe this dream job actually was a real position. I’m getting in at the beginning of an industry that is likely going to follow a very similar path to what other large agriculture crops followed decades ago. Knowing the successes and failures of those paths has given me a background that will allow our lab to be at the forefront of this industry by initiating the next steps for the medical marijuana industry.
Science is not a 9 to 5 job, especially working with plants. Plant scientists are dealing with a biological organism that is unpredictable and that will continue to grow regardless of holidays, weekends, illness, sick kids, or family emergencies. It takes a special amount of dedication. I have worked late into the night in the lab with one last attempt at getting an experiment to work. I have slept at my desk in the lab. I have gone in at 3 am to check on samples growing in the growth chambers to see if they need to be transplanted. I’ve gone to the greenhouses on the weekends to water or to the fields to take samples because it finally has stopped raining. It is this kind of dedication, whether you are a woman or not, that is required to be successful in science. What can make it difficult for women is the other responsibilities, like raising a child. But it’s not impossible. My son spent more than his share of time playing in my cube while I worked.
It is not impossible to succeed in science as a woman. It is not an easy path, and I can guarantee you will have to work your tail off to get where you want to be. Again, I’m not saying it’s fair or right, but that is the truth from what I have seen in my career. Prove yourself. It will be noticed.
About Trisha Scott
Trisha Scott is the scientific director of the Las Vegas Steep Hill NV Laboratory owned by Pazoo, Inc. (PZOO) – a unique organization whose commitment to health, wellness and safety includes best-in-class laboratory testing of medical cannabis. She is a single mother who has managed scientific laboratories and analytical groups for over 20 years in the agriculture industry. To learn more about cannabis testing, please visit www.pazoo.com or www.steephill.com