Women have played an integral role in the success of the Department of Biostatistics from its inception. Dr. Jane Worcester (pictured in black and white) first joined the Department as a student in 1931, becoming the first woman at HSPH to earn the Dr.PH degree in Biostatistics and Epidemiology. She later joined the faculty, and became the Department’s first female chair in 1973. Since then, Drs. Nan Laird, Louise Ryan, and Xihong Lin have all served as department chair, and along with our other distinguished female faculty, have been instrumental leaders in both the field and in the growth and success of the Department in the modern era.
Despite a struggle to achieve diversity in the STEM fields, within our Department 52% of our students and almost 40% of our faculty are women. We have certainly come a long way but know that women continue to face unique challenges in the workplace and research community at large. As a Department we remain committed to empowering, uplifting, and celebrating all the remarkable women who strengthen and enrich our community. Happy International Women’s Day!
